Meet the teacher | IGCSE English teaching

As the bilingual pathway of an unquestionable world-leader in education, Hiba Academy Hangzhou offers its pupils the absolute best in Eastern and Western education. The English department at Hiba forms an essential part of this cohesive whole, with its members harbouring an unwavering desire to do a job better than anybody thought possible.。

The English Department at Hiba Academy Hangzhou delivers teaching guided by a desire to foster a love of the English Language and its use within their daily lives. The department is committed to highlighting the crucial importance of English and supporting learners in developing their language skills to access an extensive range of texts. Pupils are taught to express themselves fluently, effectively and accurately to and for a wide variety of audiences and purposes. At Hiba, our goal within English is to foster a genuine love for the language we teach. Our lessons are warm and vibrant. The spaces around the pupilpupils are tailored to immerse them in a productive, dynamic, colourful world that celebrates English. We are equally proud of our classrooms as we are of our pedagogy.

The department wishes all who work in it to adopt the view that all pupils are entitled to equal learning opportunities, and that every pupil’s learning process is of equal value. Therefore, pupils are catered to individually, with teachers providing stimulus geared towards the breadth of language skills within their classes. Pupils can expect consistent, rigorous assessment throughout all school grades, with consistently delivering mid- and end-of-term feedback. As a result, pupils are continually regrouped according to their most recent progress. This ensures that the teaching they receive is ideal for their level of English proficiency.

The department follows the Chinese National Curriculum and the objectives laid out in the Cambridge IGCSE for English. Pupils study and produce a range of non-fiction texts and work towards mastering the English key skills. At Hiba, pupils are taken seriously as readers, writers, speakers and listeners. They are given the greatest possible degree of responsibility for their learning, having opportunities to work independently and as part of small groups. Lessons are meaningful and take time to consider life’s big questions. All units are grouped under carefully chosen subjects which tie the curriculum together thematically. Although close language focus forms the backbone of our lessons, the department is keenly aware of their subject’s pastoral and philosophical nature, and lesson discussions are firmly geared towards exploring these concepts. This is especially important when pushing our top-level learners, pupils who flourish when exploring and being challenged by contemporary ideologies and values alongside their core English language acquisition.

At Hiba, we remain steadfast in our willingness to push to the forefront these crucial, holistic aspects of teaching, qualities that form the thematic backbone of our work schemes. For example, grade 7 recently completed a scheme of work focused on living spaces, challenging the way they perceive their everyday homes. Grade 9 recently completed a scheme of work exploring food, allowing for rich opportunities to explore world cuisine culture alongside developing subject-specific vocabulary. By exploring these topics through carefully crafted lessons, our pupils at Hiba are shaped and moulded into learned individuals with a well-developed appreciation for the world around them. In tandem, Hiba’s English curriculum equips our classes with the essential English language skills needed to set pupils up for future success. All this, alongside instilling lifelong values and lessons that are sure to remain with pupils as they make their educational journey through Hiba and beyond. Indeed, we are creating forward-thinking, well-rounded pupils ready to succeed.