Dear pupil,
Dear parent,
This booklet is intended to help you in making the choice of subjects for years 4 and 5. You will find information about the subject choice process and courses offered.
Please read this booklet before the information evening on Thursday, 12 December 2024. Detailed information regarding the organisation of the meeting is communicated in due time.
The subject coordinators and relevant teachers have prepared the subject descriptions and every effort has been made to ensure that the details are correct. Please check with the reference teacher(s) if you have any questions.
Together with this booklet you will receive the form for the choice of subjects, please return the form to your class teacher by Friday, January 31, 2025.
Mr ALCAZAR coordinates the choices for years 4 and 5. You are very welcome to contact him if you have any questions: daniel.alcazar@eursc.eu
Martin WEDEL
Headmaster
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| During the week of Monday 02/12/2024 | Parents receive an email with the invitation to the information evening |
| Thursday 12/12/2024 | Information evening (17:30 – 20:30) |
| Friday 31/01/2025 |
Deadline to return the subject choice form to the class teacher Deadline for submitting the language change form, |
| April 2025 |
Language level tests. Detailed information on the date and organisation of the test will be communicated to the pupils concerned in due time. |
| Monday 30/06/2025 – Friday 11/07/2025 |
Window for requesting a change to the initial choice of subjects. No positive reply is guaranteed, please read below for further details on requesting changes to the initial choice. |
In the 4th and 5th years, pupils will study the following compulsory subjects: [1]
| Compulsory subjects | Periods [2] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language 1 (L1) (dominant language) Language 2 (L2) (second language) Language 3 (L3) (third language) History Geography Biology Chemistry Physics Physical Education Ethics or Religion |
4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 |
||||
| 23 | |||||
| Mathematics | 4 or 6 | ||||
| 27 or 29 | |||||
| (1 period = 45 minutes) | |||||
In addition to the compulsory subjects, pupils must select from the following optional subjects, such that the total number of weekly periods lies between a minimum of 31 and a maximum of 35 for those who have chosen 4-period Mathematics and a minimum of 33 and maximum of 35 periods for those who have opted for the 6-period Mathematics course.
| Optional subjects | Periods |
|---|---|
| Ancient Greek Economics Latin Language 4 (L4) (fourth language) Other National Languages (ONL) Art ICT Music |
4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 |
The curriculum allows a maximum of 35 periods to enable some pupils to take two 4-period options. However, 35 periods should be the exception rather than the rule, experience has shown the risks of an overloaded timetable.
Apart from ONL, the creation of optional courses requires a minimum of 7 pupils. [3] If an optional course does not have the minimum number of pupils at the start of the school year, the course shall be cancelled. When this happens, parents are contacted to review the choice.
Ethics and religion courses also require a minimum of 7 pupils. If the threshold cannot be met, even after combining different groups vertically and horizontally, and the consequence would be that courses cannot be offered, it is within the autonomy of the school to find alternative solutions to facilitate the organisation of these courses.
Only category I and category II pupils are entitled to the teaching of ONL, which can take place from nursery up to S7. Category III pupils may join existing courses, but courses cannot run exclusively for category III pupils.
The creation of ONL courses is subject to teacher availability. In principle, the school offers the following ONL courses:
- For pupils of Finnish origin, Swedish/ Finnish ONL can be requested regardless of the language section the pupil is enrolled in.
- For pupils of Irish origin, Irish ONL can be requested regardless of the language section the pupil is enrolled in.
- For pupils of Maltese origin, Maltese ONL can be requested, regardless of the language section the pupil is enrolled in.
When the number of pupils is very small, ONL courses can be taught in joined groups of consecutive years. Please be aware that these are not beginners’ courses and follow on from the ONL courses in previous years. Pupils choosing ONL cannot choose Language 4 [4]
As some of the options may have to be timetabled in parallel, it might not be possible to provide all possible combinations of optional subjects. When this happens, parents are contacted to review the choice. In any case, it is desirable that the choice of options helps to form a coherent group of subjects for study. Within the limitations of the timetable, the school will try its best to satisfy the greatest possible number of demands.
