Lower Secondary (Ages 11–14)

Our Lower Secondary Program follows the Cambridge curriculum across thirteen disciplines, offering students aged 11 to 14 a rigorous and stimulating bridge between primary school and the IGCSE pathway.

At the heart of our approach is a belief that learning happens best when students are active participants not passive recipients. Across every subject, lessons are inquiry-driven and rooted in real-world relevance. Students are encouraged to ask questions, investigate, collaborate, and think critically rather than simply absorb information. Whether they are analyzing a text, conducting a science experiment, composing music, or debating a global issue, they are building the habits of mind that will serve them throughout their academic journey and beyond.

Our teachers use formative, ongoing feedback to guide each learner's growth, meeting students where they are and stretching them further. Collaboration, creative risk-taking, and reflective thinking are woven into daily classroom life across all disciplines.

The result is a program that develops not only academic excellence, but confident, curious, and empathetic young people ready to engage with the world.

‍

French as a Language of Opportunity

French holds a special place in our Lower Secondary curriculum. As one of the most widely spoken languages across the world, French opens doors academically, professionally, and culturally. Our program develops practical communication skills across all four language competencies: listening, speaking, reading and writing, aligned to the Cambridge Modern Foreign Languages framework and the CEFR. Lessons immerse students in authentic, real-life contexts while exploring the rich diversity of Francophone cultures. For many of our students, French is not simply a foreign language, it is a connection to their own heritage, making the learning experience both personally meaningful and globally empowering. The course provides a confident foundation for Cambridge IGCSE French.
‍

Growing as Cambridge Learners

The Cambridge learner attributes sit at the core of everything we do. At this pivotal stage of development, when young people are beginning to form their intellectual identities — we are intentional about cultivating the five Cambridge learner’s attributes in every student: being confident in their abilities and ideas, responsible in their choices and actions, reflective in how they approach their learning and growth, innovative in the way they think and solve problems, and engaged with the world around them.

The Lower Secondary Pathway

Our Lower Secondary students follow a broad and balanced program spanning 15 subjects: English, Mathematics, Science: Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Global Perspectives, Art & Design, Music, Humanities, Physical Education, and French as a Second Language, ICT and Coding and Robotics, together forming a curriculum designed to stretch every dimension of a young learner's potential, from analytical reasoning and scientific inquiry to creative expression and intercultural understanding.

Other sections

Crèche

Un premier pas dans un monde bienveillant et stimulant

Entièrement en français · Encadrement certifié · Approche sensorielle et affectiveDès les premiers mois de la vie, l'enfant absorbe le monde qui l'entoure avec une intensité remarquable.

View section

Pre-school (Nursery)

Programme 100 % en français · Programme canadien aux standards québécois

La maternelle de High Gate International Academy est le cœur battant de notre école. C'est ici que les enfants apprennent à apprendre par le jeu, l'exploration, la créativité et la vie dans le groupe.

View section

Primary School

Two languages: One exceptional education.

Cambridge International Curriculum · 50% English / 50% French · Bilingual Excellence

At High Gate International Academy, our Primary School is where bilingualism...

View section