IB Middle Years Programme

Applications for the IB Middle Years Programme can be submitted as per the school’s admission cycle, allowing timely enrolment into the internationally recognised IB MYP curriculum.

For students aged 11 -16, the IB MYP is an interdisciplinary course that helps them develop academic and personal skills, while the IB DP is a two-year pre-university course for students between 16 to 17 that offers subjects and extensive research.

The IB MYP is a five-year programme for students aged 11 to 16 (Grades 6 to 10). It bridges the gap between the Primary Years Programme and the Diploma Programme, helping students move from broad exploration to deeper, more structured learning. The focus isn't just on what to learn, it's on how to think, question, and apply knowledge across real-world situations.

MYP students study eight subject groups: Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Integrated Sciences, Mathematics, Design, Physical and Health Education, and Arts. In Grade 9, students make guided choices in sciences, humanities, and a portfolio subject. Every year includes at least one unit of Interdisciplinary Learning.

Assessment in the MYP is both formative (ongoing feedback throughout the year) and summative (at the end of each unit). Teachers use a range of formats, written tasks, oral presentations, projects, and performances, all evaluated against MYP subject criteria. Both types contribute to semester grades. HUS holds parent orientation sessions to walk families through assessment in practice.

Yes, and that's intentional. The MYP is built around skills and conceptual understanding, not content memorisation. Teachers draw from academic articles, case studies, multimedia, and project-based tasks. This makes learning more relevant and helps students build their own understanding rather than simply absorbing a fixed set of facts.

Parents don't need to master the MYP framework to support their child. HUS runs regular parent sessions throughout the year, in groups and one-on-one, to keep families informed and involved. Most parents find they learn alongside their child. The school treats it as a shared journey.

Every unit is connected to a real-world context. A science task might ask students to design a floating structure for flood-prone regions, applying principles of buoyancy while thinking about sustainability. Students regularly face problems with no single right answer; that's the point. It builds the kind of thinking that transfers well beyond school.

Yes. The IB sets clear standards for all eight subject groups, with four assessment criteria per subject covering knowledge, understanding, application, and analysis. Beyond academics, the MYP also holds students to standards in personal development, interdisciplinary learning, Service as Action, and global engagement.

IGCSE is subject-specific; students pick individual subjects, study them independently, and sit exams in each. IB is interdisciplinary, subjects are connected, and students are regularly asked to draw links between them. The IB also integrates arts, physical fitness, research skills, and social engagement as core parts of the curriculum, not add-ons.

Enrolment in the MYP at HUS is for the full five-year duration (Grades 6 to 10). Switching back to another board mid-programme isn't possible within the school. That said, HUS has structured academic support and a Foundation Programme in place to help students adjust, and most find their footing within the first term.

The MYP sits between the PYP and the DP, and the three programmes are designed to build on each other. Students coming from the PYP at HUS already have inquiry habits in place; the MYP deepens those. By the time they reach the DP, the critical thinking, research, and self-management skills they need are already developed.

The MYP teaches students the skills that colleges and employers always want: critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and flexibility. The program includes group projects, presentations, and real-world problem-solving tasks. 

Two major projects sit at the heart of the MYP. The Community Project (for 8th or 9th graders) is a group service project in which students find a real need and do something about it. The Personal Project (for 10th graders) is completely self-directed; students pick their own topic, set their own goals, and write about the whole process. It's the most independent work students will do before the DP.

In a unit on climate change, students might study the greenhouse effect in Science, analyse the socio-economic impact on coastal cities in Individuals and Societies, interpret CO₂ data in Mathematics, and write a persuasive essay on climate action in English. No single subject gives the full picture. Combining them builds a deeper, more honest understanding.

A common example is a project where students plan a road trip across multiple cities. They manage a real budget, calculate distances, estimate fuel costs using actual mileage, and make accommodation decisions within their constraints. Every calculation has a consequence. Students learn about financial literacy, ratios and proportions, data interpretation, and reflection all at once. 

They are often asked to look at a text or argument from different points of view and ask why those points of view exist. One classroom approach uses the Six Thinking Hats strategy, where students examine the same idea through logical, emotional, creative, and critical lenses. Over time this builds genuine reading and listening habits, not just the ability to summarise, but to interrogate.

Teachers differentiate instruction based on individual student needs, interests, and strengths. Inquiry-based tasks allow students to explore what feels relevant to them within a shared topic. The Personal Project in Grade 10 is the fullest expression of this, one student might build an app, another might write a novel, and another might run a community initiative. All of it counts.

Physical and Health Education is a core subject in the MYP, not an optional extra. Students build knowledge about healthy living alongside practical physical skills, teamwork, and leadership. At HUS, emotional well-being is supported through counselling services, well-being programmes, and teachers trained to notice when a student needs more than academic support.

The IB Learner Profile describes ten qualities the programme develops: Inquirer, Knowledgeable, Thinker, Communicator, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-taker, Balanced, and Reflective. In the MYP, these aren't aspirational labels, they're built into how units are designed and how students are assessed. The profile shapes the kind of person the programme is trying to develop, not just the kind of student.

Parents are encouraged to stay engaged, attend school events, have regular conversations with their child about what they're working on, and keep in touch with teachers. You don't need to understand the curriculum in depth. Showing genuine interest in your child's learning and maintaining a steady home routine makes a real difference.

Progress reports and parent-teacher meetings provide more detailed updates at regular intervals. The most telling sign, though, is often that your child at home, MYP students who are engaged, tend to bring their questions and ideas well beyond the classroom.

Yes. HUS has a Career Guidance team that works with students from Grade 9. Our guidance team arranges regular sessions focused on preparing for college and exploring career options, helping students build their profiles, choose universities, write applications, and obtain recommendation letters. They also help students get internships to gain real-world experience. 

Yes, MYP students can participate in inter-school and higher-level sports competitions. Physical and Health Education is a core subject in the MYP, and HUS is currently expanding its campus facilities to host inter-school sports and co-curricular events on a larger scale.

Homework in the MYP is tied to what's actually being taught, it's not assigned to fill time. During regular periods, the workload is steady and manageable. Around assessments or major projects, students will naturally need to put in more time. The expectation is that homework is meaningful and that students take ownership of managing their own deadlines. That habit of self-management is something the MYP builds deliberately.