The curriculum at Bright Horizons is broad, balanced, engaging and challenging. Whilst being forward thinking, we also value the traditional skills of reading, writing and numeracy. We strive to ensure that all children are continually working to the best of their ability and enjoy the challenge in doing so. This is achieved through the ‘Growth Mindset’ approach that we adopt throughout the school.

Our curriculum is based on the UK National Curriculum and the International Primary Curriculum. These curriculums are delivered in a dynamic way by our talented teachers to ensure that children develop a love of learning. The children are also taught music, computing (where they learn how to use micro:bits), art, Croatian, Spanish, German and physical education.

We take the abilities of all children into account so that we can help them realise their talents and work on areas they find difficult. Through a range of assessment practices, we gather comprehensive information that enables us to evaluate the progress and achievement of all children and to plan the next steps for their future growth and development.

In summary, at Bright Horizons we teach children to think for themselves and to be problem solvers. We believe in empowering children by providing a supportive environment which challenges them to use creativity and critical thinking to arrive at their own solutions to problems.

Literacy is an essential part of all children’s education. It is important to not only teach the key skills, but to foster a love for the subject.

At Bright Horizons, our English lessons are broken down into key subject areas. These are designed to develop crucial skills in: reading, understanding, writing, speaking and listening. Proficiency in these key areas allows children to communicate with confidence and to express themselves articulately either orally or in writing.

Subject Areas

English is taught through the following subject areas:

• daily reading
• guided reading
• phonics
• spelling
• speaking and listening
• grammar
• comprehension
• creative writing

Our aim is to promote high standards of language and literacy so that all children are able to:

• read fluently, with expression and understanding
• read widely and often, both for pleasure and for information
• build their vocabulary and understand both grammatical and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• write clearly, imaginatively and coherently for a range of contexts and audiences
• competently and confidently express their understanding and ideas

Throughout the year, children are involved in activities such as World Book Day, Poetry Day, a spelling bee, competitions and educational visits.

Maths allows children to develop their thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills. At Bright Horizons, we place great emphasis on children developing a solid understanding of the concept of ‘numbers’ (number bonds, times tables and so on) which they later learn to apply in helping to solve mathematical problems including word problems.

In Years 1 to 6 we follow the UK National Curriculum which we supplement with Singapore Maths. In Years 7 and 8, we continue to follow the UK National Curriculum while helping to prepare children for entry into secondary-level education, including those who wish to move on to Croatian high schools. Therefore, in Years 7 and 8, we will also cover any areas not covered by the UK National Curriculum to help prepare these children for entry to Croatian high schools.

We aim to:

• promote a love of maths and problem solving
• encourage children to think logically and use existing knowledge to help them solve ‘new’ and ‘different’ mathematical problems
• instil confidence and competence when working with numbers
• provide children with the necessary skills to develop and use mathematical arguments and reasoning to answer questions
• use their skills and knowledge to solve increasingly complex problems

From Years 1 to 6, topics such as history, science and geography are taught through the International Primary Programme (IPC). The IPC is being adopted by an increasing number of schools, both locally and internationally. It is a curriculum that follows an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Furthermore, it offers a clear process of learning with learning goals and outcomes.

The IPC is based on the following three guiding questions:

• What kind of world will our children live and work in?
• What kinds of children are likely to succeed in the world?
• What kinds of learning will our children need and how should they learn it?

Our aim is to:

• get children to think globally
• value what they know and add to this knowledge
• enable children to learn through a variety of tasks and experiences
• help children to become more aware of their learning journey
• allow children to reflect on what they have learnt

In addition to being an International School, at Bright Horizons we teach the Croatian language according to the Croatian curriculum.  choose to). For those pupils who choose to continue their education at Croatian high schools, we ensure that they are properly prepared.

Our lessons cover the same curriculum that is followed in Croatian Primary Schools. This includes the following:

• language/grammar (jezik)
• linguistic expression (jezično izražavanje)
• literature (književnost)
• media (medijska kultura)
• initial reading and writing for Year 1 (početno čitanje i pisanje za 1. razred)

We believe that it is important for our students to have a proper understanding of the Croatian language. We try to accomplish this by making lessons as interesting and engaging as possible. This is done in a number of ways:

• instead of talking about how to write a postcard, we will go to the post office and send one
• during Spring, we will go outside and take a little walk to see, hear, touch and smell that “Spring” poem we are about to write
• we won’t simply talk about that famous play – we will go to the theatre and watch it
• we will also create and perform our own plays, because what’s the use of learning a language if we can’t use it creatively?
• we will read and write stories, act them out, we will draw, sing and play, twist our tongues with the most serious grammar tasks and we will have lots of fun expressing ourselves through one of the things that comes naturally to all of us – language
• Non-native speakers participate in Croatian lessons and are provided with additional support to help them learn the language.

At Bright Horizons, we are proud to offer the prestigious Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) curriculum. Recognised globally for its academic excellence, the IGCSE program is designed to develop strong foundational knowledge, critical thinking, and independent learning skills that prepare students for success in higher education and beyond.

Our Cambridge IGCSE curriculum is both flexible and comprehensive, catering to a wide range of student abilities and interests. Students can study a broad selection of subjects, including Mathematics, Sciences, Languages, Humanities, and Arts. The curriculum emphasises not only mastery of content but also problem-solving, creativity, and practical applications of knowledge.

Through the Cambridge IGCSE program, students at Bright Horizons benefit from:

A Global Standard of Education

Recognised by universities and employers worldwide, the IGCSE prepares students for advanced studies like A-Levels and international diplomas. Students can be confident that their Cambridge IGCSE qualifications are accepted as equivalent to UK GCSEs by leading universities worldwide.

Personalised Learning

With a variety of subjects to choose from, students can tailor their learning to match their goals and strengths.

Join us at Bright Horizons and let your child thrive in a challenging yet supportive academic environment, where their potential can truly shine with the Cambridge IGCSE.

Our program offers a wide range of subjects, including: English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Geography, National Subject, Computer Science, Art, Physical Education, Croatian Language, German Language, and Global Perspectives.

Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives is a unique and dynamic subject designed to equip students with the skills needed to navigate and understand the complexities of our interconnected world. This course encourages learners to explore global issues from multiple perspectives, fostering critical thinking and open-mindedness.

Link to Cambridge IGCSE: