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Academics
LEARNING PROGRAMME: ACADEMICS
Through our Academic programme, students develop intellectual habits and passions that stay with them for life. Learning goals in languages, mathematics, sciences, the Arts, humanities, technology and physical education build logically through each grade, preparing students for the next academic challenge and for life beyond school. The conceptual nature of our curriculum, which focuses on ideas that can transfer across the world, supports students who are joining us from different countries, educational systems and backgrounds. For example, while the content of a chosen text in English or a specific time period in History may vary between educational systems, the concepts that underpin that subject area remain the same. The learning is therefore transferable between systems.
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT: LANGUAGES PATHWAYS
Across the College, our linguistic diversity encompasses speakers of 78 different languages and reflects the deliberate diversity created through our admissions policy. Nearly 60% of the UWCSEA community are multilingual, communicating in two or more languages at home. While our language of instruction in our learning programme is English, the College welcomes learners with a wide range of languages and language experience. A continuation of the work identified by the UWCSEA Strategy which started in the 2018/2019 school year, the College continued to focus on providing greater support for linguistic diversity. Strategies to support bi- and multilingual learners were extended on each campus to better serve each community. The articulated K–12 curriculum includes learning goals for literacy which specifically concern students’ English language awareness and development within the English and English as an Additional Language curricula. These goals support learners in acquiring the skills and strategies required to listen, speak, read and write in English with nuance and sophistication. In the College’s Languages Other Than English programmes, regardless of the level of language acquisition, these learning goals are also articulated at the appropriate level for the learner. In 2019/2020, a review of the languages pathways was conducted as part of the implementation of the UWCSEA Strategy, including an agreement between the campuses of a shared Languages Philosophy and Policy, and the identification of agreed definitions and roles for each community member e.g., students, teachers, parents. Work will continue in the next year to communicate these shared definitions and to embed understanding across the community about the extensive and nuanced languages programmes offered at UWCSEA.
In 2018, the UWCSEA Strategy identified a need for an increased focus on creating learning environments that are more accessible to learners whose first language is not English. Implementation of the campus-based strategies to support English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners in the 2019/2020 school year saw the EAL provision on both campuses formally extended to include learners from K1–G5. This extended the existing Grade 6–12 provision which had been in place for several years. The College now enrols EAL learners from K1 to Grade 12 and all teachers support students in acquiring the language skills they need to thrive in the curriculum. Formal EAL classes for students in Grades 1 to 12 are delivered by a specialist teacher. Infant School students are supported to develop literacy skills together with their classmates, and teachers employ strategies to support the youngest EAL students in their classrooms. The goal is for students to acquire skills in English that support their academic learning and their ability to use English fluently and accurately in general communication. Students transition out of the EAL programme as they move up the school; the time that they take to do this relies on a number of interrelated factors. Some students are in EAL for one or two terms only; others require a year or two of instruction. Depending on the campus and grade of the students, some EAL learners take a Language other than English (LOTE); others have their EAL lessons in a time when their classmates are taking their LOTE class.
OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: EXAMINATION BOARD CANCELLATIONS
Following the cancellation of the May and June 2020 examinations by the external boards, grades were calculated based on coursework, predicted grades and historic data, without the final exam. UWCSEA’s holistic assessment policies provided sufficient data to generate robust final grades at the conclusion of the 2019/2020 school year. While the outcomes were in line with previous years in terms of our expectations for our students, this was the result of continued focus on the practice of providing accurate and relevant predicted grades to students at key moments in their courses.
IB DIPLOMA RESULTS
In May 2020, 570 UWCSEA students were awarded the IB Diploma. While the IB examinations did not take place as scheduled, supporting documentation was provided to the IB to ensure students were awarded their IB Diploma in addition to their UWCSEA High School Diploma.
