Secondary School

Pupils normally enter the secondary school in the calendar year in which they turn eleven, following the successful completion of the European school’s primary course or an equivalent course duly certified by an officially recognised school.

The seven classes of secondary education are organised in the following way: for the first three classes, pupils follow a common course, known as the observation cycle. Most subjects are taught in the mother tongue, although in the second class all must begin a second foreign language, and in the third class all begin to study history and geography in their "working language" (L2). Latin is offered as an option in the third class.

In classes 4 and 5 the compulsory course in integrated science is subdivided into physics, chemistry and biology, and pupils may choose between the advanced or the normal course in mathematics. Other options include economics, a third foreign language and ancient Greek.

Classes 6 and 7 form a unit which leads to the European Baccalaureate. Although there is a core of compulsory subjects including mother tongue, L2, mathematics, a science, philosophy, physical education, history and geography, students have a wide range of further options and may choose to study some subjects for two periods, four periods or at an advanced level.

Pupils are regularly assessed and reports are issued three or four times a year. Assessment is based equally on course-work and on examinations, although formal examinations do not form part of the observation cycle. Criteria established by the Board of Governors are used to decide whether a pupil may progress to the next class at the end of the school year. Pupils who do not meet these criteria have to repeat the year.