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Sierra Leone High School Structure

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Secondary education in sierra leone consists of two levels, junior or lower secondary education and senior secondary school. Lower secondary education is part of basic education and lasts for 3 years. At the end of junior secondary education, students will sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which will determine continuation to secondary school. The successful student will proceed to Senior secondary school which lasts for 3 more years and ends with the international Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE).

  • Grades: 7-12
  • Duration: 6 years
  • Primary Languages: English
  • Terms                          : 3 terms
  • Admission Term: throughout the year

The secondary level is divided into two sublevels, each of three years duration, namely the Junior Secondary School and Senior Secondary School which both end in an external examination.

Junior secondary education

junior secondary education in sierra leone is to introduce subjects encouraging the development of nationally desired and marketable skills and the provision of training in community awareness and community responsibility, to mention but a few. At the end of junior secondary school, students take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which is administered by the West African Examinations Council, with Continuous assessment as part of each student's final grade.

Senior secondary education

Senior secondary school (SSS) is the final stage of secondary school education and is a three-year program for students between the ages of 15 and 18. Students proceeding to this grade must have completed the junior secondary education with desirable and required grades. Students start to specialize in the subjects they are taking in preparation for university. There are two kinds of senior secondary schools namely, general and specialist. The general secondary school follows a comprehensive curriculum, and the specialist secondary school caters to students who are following specialized subject areas including science and mathematics, technology, liberal arts, and business studies. In senior secondary education, students are offered a set of compulsory subjects and optional subjects to choose from. At the end of senior secondary school, students will sit for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE).

Let’s take a brief look at some international schools offering some of the best education for locals and expatriates in Sierra Leone.

Lebanese International School

This is a private school located In Freetown which caters to students of all races and creeds, and is divided into four distinct but interlinked sections including the Nursery, Primary, Secondary, and the Sixth Form.

  • Founded: 1956
  • Address: 8  Riverside  Drive,  Brookfields, Freetown, Sierra Leone
  • Grades: nursery to 6th form.
  • Language of instruction: Arabic, English
  • Type: co-educational, non-profit.
  • Terms: 3 terms  
  • Accreditation: the Ministry of Education in Sierra Leone

Curriculum- the school offers a is bi-cultural curriculum, with Arabic and English as the media of instruction until the end of primary school. Arabic Language and Literature are taught in line with the Lebanese ministry of education program in the primary and secondary sections. the Secondary and post-secondary sections follow the British system of education. It offers the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Ordinary Level, the General Certificate of Education AS and Advanced Levels examinations as prescribed by the Edexcel International Examinations Board.

Courses offered include the traditional grammar school type (for college-bound students) as well as Liberal Arts, Business, and science courses.  French is taught in the Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form sections.

American International School of Freetown

This is a non-profit, private, coeducational day school, which offers an educational program to children from the age of 3 to high school, from all nationalities. It is an English medium American international school that aims to ensure that students develop a global perspective that fosters empathy and prepares them for success in a dynamic world. 

It offers an American-styled curriculum with an international blend and endeavors to challenge all our students to achieve their best in a nurturing and supportive environment. This allows students to develop a global perspective that prepares them for success in an ever-changing world. The language of instruction is English. For pre-kindergarten grades to grade 8, the school year is divided into three trimesters, beginning in September and ending in June. The high school year is divided into two semesters with the same September through June start and end dates as the rest of the school.

secondary school Section

  • Address: 24 Hillcot Brow Hill Station, Freetown Sierra Leone, West Africa
  • Grades: 7-12
  • Duration of study: 6 years
  • Primary Languages: English
  • Terms                          : 2 semesters

Accreditation: Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA).

Curriculum- the school offers the University of Nebraska High School (UNHS), an accredited online program that allows the students to pursue an American High School Diploma. Education here is Based on American standards. The school also offers high school education, grades 9 to 12, using an online system for academic courses with onsite electives in PE, Art, and Computer Programming.

The school follows a curriculum based on standards and benchmarks which correspond to each level. subjects offered here fall in areas including Maths, English Language Arts, Sciences, Social Studies. The school’s standards-based U.S. curriculum follows Common Core Language Arts and Mathematics, Next Generation Science Standards, and MCREL standards for Social Studies. The school offers French as a foreign language, Art, PE, and Music. All students learn Computer Programming from the 1st grade to high school and robotics for secondary students.