College
IB Diploma students Average IB Diploma score
570
38
UWCSEA
29.9
Worldwide
Pass rate
100%
UWCSEA
79.1%
Worldwide Percentage receiving 40+ points
40.5%
UWCSEA
7.5%
Worldwide Percentage receiving Bilingual Diploma
21.4%
UWCSEA
24.8%
Worldwide
117
Students awarded a Bilingual Diploma
20 Languages in which Bilingual Diploma was awarded Amharic; Chinese; Danish; Dutch; English; Estonian; French; German; Hindi; Hungarian; Indonesian; Italian; Japanese; Khmer; Korean; Lao; Mongolian; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish
IB Diploma score comparison
43–45 1.6% 17.0%
40–42 5.9% 23.5%
35–39
30–34 19.0% 18.6%
26.7% 37.2%
24–29
<24 3.7%
0%
16.5% 30.4%
IB Diploma five-year comparison
Year Number of candidates UWCSEA pass rate Worldwide average pass rate UWCSEA average diploma score Worldwide average diploma score
2020 570 (Dover: 329 | East: 241) 100% 79.1% 38.0 29.9
2019 561 (Dover: 319 | East: 242) 98.8% 77.8% 36.8 29.7
2018 572 (Dover: 318 | East: 254) 97.9% 78.2% 36.2 29.8
2017 572 (Dover: 325 | East: 247) 98.4% 78.4% 36.7 29.9
CLASS OF 2020 DESTINATIONS
30.0% USA
Gap Year 8%
National Service 12%
Asia/Middle East 5% Europe 6%
570
UWCSEA High School Diploma Graduates
Australia 8% 8% Canada 25% UK
4.47
Average number of university offers per student
436
Visits to campuses by university representatives
22
Countries where graduates enrolled in university
University Destinations Below is a list of universities that UWCSEA students were accepted to between 2018 and 2020.
Australia Australia National University James Cook University Monash University Queensland University of Technology Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University of Melbourne University of New South Wales University of Queensland University of Sydney University of Tasmania University of Western Australia
Canada Carleton University Concordia University Emily Carr University of Art + Design Huron University McGill University McMaster University Queen’s University Quest University Canada Simon Fraser University University of British Columbia University of Guelph University of Montreal University of New Brunswick University of Toronto University of Victoria University of Waterloo Western University
France College Universitaire de Sciences Po ESSEC Business School Paris College of Art Sciences Po - Columbia University
Hong Kong Chinese University of Hong Kong The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology University of Hong Kong The American University of Paris Ireland National University of Ireland, Galway Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland University College Cork Trinity College Dublin, the University of
Dublin
Japan International Christian University Keio University Osaka University Sophia University St. Luke’s International University Temple University Japan Waseda University
Italy ESCP Business School - Turin Instituto Marangoni Politecnico di Milano Universita Bocconi Universita Di Bologna University of Pisa
Middle East New York University Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) Northwestern University in Qatar
Netherlands Amsterdam University College Delft University of Technology Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam Erasmus University College Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Groningen Hogeschool van Amsterdam Hotelschool The Hague Leiden University College The Hague Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Technische Universiteit Delft Technische Universiteit Eindhoven Tilburg University Universiteit Leiden Universiteit Maastricht Universiteit Twente Universiteit van Amsterdam University College Twente University College Utrecht University of Groningen Utrecht University Wageningen University
Rest of Europe Copenhagen Business School (Denmark) IE University (Spain) Lund University (Sweden) Umeå University (Sweden) University of Gothenburgh (Sweden) University of Tartu (Estonia)
Rest of World Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines) King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology
Thonburi (Thailand) University of the Philippines Diliman University of the South Pacific (Fiji)
Singapore LASALLE College of the Arts Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Nanyang Institute of Management Nanyang Technological University National University of Singapore Singapore University of Technology and
Design Yale–NUS College
South Korea EKorea Advanced Institute of Science &
Technology Seoul National University Yonsei University
Switzerland École hôtelière de Lausanne ETH Zurich Glion Institute of Higher Education
Les Roches Schools of Hotel Management University of Fribourg University of St. Gallen
United Kingdom Arts University of Bournemouth Bath Spa University Birkbeck, University of London Brunel University London Canterbury Christ Church University Cardiff University Cass Business School, City University,
London Central St Martins College of Art and
Design City University of London Durham University Edinburgh Napier University Goldsmith’s, University of London Heriot-Watt University Imperial College London King’s College London Kingston College Lancaster University Leeds Art University Leeds Conservatoire London Metropolitan University London South Bank University Loughborough University Manchester Metropolitan University MetFilm School, London Newcastle University Norwich University of the Arts Nottingham Trent University Oxford Brookes University Queen Mary, University of London Richmond, The American International
University in London Royal Agricultural University Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Veterinary College, University of
London School of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London Solent University (Southampton) St. George’s, University of London Swansea University The London School of Economics and
Political Science Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance University College London University of Aberdeen University of Bath University of Birghton University of Birmingham University of Bristol University of Cambridge University of Central Lancashire University of Chester University of Dundee University of East Anglia University of Edinburgh University of Exeter University of Glasgow University of Greenwich University of Hull University of Kent University of Leeds University of Leicester University of Manchester University of Nottingham University of Oxford University of Plymouth University of Reading University of Sheffield University of Southampton University of St Andrews University of Surrey University of Sussex University of the Arts London University of the West of England, Bristol University of Warwick University of Westminster, London University of York Writtle College
