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CIS Foundation Programme

CIS Foundation programme

The CIS Foundation programme is designed for children entering grades 5-8 who are beginners in English. The programme is broken down into a primary foundation programme for students in grades 5-6 and a secondary foundation programme for students in grades 7-8. The aim of the rigorous one-year foundation programme, is to swiftly equip each student with the necessary English skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) so that by the end of the year, they can fully participate in all learning activities with their peers and successfully meet the expectations of CIS's IB curriculum.

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An established track record

CIS has been teaching English as a second language (ESL) to students from around the world for more than 30 years. Our established track record makes us one of the most experienced and trusted international schools in Singapore to offer English Language Learner (ELL) programmes. We welcome students from more than 74 countries and through our experienced certified ELL teachers and comprehensive English curriculum, we are committed to equipping each student with the necessary skills to become effective communicators in English.

Curriculum and areas of study

In addition to intensive English lessons that incorporate an inquiry-based approach, students take classes in mathematics, science and individual and societies. This approach ensures no student falls behind in these important core subject areas. Classes are aligned to each student’s equivalent grade level, with a significant amount of time spent towards helping them acquire the necessary English competency needed for each subject. Lessons in study skills and exam preparation are also taught on a weekly basis.

Class sizes are small and students are grouped according to their English proficiency level. They remain together for all lessons and join their peers in the respective grade / school division for lunch, house leagues and before and after school activities.

The number of contact hours in each subject area is outlined below. The weekly primary timetable can be viewed here and secondary timetable here.

Assessment and progression to CIS’s IB Programme

Summative assessments occur at the start, middle and end of every semester. Those who satisfy the entry requirements are able to exit the programme and enter CIS's English programme in primary / secondary school. View the CIS academic calendar for all key dates.

Device requirements

Students must have their own IPAD ( grade 5 and 6) or MacBook (grade 7 and 8) with the latest operating system. Software required is programme specific and will either be provided by CIS or sold to students at a later date. Learn more on this page of our website. 

Before you apply

The admissions section on our website outlines the  entry requirements, application process, and fee schedule.

Boarding

CIS has an arrangement with ACS Oldham Hall in Singapore, a premium local boarding facility. Visit this page for more information.

Success stories
Nicole Yang

12 years old from China

graduated March 2018

My English improved a lot in the programme, especially my speaking and writing. The thing I liked most about it were my classmates. I also liked taking part in the film study co-curricular activity after school. It has been very easy to adjust and make friends at CIS because there are many people from different countries and they are all open and friendly.

About Nicole
Nicole Yang

12 years old from China

graduated March 2018

Allegra Cassinelli

14 years old from Italy

graduated March 2018

The best part about the programme is that we did a lot of presentations and group work. My grammar and vocabulary improved the most. It was very easy to adjust and make friends because everyone was like me; they didn’t know English and they had just arrived in Singapore, so we became very best friends!

About Allegra
Allegra Cassinelli

14 years old from Italy

graduated March 2018

Emma

14 years old form China

graduated March 2018

My favourite part about the programme were the nice teachers and meeting many friends. I improved my reading and vocabulary the most. The thing I like most about CIS are the many different nationalities and learning about different cultures and languages.

About Emma
Emma

14 years old form China

graduated March 2018

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