Quality Education
Starts with us
Academy students annually achieve academic excellence, instilling a sense of pride as they flourish in external examinations.
A comprehensive approach, using both formative and summative assessment, guarantees both high performance in external exams, as well as acquisition of vital skills.
Our in-school counseling team provides dedicated guidance to all students, ensuring their holistic development both socially and academically.
Our students are encouraged to participate in psychometric and cognitive ability tests, which serve as valuable tools tailoring and maximizing individual growth and success.
HOLISTIC CURRICULUM
At Key Stage 3 we offer a comprehensive variety of subjects as part of a holistic curriculum in order to develop our students ’critical thinking, personal capabilities and cross-curricular skills. Learning is evaluated through formative as well as summative assessment in order to ensure a high level of achievement of our aims and successful acquisition of key skills. This, in turn, guides our learners towards informed options of (I)GCSE subjects at the end of Year 9 for Key Stage 4.
ENGLISH NATIONAL CURRICULUM
All students in Years 7, 8 &9 follow a standard curriculum, based on the
National Curriculum in England
, which includes the following subjects:-
Art (1.5 period) –Computing (2 periods) –Drama (1 period) –English (5 periods) – French, Spanish or German (3 periods) –Geography (2 periods) –Greek (5 periods) –History (2 periods) –Mathematics (5 periods) –Music (2 periods) –Physical Education (2 periods) –Religious Studies (2 periods) –Science (4 periods)- PSHE (0.5 periods).
OUR APROACH
- Throughout the Key Stage students are cared for and guided by Pastoral Care Team as well as a student mentor from Key Stage 5 under our mentoring programme.
- Students are taught in Form Classes for most subjects but are placed in ability groups in Greek at Advanced, Intermediate or Elementary level. All students also study French, Spanish or German as an additional foreign language . At the end of Key Stage 3, students have the option of taking an A1 external exam in the language of their choice.
- At the beginning of the academic year our students in Years 7 and 9 take the CAT4 assessment which is a Cognitive Ability Test that provides a rounded profile of pupil ability. Based on the results of this assessment we target support, provide the right level of challenge and make informed decisions about pupils ’progress. It provides a unique profile of strengths and weaknesses across different areas of one ’s cognitive potential.
NURTURING CRITICAL THINKERS
At Key Stage 4 we continue nurturing critical thinkers by enabling our students to follow a diversified and inclusive curriculum through offering a combination of compulsory and optional subjects. Learningis evaluated through formative and summative assessment in order to ensure a high level of achievement in external exams, as shown by our annual achievements in external exams, as well as effective acquisition of key skills in order for our students to be able to successfully proceed to Key Stage 5.
(I)GCSEs
All students in Years 10 and 11 follow a standard curriculum comprised of (I)GCSE in English, Mathematics, Biology and Greek as well as Religious Studies, P.S.H.E and P.E as core subjects. Students are taught in Form Classes for most compulsory subjects but are placed in ability groups in Greek either GCSE Greek Second Language or in Certification of the Knowledge of the Greek Language B2 level, and in English at English as a First or Second Language. The students have four optional subjects, which they choose to complete a total of eight (8) (I)GCSE courses at the end of Year 11. We offer subjects from Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE) and Pearson Edexcel .
| CIE | Edexcel |
| Computer Science | Accounting |
| English as a Second Language | Art &Design GCSE |
| French as a Foreign Language | Biology |
| History | Business Studies |
| Literature in English | Chemistry |
| Drama GCSE | |
| Economics | |
| English Language IGCSE | |
| Geography | |
| Greek (Second Language) | |
| Mathematics | |
| Psychology | |
| Physics | |
| CEFR | |
| Greek B2 Level |
Important Notice: The current optional courses are being offered on the assumption that each course will attract a minimum number of students which varies, from year to year and from subject to subject, as different variables are considered. The American Academy Nicosia therefore reserves the right not to offer subjects that are listed here as potential options, if these do not have the minimum number of students, as predetermined, in one particular academic year.
