THE CAMBRIDGE PATHWAY

Learning Without Borders

From Primary through to A Levels, our internationally recognised Cambridge curriculum inspires curiosity, builds confidence and develops the skills pupils need to succeed. With a clear academic pathway and qualifications recognised worldwide, we prepare every child for opportunities beyond the classroom.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

The Cambridge Pathway at BISB

In Romania, school leavers sit the Romanian Baccalaureate. At BISB, pupils follow a different but equally rigorous route: the Cambridge Pathway, an internationally recognised curriculum used by more than 10,000 schools in over 160 countries. It carries pupils from their first years in Primary all the way through to Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International A Level, the same globally recognised qualifications that open doors to universities in Romania, across Europe, and around the world.

Cambridge Primary

Age 5-11

Cambridge Lower Secondary

Ages 11–14

Cambridge IGCSE

Ages 14–16

Cambridge Int'l AS & A Level

Ages 16–19

What is Cambridge International?

A plain-language explanation of the organisation behind the curriculum, for families new to the British system.

Cambridge Primary & Lower Secondary

What BISB pupils actually study between the ages of 5 and 14, and how progress is measured.

IGCSE & A Level: Globally Recognised

What these qualifications are, and why they are accepted by universities in Romania and worldwide.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

What is Cambridge International?

Cambridge International is part of the University of Cambridge, and is one of the world’s leading providers of education for pupils aged 3 to 19. It does not run schools itself. Instead, it designs the curriculum, provides teaching resources, and sets and marks the exams, which are then delivered by registered schools, like BISB, all over the world. In that sense, its role is similar to the one Romania’s Ministry of Education plays for the International Baccalaureate: it sets the standard that every school teaching the curriculum must meet.

More than 10,000 schools in over 160 countries follow the Cambridge Pathway, making it one of the most widely used international curricula anywhere. It is designed, in Cambridge International’s own words, to leave pupils “ready for the world”: able to move between countries and education systems without losing continuity, and to leave school with qualifications that universities and employers already recognise, wherever they choose to go next.

The school aims to achieve Cambridge International School status within its first year of operation. This accreditation is awarded following a rigorous and comprehensive approval process, which includes an evaluation of the school’s educational provision, leadership, facilities and readiness to deliver Cambridge programmes, culminating in a formal approval visit by a Cambridge International representative. We are confident that BISB will successfully meet the required standards and gain recognition as a Cambridge International School. Subject to approval, BISB will be able to offer Cambridge International programmes at both Primary and Secondary levels, providing students with access to an internationally recognised curriculum, a robust assessment framework and the opportunity to pursue Cambridge IGCSE qualifications.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

Cambridge Primary & Lower Secondary

These two stages cover a BISB pupil’s education from age 5 to age 14, the years in which Romanian pupils would move through primary school and secondary school. Cambridge International designs both stages to be clear for teachers to follow and adaptable enough for schools anywhere in the world to teach well.

CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY

Ages 5–11

Ten core subjects, including English, Mathematics and Science, alongside subjects such as Humanities, Digital, Arts and Personal, Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education and Wellbeing. The focus at this stage is building strong foundations: literacy, numeracy and curiosity that later subjects build on.

CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY

Ages 11–14

The same core subjects continue, now taught in greater depth as pupils move towards choosing their options for Cambridge IGCSE. Pupils are introduced to more independent study with more rigorous written analytical work and critical thinking skills.

MEASURING PROGRESS: CHECKPOINT & PROGRESSION TESTS

Cambridge Progression Tests give teachers a regular, internal check on each pupil’s progress throughout the year. At the end of Cambridge Primary and again at the end of Cambridge Lower Secondary, pupils sit Cambridge Checkpoint: tests marked externally by Cambridge examiners, which benchmark each pupil against Cambridge schools worldwide and give parents an independent, internationally comparable view of their child’s progress.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

IGCSE & A Level: Globally Recognised Qualifications

Cambridge IGCSE (taken around age 16) and Cambridge International AS & A Level (taken around age 18) are the qualifications a BISB pupil leaves school with, in the same way a Romanian pupil leaves school with the Bacalaureat. Cambridge IGCSE is the world’s most popular international qualification for 14 to 16 year olds, offered by more than 7,000 schools in 147 countries. Cambridge International A Level is studied in over 130 countries and is one of the most widely recognised routes into higher education anywhere in the world.

ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES IN ROMANIA, AND WORLDWIDE

These are internationally recognised secondary qualifications, formally accepted by more than 2,670 universities in 99 countries, including every university in the UK. That acceptance extends to Romania. Foreign qualifications such as A Level and IGCSE are recognised for university admission in Romania through the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED), the Ministry of Education body responsible for evaluating diplomas earned abroad. BISB graduate can apply with confidence to universities in Romania, in the UK, or almost anywhere else in the world, without needing to convert to the Bacalaureat.