Cambridge International School

SRIS is a Cambridge International School in Bishkek, which means we use books endorsed by Cambridge and follow the Cambridge curriculum, which ensures international standards. The Cambridge syllabuses are rooted in modern education research and systematically develop students to be ready for today’s work environment.

This concept of systematic and age-specific development is called Cambridge Pathways. Silk Road International School has been a certified Cambridge International School since 2016. Due to the change in ownership we got recertified in 2020 as a Cambridge International School in Bishkek.

Cambridge final exam results are externally tested by Cambridge Assessment International Examinations (CAIE) to ensure each school is in compliance with the standards set by Cambridge International Education.

What does it mean to be a Cambridge International School in Bishkek?

Cambridge is an international education system. It consists of standardized teaching plans (syllabuses), endorsed school books and teaching materials and, last but not least, a standardized test system.

Cambridge Assessment International Education, so the official name, is part of the University of Cambridge. It works like a franchise system. Cambridge provides the standards and procedures for quality teaching. They use quality control to make sure the schools meet their minimum standards. They also control and maintain the assessment system, which is the basis achieving any of the Cambridge certificates.

SRIS became one of the first certified Cambridge schools in Bishkek in the year 2016. By deciding to teach the Cambridge curriculum at Silk Road International School, we help your child stand out from the crowd and access the best study opportunities to achieve their dreams.

Cambridge Certificates Our students receive internationally accepted Cambridge IGCSE, AS-Level or A-Level certificates.

College Counseling Our career counselor assists our students with the often complicated online applications at international universities

Esteemed global citizens SRIS Cambridge graduates life by a timeless set of universal values and have everything they need to pursue excellence in all their undertakings.

Cambridge Pathway explained

Cambridge Pathway is designed for students aged 5 to 19. Cambridge Pathways offers a wide range of subjects that follow the demand of the labour market as well as the interest of Cambridge students. This variety gives Cambridge schools the flexibility to build their curriculum based on the local context and demand. We use that flexibility to shape the curriculum at Silk Road International School, so that it is exciting and relevant for our Cambridge students at SRIS.

Cambridge Pathway students at SRIS have the chance to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to achieve here at Silk Road International School, and later at the university of their choice and in their career beyond.

The four stages lead seamlessly from primary to secondary and pre-university years. Each stage – Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary, Cambridge Upper Secondary and Cambridge Advanced – builds on the learners’ development from the previous one, but can also be offered separately.

Cambridge Primary implemented in SRIS Primary Students develop skills and understanding in 10 subjects including English, mathematics and science. Progression tests help teachers check their progress. Cambridge Primary is from grade one to five with our students typically being between 5 to 11 years old.

Cambridge Lower Secondary implemented in SRIS Middle School Students develop skills and understanding in 10 subjects including English, mathematics and science. The Cambridge benchmark tests help our SRIS teachers to check their progress and plan accademic interventions. Cambridge Middle School is the three years from grade six to eight.

Cambridge Upper Secondary implemented in SRIS High School SRIS has build a broad learning programme from a range of over 70 subjects and preselected locally relevant choices. In each subject, our SRIS students work towards Cambridge IGCSE, the world’s most popular international qualification, for 14 to 16 year olds. The IGCSE is examined by Cambridge at the end of the two year program, starting in 9th grade and ending in 10th grade.

Cambridge Advanced implemented in SRIS High School Students develop the deep understanding and thinking skills they need for university. They work towards Cambridge International AS & A Level qualifications – giving them the choice to specialise, or study from a range of 50 diverse subjects. The AS Level part of these Cambridge courses is taught in 11th grade and the A Level part is taught in 12th grade. Students usually take three to four balanced A Levels, which qualifies them for immediate subject studies at most international universities.

Programs

1. **International Perspective:**
   - Cambridge programs aim to foster an international outlook among students. The curriculum often integrates global perspectives, allowing students to understand and appreciate different cultures and viewpoints.

2. **Rigorous Curriculum:**
   - The curriculum is academically rigorous, challenging students to think critically, solve problems, and engage deeply with the subject matter. It typically emphasizes depth of understanding over rote memorization.

3. **Skills Development:**
   - Beyond subject knowledge, the Cambridge program focuses on the development of skills such as critical thinking, research, communication, and collaboration. These skills are considered essential for success in further education and in the professional world.