[1] The European School Curriculum: Structure and Organisation of studies and courses in the European Schools (2019-04-D-13-en-9)
[2] Weekly periods, 1 period = 45 minutes
[3] The European School Curriculum: Structure and Organisation of studies and courses in the European Schools (2019-04-D-13-en-9)
[4] Language Policy of the European Schools (2019-01-D-35-en-8)
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The following table shows the use of languages in years 4 and 5 [5].
| Compulsory subjects | Language of instruction | Other possibilities |
|---|---|---|
| L1 |
Language 1 |
|
| L2 |
Language 2 |
|
| L3 | Language 3 | |
| History | Language 2 | |
| Geography | Language 2 | |
| Biology | Language 1 | |
| Chemistry | Language 1 | |
| Physics | Language 1 | |
| Physical Education | Courses taught to mixed groups of pupils from different language sections in any language in the pupil’s curriculum | |
| Ethics or Religion | Language 2 | Language 3, Host Country Language |
| Mathematics 4 or 6 | Language 1 | |
| Optional subjects | ||
| Ancient Greek | Language 1 | Language 2, Language 3, Host Country Language |
| Economics | Language 2 | Host Country Language, Language 1 |
| Latin | Language 1 | Language 2, Language 3, Host Country Language |
| Language 4 (L4) | Language 4 | |
| ONL | Other National Language | |
| Art | Courses taught to mixed groups of pupils from different language sections in any language in the pupil’s curriculum | |
| ICT | ||
| Music | ||
From secondary year 4 onwards, History, Geography and Economics courses must be taught in Language 2 (English, French or German) and may not be taught in Language 1. Special rules are established regarding the Language of tuition for Economics.
Art, Music, ICT and physical education are taught to mixed groups of pupils from different language sections in any language of the pupil’s curriculum. Art, Music, ICT and physical education courses will normally be given in the language(s) of the teachers available. For some pupils this may therefore be in their mother tongue, for others in one of the working languages (not necessarily that of the pupil).
In year 4, L4 is a beginners’ course. Any of the official languages of the countries of the European Union may in principle be chosen as L4 provided there are sufficient pupils to create the course and within the organisational possibilities of the school. [6]
[5] Language Policy of the European Schools (2019-01-D-35-en-8)
[6] Language Policy of the European Schools (2019-01-D-35-en-8)
The assessment policy establishes two types of assessment, namely formative assessment and summative assessment. Formative assessment focuses on the process of learning. Summative assessment is used to evaluate pupils’ learning at the end of a defined instructional period, i.e., at the end of a semester or school year. Summative assessment is generally evaluative; it serves to determine learning progress and level of attainment in relation to the descriptors established in the syllabus of a subject. [7]
The semester mark shall comprise two numerical components: A mark and B mark.
The A mark focuses on the process of learning, as formative assessment. It reflects the ongoing observations of the pupil’s competences (knowledge, skills and attitude) and performance gained within the subject, which are not taken into account in the B mark of the subject. The B mark represents summative assessment.
The final mark in a given subject shall reflect all the observations and results available to the teacher. It provides the basis to judge the progress and level of attainment of the pupil. It is not necessarily an arithmetical average of the semester marks (two A marks and two B marks) but it may not be lower than the lowest, or higher than the highest. [8]
There are three possible assessment modalities to base the B-mark on depending on the year and subject, namely a B-test, an Alternative Summative Assessment Task (ASAT) or a written examination (“compo”). In s4 there are no written examinations. In s5, written examinations take place at the end of the second semester. The plan of assessment modalities is reviewed every school year. The plan of assessment modalities and the calendar of B-test and ASAT deadlines is communicated at the start of the school year. The “compo” calendar is in general communicated during the month of May.
http://www.euroschool.lu/site/secondary-exams-schedules/
[7] Summative assessment from s4 to s6 in the European Schools: Pedagogical and organisational arrangements (2022-12-D-19-en-4.3)
[8] General Rules of the European Schools, Article 59 (2014-03-D-14-en-14)
It is highly recommended to have a global view of the curriculum leading to the Baccalaureate to understand the possibilities and constraints on choices for S6-S7 due to the choices for S4-S5 made in year 3.