United States Academy of the Arts University Agnes Scott College American University Amherst College Babson College Barnard College Bennington College Bentley University Berklee College of Music Biola University Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College Brandeis University Brown University Bryant University Bucknell University California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Claremont McKenna College Colgate University College of the Atlantic College of William & Mary Colorado College Colorado State University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth University Davidson College Drexel University Duke University Earlham College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Emory University Fordham University Franklin & Marshall College Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Indiana University at Bloomington Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College Lake Forest College Lehigh University Loyola Marymount University Luther College
Macalester College Methodist University Miami University-Oxford Michigan State University Middlebury College Minerva Schools at KGI Mount Holyoke College New York Institute of Technology New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Occidental College Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Pitzer College Pomona College Pratt Institute Princeton University Purdue University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rice University Ringling College of Art and Design Rochester Institute of Technology San Diego State University Santa Clara University Scripps College Skidmore College Smith College St. Lawrence University St. Olaf College Stanford University Suffolk University Swarthmore College Syracuse University The Citadel, The Military College of
South Carolina The College of Idaho The College of Wooster The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art The George Washington University The New School The New School, Parsons School of
Design The Ohio State University Trinity College Tufts University University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Irvine University of Chicago University of Florida University of Hawaii At Manoa University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign University of Maine University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Michigan University of Notre Dame University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of Texas, Austin University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University Vassar College Wartburg College Wellesley College Wheaton College Massachussetts Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University
UWCSEA STORIES
Academics in action
Our academic curriculum aims to develop the specific conceptual understandings necessary to build Peace and a Sustainable Future, educating for a better world. The conceptual understandings are informed by UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development Goals. Together with the skills and qualities of our Learner Profile, many of these concepts are reinforced through linkages to the other four elements of our Leaning Programme. While the Science Block in which the aquarium is housed was damaged by fire in January 2020 and work to repair and rebuild was stalled by COVID-19 restrictions, this case study demonstrates the way that students are actively engaged in learning linked directly to our mission through our bespoke programme.
LEARNING ABOUT MARINE CONSERVATION
Oceans are the foundation of life on Earth, producing over half of the world’s oxygen, creating the weather, stabilising the climate. Home to the largest ecosystem on our planet and rapidly becoming acidic, oceans are essential to study and appreciate so that they may be protected and restored. With the support of a generous donor, marine conservation at UWCSEA Dover is now in its third year of activity with a new, permanent aquarium. Previous activities included a mini marine conservation course at the IDEAS Hub and a wave simulation tank in the High School Geography Department. The 192 litre tank is installed in the Science Library, a space in the Science Department where many student societies congregate for their weekly meetings. This means the tank, resident clownfish, corals and an anemone species, are accessible to all classes across the department, and visiting students from other parts of the school. In 2019/2020, High School Marine Science Society students welcomed students in Grade 3 to the Science Block for a student-designed learning session on marine conservation. Half of the session was spent learning about the aquarium, marine ecosystems and the effects of plastic pollution and ocean acidification on corals. The second half was an outdoor activity that involved a game simulating bioaccumulation and biomagnification of toxins. At the end of each session, Grade 3 students were challenged to write a personal goal to change their behaviour to improve the conservation of marine ecosystems.
Once safe distancing measures are relaxed, students are looking forward to developing partnerships with the National Marine Laboratory on St. John’s Island to discuss how they can help with ethical coral fragmentation and replanting in Singapore. There are also plans to work with Conservation International to develop and deliver a curriculum related to marine wildlife conservation, particularly related to whale shark research and protection efforts. In an example of the interlinking nature of the UWCSEA learning programme, one of the Grade 9 Adventure Programme expeditions, cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, was due to contribute to data collection to support whale shark presentation efforts in the Maldives.
On East Campus, a Marine Conservation Service activity was launched with a goal to install a significant tank system in 2020/2021 so as to replicate the success of the pilot project on Dover Campus.