FINAL JOURNEY AT THE ACADEMY
After a successful completion of the required (I)GCSE preparation and exams, our learners then move to thefinal stage of their educational journey at the Academy before they embark on their chosen university destinations. At Key Stage 5 our students again follow an inclusive curriculum through offering a combination of compulsory and optional subjects.
All students in Years 12 &13 follow a standard curriculum comprised of English, Religious Studies, P.S.H.E. and P.E as core subjects with an additional core subject in Finance only for Y13s. In Year 12 the students have four optional subjects at Advanced Level (A Level), which they choose following the release of the results of their external exams in Year 11 and under guidance from our in-school counsellors’ team composed of an Educational Psychologist, Curriculum Coordinator, our Pastoral Care Team, our Heads of Departments, and our Sixth Form Coordinator. At this stage students are encouraged to take psychometric and cognitive ability tests in order to help them in their decision making for their future. In Year 13, students have the option of dropping one of their A Level courses and graduate with three full A Level courses, or a combination of A Levels and AS courses. We offer subjects from Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE) and Pearson Edexcel .
| CIE | Edexcel | Other examinations |
| Computer Science | Accounting | Greek Government Exam |
| History | Art &Design GCE A Level | IELTS |
| Literature in English | Biology | |
| Business | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Drama GCE A Level | ||
| Economics | ||
| Greek | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Psychology | ||
| Physics |
Important Notice: The current optional courses are being offered on the assumption that each course will attract a minimum number of students. This minimum number varies from year to year and from subject to subject, as it considers different variables like class size and syllabus requirements. The American Academy Nicosia therefore reserves the right not to offer subjects that are listed here as potential options, if these do not have the minimum number of students, as predetermined, in one particular academic year.
A FRAMEWORK OF CARE &SUPPORT Our Pastoral Care Team
At the American Academy Nicosia, we believe that providing a framework of care and support for our students
is pivotal to their development within our multiethnic, multicultural student body. We support the unique range of social, emotional and personal needs
which make every student special, ensuring that each one is able to make full use of the learning opportunities within the school.
For our senior students, the team also offers career counselling
regarding academic and professional options as well as support with university applications.
Students and parents are encouraged to share any matters of concern with Subject or Form teachers so that issues can be resolved quickly and effectively by the Pastoral Care Team. In this way, a safe, secure and supportive school environment is maintained.
After the Academy: University and Career Counselling
Our dedicated Pastoral Care Team guides, oversees and supports the meticulous process of selecting appropriate university destination, courses and professional fields for our students. This careful process includes one-to-one meetings with learners as early as Year 9, and then Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13, in order for students to make informed decisions regarding their optional subjects in the IGCSE level as well as A Level. Our learners are provided with care and advice which, combined with the high level of academics, ensures high employability and return on their investment in private education at the American Academy Nicosia.
We also arrange for the psychometric and cognitive ability tests to be taken by our students and we employ an educational psychologist to support our learners throughout their academic journey at the Academy.
Christian Ethos
The House System is designed to embody the values and Christian ethos of the school and aims to be an integral part of our school community. Each House is in competition with each other to achieve the highest number of house points by the end of the year. The winners enjoy a meal and hold the trophy for the year, which is decorated in their team colour.
Pupils are assigned to one of the four houses on entrance to the school in Year 7 where they remain until the end of Sixth form; where possible younger siblings will become a member of the same house. Each member of staff is also attached to a house.
Each house has designated House Captains from Years 11-13 who act as representatives for their house throughout the year by helping to co-ordinate and organise activities and events, and representing their house at relevant meetings with school management.
Our House system aim is to provide every pupil in each house with a sense of belonging within the school community as well as opportunities to develop social, intellectual, physical and practical skills. The students are given a sense of achievement both inside and outside of the classroom, opportunities for leadership, while gaining an awareness of individual and collective responsibility as well as fair play and healthy competition.
Our programme runs under a combination of peer- and teacher-mentoring. Students from Years 11-13 volunteer to be part of the mentoring programme. Each mentor is in turn mentored by a member of the Pastoral Care Team. The student mentors are then assigned with a mentee from Years 7-9.
Mentors support their mentees achieve their potential by identifying challenges, setting goals and working together to achieve these goals. These goals include but are not limited to: social integration, organisation, stress and time management, independence.