4. **Assessment for Learning:**
   - The assessment approach is designed not only to measure what students know but also to provide feedback for improvement. Regular formative assessments and a variety of assessment methods are used to gauge understanding and progress.

5. **Flexibility and Choice:**
   - The Cambridge curriculum often provides flexibility and a degree of choice. This flexibility can allow educators to tailor the curriculum to the needs and interests of students, fostering a more personalized learning experience.

6. **Holistic Development:**
   - The Cambridge program is designed to promote holistic development, including intellectual, social, emotional, and physical aspects. Co-curricular activities and a focus on character development are often integral to the program.

7. **Life Skills:**
   - The curriculum often includes the development of life skills, such as time management, organization, and independent learning. These skills are seen as crucial for success both in academic pursuits and in future careers.

8. **Preparation for Higher Education:**
   - The Cambridge program is recognized globally and is designed to prepare students for further education, including university studies. The program aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in higher education and beyond.

9. **Research and Inquiry:**
   - Inquiry-based learning and research skills are often emphasized, encouraging students to explore topics independently, ask questions, and seek answers through investigation.

10. **Continuous Improvement:**
    - The Cambridge program encourages a culture of continuous improvement, not only for students but also for educators and schools. Regular reviews and updates to the curriculum aim to incorporate best practices in education.

Program is built on the principles of academic excellence, skill development, and a commitment to preparing students for a rapidly changing global landscape. The emphasis is not only on what students learn but also on how they learn and apply their knowledge.

Why choose the Cambridge Curriculum?

• Established over 150 years ago

The University of Cambridge formed the ‘Local Examinations Syndicate’, now known as Cambridge Assessment, over 150 years ago. Its aim was to raise standards in education by administering exams for people who were not members of the Cambridge University. Today Cambridge Assessment International Education is the world’s largest provider of international education programs and qualifications for 5 to 19 year olds.

• 10,000 schools in 160 countries

Our Cambridge international school is part of a global community of over 10,000 schools, across 160 countries. This gives your family full mobility within the city and around the world to find the best school for you and always follow the same consistent education pathway around the world.

• Nearly a million Cambridge students

This incredibly large amount of students ensures that amazing teaching and support materials are available for each Cambridge subject and that the Cambridge exams make sure Cambridge qualifications remain relevant, world class, recognized and respected world wide.

• Up to date international curriculum

The SRIS curriculum is composed of Cambridge syllabuses that are well developed and set a global standard for education. The Cambridge programs stretch, challenge and inspire our students at Silk Road International School and are designed to be relevant to the job market and university requirements.

• Independent Assessment by Cambridge

SRIS students, parents, universities and employers know that Cambridge exams are conducted with due process and objectively reflect the knowledge and skill level of the learner.

• International recognition

SRIS students can be confident that their Cambridge qualifications will be valued by universities and employers across the world.

Cambridge English

Cambridge English Qualifications help children around the world learn English.
In today’s business world english is key in many businesses and international projects. Also most of the scientific research is published in English first.

So to succeed in today’s world children need to develop all four language skills in English: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

This is a long, step by step journey and we provide the perfect environment to give your child the best start. The earlier your children start learning English the natural way, the higher their level develops giving them a near native language level when they are adults. This enables them to effortlessly communicate complex concepts in English and take part in international projects or do business with partners from all over the world.

The most important thing to develop that high level of fluency in English is early immersion and consistent development of both the language skills and the knowledge of the world around them. Our Cambridge approach provides all that.

Cambridge Education brings opportunities that last a lifetime.

Paper grading

How Cambridge works out your results
The Cambridge exams get distributed to trained teachers for grading. They follow the Cambridge mark scheme and had to grade sample exam papers before to ensure consistency in grading. Cambridge tries to supply exam papers with the exact level of difficulty for every Cambridge test term and in every Cambridge time zone. However it is never perfectly possible to produce absolutly equivalent tests. To make sure each Cambridge test term students have the same chance, Cambridge takes all the raw marks and statistically analyses the actual difficulty of a specific test. The actual Cambridge grades are then corrected with a threshold variation to ensure the Cambridge students are graded fairly each Cambridge test term.

