ENGLISH

English is the main language used in our school.

Grade 1 students learn to read and write in English in Literacy lessons so by the end of grade 2, they become quite fluent readers, meeting most expectations of average grade 2 native speakers’ reading levels in English-speaking countries.

Evaluation tests, assessments and measuring progress 

Students write 3 evaluation tests in English yearly: in September/October, January and May/June. These tests help to determine the overall progress children make during the school year and are based on the UK SATS exams. To help children achieve their full potential, they are set individual targets based on their performance in their most recent English SATs.

From grade 4, children read at least one novel yearly which increases to two by Grade 6. The English syllabus in upper school contains contemporary literature, drama, media and poetry segments; this allows children to have read a Shakespeare and a 20th century play by the end of grade 8, as well as several media texts.

English as part of our curricula

Lower school and upper school Heads of English are responsible for ensuring the curriculum and syllabi are followed by all teachers in a creative way, allowing for progress to be made by all students. Within IPC and IMYC the study of Language Arts includes three components: language application, language syntax and language and communication. The increasing complexity is developed through the selection of age-appropriate* texts (written, visual, oral and digital) as learners move from Milepost 1 to IMYC.

As English is not taught as a foreign language but as a first or second language, complementary English and Conversational English lessons are built into the timetable 5-6 times weekly to ensure students achieve relevant standards set by the U.K. National Curriculum in Key Stage 1 (age 5-7), Key Stage 2 (age 7-11) and 3 (age 11-14).

Textbooks in use are Oxford University Press and Core Knowledge Foundation publications.

English goals

In lower school, the aim in English is for children to be able to complete the British Key Stage 1 (in grades 2 and 3) and Key Stage 2 SATS exams (in grade 5).

In upper school, the aim is for children to successfully complete the Key Stage 3 SATS exam at the age of 14. It is also guaranteed that by this age, a child will be able to complete an international language exam at an advanced level.

Conversational English/Ethics

Conversational English is taught by our native speaker colleague. The syllabi followed in Conversational English, which is designed to address the personal goals set by IPC and IMYC, is created by the subject teacher. By Conversational English being planned to focus on the personal goals of IPC and IMYC, it meets the requirements of Ethics, as a subject.

HUNGARIAN

Hungarian language and literature

In our school, every subject, except for Hungarian language and literature, is taught in English. Despite being an international school, we place strong emphasis on the language of the country where we live and work. The mother tongue of the majority of our students (65%) is Hungarian. Moreover, learning Hungarian is essential for being admitted to higher education institutions in Hungary. That is the reason why this subject forms part of our curriculum. We also guarantee our foreign students the necessary conditions to learn Hungarian as a foreign language, for example, by differentiating within the class or by forming various study groups for students who join us later in the school year or plan to stay with us for only a few years.

To ensure our students have the opportunity to be admitted into public schools, as well as to meet the Hungarian entry and admission requirements, we have developed a local curriculum, based on the framework of the Hungarian National Curriculum (NAT) for Hungarian language and literature, which  follows the NAT and complements it. Mozaik Education’s textbooks are in use, written and edited by independent, alternative and renowned teachers.

In first grade, children learn how to read and write using the 44 letters of the Hungarian alphabet. This is the time when the foundations of confident handwriting and expressive reading are learned. Later, basic grammatical concepts are introduced; the communication and comprehensive skills of students are improved.

From second grade, more focus is placed on grammar; children start to read longer and more complex texts.

In third and fourth grade, children start to write texts in Hungarian on their own. In these lessons, children can improve their written and oral communication skills, while  they learn the basic text types and the structure of these.

In upper grades, students review and deepen their knowledge in the Hungarian language and delve more deeply into the grammar system. Students also become familiarised with various text analysis methods and techniques; they learn how to write stories and essay: longer and coherent texts.

In eighth grade, students get prepared for high school entrance exams.

During the eight years spent in Szeged IPS, children learn how to express themselves in a sophisticated manner both in writing and orally. They also read and process numerous literary works, giving them a good insight into the Hungarian grammar system. Our main goal is to ensure that children enjoy what they learn and that their interest is maintained through interesting, creatively planned lessons. To accomplish our goals, we use a great variety of teaching methods.