Tuition and fees- the following are payable here as tuition and other fees for Year 2021-2022

Annual Tuition:

Pre-K                                                   US$ 6 750

Grades KG to 4                                  US$11 500

Grades 5-8                                          US$12 500

Grades 9-12                                        US$ 15 500

Other fees

Annual Capital Fee:                            US $1 500

Development Fee (One Time)             US$4 000

Registration Fee- non-refundable       US$300

Prospective students – the school has rolling enrollment and accepts applications throughout the year.  Admission is non-discriminatory and open to all students regardless of race, sex, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

Required Documents for Admission

  • Copy of details page of children’s and parents’ passports (preferred)
  • birth certificate
  • Copy of vaccination record
  • Copies of previous school reports covering at least the past two academic years
  • Copies of any Individual Education Plans or educational-psychological evaluations
  • Confidential references

Facilities- Facilities include libraries, an 18-station media center, art room, large multi-purpose room, administrative offices, fully air-conditioned classes, a small grass playing field, and outdoor playground equipment, covered outdoor play areas, sports facilities, to mention but a few.

The British International School and Montessori Education Freetown- this is a multicultural, coeducational international school in Freetown offering education to children from 16 months to the age of 16.

Secondary-school Section

  • Established: 2009
  • Address: No. 7/8 Hill Cot Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone
  • ages: 12-16
  • Primary Languages: English
  • Student population: 200
  • Terms                          : 2 semesters

Accreditation and membership: Council of British International Schools (COBIS), the Ministry of Education Sierra Leone, and the International Montessori Council.

The Secondary School curriculum is based on the Cambridge Secondary 1 curriculum and IGCSE curriculum in Secondary 2. The Lower Secondary program covers subjects such as English, Mathematics, English physics, chemistry, biology, literature, history, geography, design and technology, PSHE and citizenship, Music, Arts, English as a Second Language, Cambridge Global Perspectives, Information, and Communication Technology (ICT), Music, French, and Cambridge Global Perspective. English, Mathematics, and Triple science Awards are compulsory subjects in the upper secondary program. students are offered a choice of other subjects in humanities and one foreign language.

Cambridge Lower Secondary- this level is for students aged 11 to 14 and prepares them for the next level.

Cambridge Upper Secondary- this is for students aged 14 to 16 years. It offers students 2 routes, namely, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge O Level. It builds on the foundations of Cambridge Lower Secondary.

Extracurricular activities- students can choose from a list of extracurricular activities including Basketball Club, Creative Writing BIS Echo, English Corner, French Club, Phonics Reading Club, Piano Club, American Sign Language, Cooking Club (Secondary), Math Club, Art Club, Drone Flying Club, Creative Art Club, Science Fitness and Health, Board Games, Choir Club, Soccer Club, Drama Club, to mention but a few.

Ayoub International School

It is an independent, coeducational international school that aims to provide academic activities that will enable students to achieve their potential and develop basic skills and a positive attitude that will build a foundation for lifelong learning. It also aims to produce students with high academic achievement and moral character.

Secondary school

  • Address: 45 Signal Hill Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone
  • Duration of study: 6 years
  • Primary Languages: English
  • Terms                    : 3 terms

Curriculum- the school uses an American-based Calvert curriculum which is an accredited program, approved by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Education. It includes studies in English (Reading, Composition, Spelling, Dictation), Mathematics, Science, History, and other Social Sciences. students are also taught Music, Art, Sports, and Computer Skills during the school day. The school offers multi-lingual classes for those students who are fluent in additional languages besides English. A.I.S. offers a fully accredited French and Arabic program.

High School (Grades 9- 12)- the high school program is based on the Common Core Standards which prepares students for the dynamic world. the Common Core State Standards establish clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in Math and English Language Arts from kindergarten to the 12th grade. It focuses on developing the critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that students will need to succeed. High School students here also take the SAT and GCE examinations to qualify to enter universities or tertiary institutions abroad.

Extracurricular activities- Extracurricular activities are offered by the school and are an essential part of the curriculum. These enable students to explore new ideas and to develop new friends and interests. These include sporting activities and clubs including Knowledge Bowl, the School Newspaper, Art Workshops, the Film Club, Sports Club (basketball, volleyball, soccer), Literature and Language Circle, and Karate, to mention but a few.

Facilities- The school offers a variety of facilities such as classrooms, outdoor areas, a Computer Lab, a Science Lab, Library, Nursery, and Playgrounds, to mention but a few.

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