Mark Scheme
Cambridge ensures consistency in grading by providing a Mark Scheme to every teacher grading Cambridge Exams. These mark schemes describe what Cambridge expects in an answer and what to look for when grading. It also describes how certain aspects of the student’s answer is to be weighted in more complex questions or for exams where the student’s have to deliver an essay.

These mark schemes are later published to our SRIS teachers and are a valuable resource in planing lessons and mock exams to optimally prepare the students for the final Camrbidge exams.

Consistency Control
To ensure that each Cambridge student is treated equivalent, no matter at what test term and in which year they take their Cambridge exams, Cambridge trains their grading team with example papers, then monitors the work of each grading Cambridge teacher for consistency. If flaws are detected they are amended and the teacher is retrained. If that does not solve the situation, the specific teacher is removed from the grading team.

Exam Day

What to expect on the day of your Cambridge exam?
Cambridge Exams are very strict and conducted in complicance with clearly defined rules, set out by Cambridge International Education. This means candidates need to show up on time and only with the equipment allowed during cambridge exams.

Questions during the exam are not allowed. Also the time limit is strictly observed.

Neither notes nor textbooks nor communication devices, such as phones or smart watches are allowed during the exams.

How many students take the Cambridge Exams?
Every year over 1 million students take the Cambridge international exams.

How does Cambridge ensure that tests in different years are comparable?
Cambridge exams are so valuable to universities, because they allow them to compare students from different regions and backgrounds. However it is impossible to create every exam equal.
Cambridge Exams are conducted in three different series, which themselves are conducted with three different timezone variations, to make cheating close to impossible.
Of course even these timezone variations of the same Cambridge test may be slightly different in how challenging they are to students.
However, So many Cambridge schools act as test centers and there are thousands of Cambridge students for each test series, that result into a vast data set for Cambridge International.

Key Times

What are key times for Cambridge exams?
Each Cambridge International School in a given timezone needs to conduct the Cambridge exams at the same time.

Cambridge publishes Key times. At this given time Cambridge candidates must be in the exam room, taking the specified exam or under Full Center Supervision.

This is part of the Cambridge system to make cheating at Cambridge exams virtually impossible.

What are Cambridge time zones?
Cambridge exams are taken in over 160 countries around the world. To handle this securely, Cambridge has divided the world into 6 administrative zones. Each zone receives a different version of the Cambridge exams and each school in this timezone needs to conduct the exams at the same time.

This way Cambridge ensures that cheating at Cambridge exams becomes virtually impossible.

What is Full Center Supervision?
If a school for technical reasons is not able to conduct an exam in a time slot that ends after the defined Cambridge key time, the school needs to keep students under full supervision until the key time has passed.

If you are required to spend time in Full Center Supervision, you must attend. Otherwise Cambridge will not issue a grade for your test. During Full Center Supervision students are allowed to talk to each other or study notes. However they are strictly prohibited from using any communications device. If they do so anyway, they will be disqualified from the exam.

Exam Papers

How does Cambridge create an exam paper?
The preparation of the six different Cambridge exam papers, neccessary for each Cambridge time zone, for each of the three exam sessions, starts as early as two years ago.

Experiences subject teachers and subject experts create a first draft for the Cambridge exam paper. They consider how students did in past exam papers and how well past questions were understood.

Next they decide on which chapters of the syllabus they are going to focus in the given exam session. It is impossible to cover a full syllabus in one exam, but Cambridge strives to cover the full syllabus over the years, so students are motivated to prepare for the full Cambridge syllabus.

How does Cambridge ensure that tests in different years are comparable?
Cambridge exams are so valuable to universities, because they allow them to compare students from different regions and backgrounds. However it is impossible to create every exam equal.
Cambridge Exams are conducted in three different series, which themselves are conducted with three different timezone variations, to make cheating close to impossible.
Of course even these timezone variations of the same Cambridge test may be slightly different in how challenging they are to students.
However, So many Cambridge schools act as test centers and there are thousands of Cambridge students for each test series, that result into a vast data set for Cambridge International.

What do Cambridge Exams look like?
Each subject has their own combination of Cambridge test formats. These test formats may be multiple choice, short written answers, longer essays of in a practical format.

