Pre-Orientation Cycle

Secondary years 4 and 5

In the Pre-Orientation Cycle, students continue to follow a broad curriculum which includes a number of compulsory subjects. Students in the Pre-Orientation Cycle are making a big step towards taking responsibility for their own learning and well-being.

At the end of S3, students have the opportunity to personalise their subject package. Students keep the language scenario they already had in the Observation Cycle, and next to their three languages, they must take Mathematics for 4 or 6 periods a week. Biology, Chemistry and Physics are studied in English, for 2 periods per week each. History and Geography are studied for 2 periods each in the student’s second language, as is Ethics. Students add at least one elective subject from the following: Language 4 (if available), Art, Music or ICT.

The careers guidance and form tutor lessons are in part a continuation of what was done in the Observation Cycle, but students also work on study skills and career orientation. S4 students do one week of work experience at the end of June as part of career and university orientation. Highly motivated students may apply to do a 6-8 week exchange with another European School during the first semester in S4, or a 4-month exchange during the first semester in S5.

For information about the specific classes in the pre-orientation cycle, for the programmes, progressions and structure of the curriculum, please click below: