Arabic is offered as part of the Languages curriculum from Key Stage 3 (KS3) through to the International Baccalaureate (IB), alongside French and Spanish. Students can choose to study Arabic at different levels, including Higher Level (HL), Standard Level (SL), or Ab Initio for beginners. From KS3 onwards, the Arabic programme helps students develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, while fostering an understanding of Arabic culture. As they progress to the IB, students build on these skills, exploring more complex texts and themes, and preparing for academic success and global awareness.
In Key Stage 3, Arabic is offered to all students in three streams, five periods per week.
Stream 1: First Language
This is offered to students whose mother tongue is Arabic, who started Arabic in Year 1 and have been successful in their uninterrupted studies.
The First Language syllabus contains two different aspects: Language and Literature. Directed and creative writing is encouraged throughout the course. In Literature, students are exposed to the different genres, from different periods of time, and compare them to modern texts with an introduction to literary criticism and directed and creative writing is mastered.
Stream 2: Second Language
This course is designed for students with previous experience of learning Arabic. The focus is on language acquisition and development of skills through text handling, written production, listening and oral expression, research projects and presentations.
It includes different types of non-literary texts which belong to assorted themes that are aligned with IGCSE requirements.
Stream 3: Non-Arabic
This course aims at teaching Modern Standard Arabic, oral and written, for communication purposes. The course introduces aspects of Arabic culture in addition to topics of universal appeal to students of various cultural backgrounds, such as hobbies, life at home and school, shops, airports and restaurants.
Core Arabic: Years 10-11
Core Arabic is a compulsory non-IGCSE course taken by all students. Core Arabic is both a government and a school graduation requirement. Students are put into groups according to ability and previous experience in Arabic.
Course content depends upon whether the student is already a reader of Arabic or not. Readers of Arabic focus on reading and writing skills, through reading articles and discussing them, then writing about the topic. Non-readers of Arabic concentrate on speaking and listening skills, through class discussions.
Cambridge IGCSE: Years 10-11
In Years 10 and 11, Arabic is offered in two streams.
Stream 1: IGCSE Arabic (First Language)
The course offers variety in its selection of anthologies from works of classical and modern Arab authors, in its focus on the various literary genres, and in its methods of practice, where emphasis is placed on personal response.
Candidates at this level must have a very effective command of Classical Arabic, in addition to having followed courses for native speakers in their previous years of education. Students with very weak expressive and grammatical skills will have difficulty in performing at the higher grades.
Syllabus Cambridge IGCSE™ Arabic First Language
Stream 2: IGCSE Arabic (Second/Foreign Language)
A variety of texts are used including the works of modern writers. Topics include:
- Everyday activities
- Personal and social life
- The world around us
- The world of work
- The international world
It is recommended that candidates at this level must have some prior exposure to Arabic for at least three years if capable.
IB Diploma – Years 12-13
In Years 12-13, Arabic is offered in two streams.
Stream 1: IB-B (Higher and Standard level)
At both levels of language B (Standard Level and Higher Level), students describe situations, narrate events, make comparisons, explain problems, and state and support their personal opinions on a variety of topics relating to course content. The study of two literary works originally written in the target language is required only at language B Higher Level.
IB Diploma Programme Subject Brief Language B
Stream 2: Arabic Ab-initio
The language ab initio course is designed for students with little or no prior experience of the language they wish to study. All final decisions on the appropriateness of the course for which students are entered are taken by coordinators in liaison with teachers, using their experience and professional judgment to guide them.
IB Diploma Programme Subject Brief Language ab initio