How do Cambridge Assessments work?
When looking at applicants from all over the world, universities face a big challenge. They can not know for every country which curriculum is taught, nor do they know how rigorous the testing at any given high school is. Comparing applicants from different countries and making a fair decision would be impossible.
Cambridge Assessment addresses this problem by providing worldwide testing, three times a year. They produce around 8 million question papers each year. These Cambridge examinations are marked by around 10,000 highly skilled examiners which are anonymous to the partner schools and located worldwide.
This ensures that the exams are held everywhere under comparable circumstances and that the school can only influence the grades by preparing the students well.

Frequently Asked

How do students benefit from Cambridge Pathway?
Cambridge Pathway prepares students for life – helping them to develop an informed curiosity and lasting passion for learning. It helps students develop thinking and learning skills – ready to tackle the demands of tomorrow’s world, capable of shaping a better world for the future.
That’s why success with Cambridge opens doors to the world’s best universities – in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and beyond. It’s what you’d expect from an organisation that is part of the world-leading University of Cambridge.

What do SRIS students study?
We want each student to fulfil their potential and make the most of their strengths and interests. So SRIS offers a range of subjects and let every student choose the subjects they love and the subjects they’re best at.

Cambridge designs programmes – with the help of expert educators in schools and universities – to challenge students, and get them excited about what they’re learning. They learn about the key concepts of each subject in depth, so they understand them inside and out.

We at SRIS assemble our curriculum with locally relevant subjects and give our students choices that are interesting and matter.

Cambridge Pathway programmes are flexible, so our teachers use examples that are relevant to students’ local context and culture. Students learn in English, and the Cambridge assessment is accessible to speakers of English as a second or foreign language.

How does the Cambridge Pathway work?
When Cambridge designs their programmes, they start by identifying what a student needs to learn.
Students have to demonstrate understanding and the core knowledge of a subject, as well as think critically. Exams are there to recognise, reward and encourage learning.
The Cambridge Pathway takes students on a journey through Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International AS & A Level. Students can join at any stage.
The curriculum in each stage has aims and objectives that support students to become confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged. These are the attributes of Cambridge learners.

How are our students prepared for the future?
Cambridge learners build more than just a deep understanding of their subject. Being a student of Cambridge Pathway means developing the higher order thinking skills to apply what they’ve learned. Solving problems creatively. Thinking for themselves. Doing their own research and communicating it.
Working with other people on a project they’ve designed together. So we make sure our programmes encourage students to develop the attributes of the Cambridge Learner
– confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged. And help them to succeed in tomorrow’s world.

How does the Cambridge Pathway help students applying for university?
Success in Cambridge qualifications often give students admission to the world’s best universities – in the US, Australia, Canada, Germany and beyond. Cambridge qualifications are accepted and valued by universities around the world, including MIT, Harvard and Cambridge.

Cambridge qualifications are recognised as qualifications that prepare and equip students with the skills they need to succeed both at university and beyond. Universities value the independent research and critical thinking skills, as well as the deep subject knowledge that Cambridge qualifications bring.

Cambridge works with these universities when they revise their qualifications – getting expert advice to make sure the Cambridge curriulum continues to develop the skills universities require.

Does SRIS accept private candidates?
Some students choose to prepare for the exams themselves. This may be, because they attend a non Cambridge school or already finished school, but want to get for example an A-Level certificate for a specific subject.
These learners can register with us as a test center. If we are able to support the learner with tutoring needs to be discussed on an individual basis. Please contact our College Counseling department if you are interested.

Where is the Cambridge Curriculum used?
Worldwide more than 10,000 schools are part of the Cambridge learning community. The Cambridge curriculum is available in 160 countries across all continents. Cambridge schools are available in North America, Latin America, UK & Europe, Africa, Middle East and all over Asia.

Are there other Cambridge International Schools in Kyrgyzstan?
SRIS has never been the only school to offer Cambridge programs in Bishkek and that is part of the appeal of the Cambridge system.

Not only do students have the ability to continue with the same curriculum after moving to another country. Families also have the choice to move to another school within Kyrgyzstan. Not being locked in puts Cambridge schools in Bishkek in competition, pushing them to be better than their peers and delivering more then minimum standard.

As of today there are seven registered Cambridge schools in the Kyrgyz Republic.