British Boarding School in Penang, Malaysia

Prince of Wales Island International School, Penang:
Founded on the characteristics and ethos of top British boarding schools, the Prince of Wales Island International School is a private boarding school in the township of Botanica in Pulau Penang, Malaysia, that teaches the British secondary school system to children from ages 11 to 18. We do not aim to copy British boarding schools, but use our unique location and the richness of local and international experience to create something more special. Some of our students will live in Penang, others will come from further afield in Malaysia. There will be expatriate children who are resident in Penang and in the region, and students from other countries in South East Asia and the rest of the world.

Curriculum: Years 7, 8 and 9
For the first three years (Years 7-9) pupils follow a general curriculum that allows them to experience a wide range of subjects before they make choices. The exception is that there is a choice in the languages where it is necessary to maintain a degree of flexibility to take into account children's backgrounds and to satisfy Ministry of Education Malaysia requirements for Malaysian children. The Junior Curriculum will be based mainly on the National Curriculum for England and Wales. 

All children will have a reasonable level of English when they join the School, but some may still need extra support lessons on a one-to-one or small group basis. In such cases children may be excused one other subject. Up to Year 8, the curriculum in many independent schools in the UK is defined by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB). In the main subjects the Prince of Wales Island International School will follow Common Entrance syllabuses which include, but go beyond, National Curriculum requirements. Year 9 is the introductory year for IGCSEs.

- Curriculum Subjects:
- Mathematics
- Science (taught separately as Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from year 9 onwards)
- English (literature and language), English Language Support (as required)
- Humanities (History, Geography)
- Languages (Depending on demand, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, French, German, Spanish)
- Creative Arts (Art, Design Technology, Informatics)
- Performing Arts (Music, Drama)
- Physical Education (including Sport and Dance)
- Personal, Social and Health Education (including Moral Education, Islam and Islamic Studies, as required)

Curriculum: Years 10 and 11
The final two years of the Junior Curriculum (Years 10-11) cover the IGCSE courses. Normally children take IGCSEs in the five core subjects and choose an additional five subjects, making ten in total. Courses will follow the IGCSE syllabuses.

- All students study the core subjects:
Mathematics
English (Language and Literature)
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
*Personal, Health and Social Education (including Moral Education, Islam and Islamic Studies, as required)
*Physical Education (including Sport)
(* = Non-examined)

In addition, they choose at least one from each group up to a maximum of five additional subjects:
- The Languages Group: Bahasa Malaysia (compulsory for Malaysian students), Mandarin, French, German, Spanish
- The Humanities Group: Additional English, Business Studies, Economics, Geography, History, Global Perspectives
- The Creative and Performing Arts Group: Art, Design Technology, Drama, Information Technology, Music

We do not encourage children to take extra subjects for the sake of taking them, but special permission may be granted, for example to take IGCSE Chinese in the case of a native speaker.

Curriculum: Years 12 and 13
Sixth formers have a free choice of A levels, choosing three, four or five subjects. Guidance will be given on subject combinations and the number of courses to follow. The timetable will be written to accommodate students' individual choices with the proviso that uncommon and unusual choices may occasionally not be possible. For some, specialisation will have great appeal whilst others will prefer to combine a mixture of types of subjects in order to preserve breadth. The norm will be four A level subjects, but those taking Further Mathematics and those with an advantage in a particular language may take five and some, especially those with a heavy commitment in other school activities, for example music, may find three more manageable.

All sixth formers will attend a general studies course covering a range of topical issues, personal social and health education, entrepreneurship and business informatics. They will also receive careful guidance and preparation for their university applications. The completeness of a POWIIS sixth form education will come from continued participation in the range of sporting, cultural, social and intellectual activities on offer.

- Although this list is not absolutely fixed, the list of A level subjects includes:
- Mathematics 
- Further Mathematics 
- Physics 
- Chemistry 
- Biology 
- Design Technology
- Information Technology
- Psychology 
- English Literature 
- History 
- Geography
 - Law
- Economics 
- Economics and Business
- Government and Politics
- Thinking Skills (AS only)
- Drama
- Music
- Art 
- Mandarin 
- French
- German
- Spanish

Sixth Form candidates are encouraged to indicate their preferred subjects at the time of application, making a free choice from the complete list. They are welcome to discuss their choices with POWIIS staff either at interview or before. We shall do out best to provide each individual's subject and combination choice, but this may not be possible in rare cases of low demand for a subject or an unusual combination.

English Language Preparation Course
In order successfully to follow the curriculum and thrive in the School, pupils joining at any age need a standard of English that allows them to cope and make progress. For candidates with less good English, the School will offer an intensive English Language Preparation Course. On successful completion of this course, leading to the Cambridge Proficiency in English, students will be able join the main school programme. Each year there will be two sessions of the ELPC: Session 1 from September until December, and Session 2 from January to July. Progress made over one session will normally enable transfer. In exceptional circumstance, students who make rapid progress will be allowed to transfer before completion of the course.

The priority of the ELPC will be advancement in English, but pupils will also study mathematics and science, and the course will include practical (design technology), creative (art) and performance (music and drama) studies as well as a full PE and sports programme.