Before making their choices, parents and pupils wishing to inform themselves about the possibilities open to them in the 6th and 7th years are invited to consult the relevant information available on the school website:
http://www.euroschool.lu/site/secondary-choice-of-subjects/
Information on career guidance and the contact details of our guidance teachers according to nationality can be found on the school website:
http://www.euroschool.lu/site/secondary-careers-guidance/
The 5-period Mathematics course in years 6 and 7 can be chosen by pupils who have followed the 4-period course in year 5 only on the recommendation of the teacher of Mathematics and on condition that the pupil has been successful in a level test. The test includes topics from the 6-period Mathematics curriculum in S4 and S5.
In some language sections, it is considered that the choice of Physics and Chemistry options in years 6 and 7 should only be taken in conjunction with the 5-period Mathematics course. This point will be explained in detail at the parents’ information evening during the section meetings concerned.
In S6, pupils cannot choose an optional subject which they have not taken in S5. However, this rule may be waived by the Director and the teachers concerned if pupils can proof that their level is sufficient to follow the subject successfully in years 6 and 7. Pupils will have to pass an assessment to proof that their level is sufficient. This assessment normally involves a formal test on materials covered in S4 and S5.
The Digest of Decisions states that “Pupils cannot continue to study a subject in the 6th year if their results show that they have not been following it satisfactorily in the 4th and 5th years”. [9] The Management may consult the Class Council or the teacher(s) concerned regarding a particular choice. If the Management does not approve a choice, a new choice should take place. In most cases, the decision not to allow a pupil to follow a subject in S6 is taken during the end of the year Class Council in S5.
With the exception of ONL, an optional course taken in S5 can be continued in S6 only if the number of pupils is sufficient to create the course; a minimum of 5 pupils under the current regulations, and in some cases this may be in groups of mixed language.
[9] Digest of Decisions of the Board of Governors of the European Schools (2014-02-D-14)
At the end of S3, there will be a window of two weeks for requesting a change to the initial choice, please see Important dates. Parents will be informed in due time when requests can be introduced. The school will try its best to accommodate your request, but no positive reply is guaranteed.
The choice of subjects is binding for S4 and S5: pupils cannot change, add or drop a subject as from the start of the 4th year. However, a pupil can change from 6-period Mathematics to 4-period Mathematics
- at the end of the 1st semester in the 4th year and
- at the end of the 4th
The reverse change (from 4 to 6-period Mathematics) is also possible, subject to a level test. In any case, the change is subject to approval by the Class Council.
Towards the first and second Semester end in S4, parents will be given the possibility to request a change of Mathematics level. Parents will be informed in due time when requests can be introduced.
Please see the section Mathematics level test below for further information about the topics covered and test modalities.
With the approval of the Class Council, a student can change from 4 to 6-period Mathematics at the end of the 1st semester in S4, and at the end of S4, on the condition of passing a level test.
For changes requested by the end of the 1st semester, the test usually takes place in the second half of January. For changes requested by the end of S4, the test takes place in September, at the beginning of the school year in S5, usually on the first day.
Preparation for the exam is the sole responsibility of parents and pupils. Teachers may give general guidance, but are, in any case, under no obligation to assist the student.
The test lasts 1h30: 45 min with calculator and 45 min without calculator.
End of the 1st semester in S4
The test covers the following topics:
- Basic calculations
- Radicals and surds
- Real numbers
- Power and algebraic expressions
- Proportionality
- Linear models
- Polynomials
End of S4
The test covers all the programme of 6-period Mathematics in year 4.
Daniel ALCAZAR
Coordinator S4-S7
daniel.alcazar@eursc.eu