The Core Curriculum 

 The core is designed to ensure the students’ education is kept within a broad context.  Depending on which diploma a student selects, the core consists of the following courses/programmes:

Core Physical Education
The aim of the Post 16 sport and leisure programme is to educate students into the benefits of an active healthy lifestyle that will hopefully continue to develop after students have graduated from WIS.  The programme will:
  • Provide students with the opportunity to actively participate and further develop their knowledge and understanding of a variety of sports and activities
  • Provide students the opportunity to specialise in a range of  individual, team and racket sports activities
  • All students will be involved in athletics, cross country, fitness and swimming
Core PE is 2 x 65 minutes per 7 day cycle.
For further information on Core PE, please contact Ms Jo Caldwell at jo.caldwell@wis.edu.hk

Creativity, Action & Service (CAS)
The CAS requirement demonstrates commitment to the importance of experiential learning beyond the classroom. Participation in creative projects, sports and community service encourages young people to share their energies and special talents within teams and to develop awareness and concern for others, as well as the ability to work cooperatively (especially as part of their CAS project). The goal of educating the whole person and fostering a meaningful sense of citizenship and respect for others comes alive in an immediate way when students reach beyond themselves and their books. Please note that all Post 16 students are expected to take part in Horizons Week, usually in November. Please click here to view the current Horizons Week website. 
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Aims of CAS
The aims of the CAS requirement are to enable students to develop:
  • An understanding that education is more than the acquisition of knowledge;
  • A willingness to inquire and an enjoyment of discovery;
  • New knowledge, skills and lifelong ethical responsibilities stemming from a better understanding  of those within and beyond their own social context;
  • An appreciation of their own abilities and the talent of others;
  • An awareness of humanitarian issues across the world;
  • Their ability to be rational risk-takers willing to operate outside their ‘comfort zone’;
  • Confidence in their ability to initiate change, both individually and collaboratively;
  • Autonomy and self-reliance;

Principles of CAS
This philosophy is based on several assumptions:
  • Education is not confined to the classroom or lecture hall and the most important and memorable elements of education often exist outside of both;
  • An international education must go well beyond the provision of information to involve the development of attitudes and values which transcend barriers of race, class, religion, gender or politics;
  • Service to the community (including school, local, national or international communities) is an essential complement to intellectual development;
  • International schools have a special opportunity to establish links between different cultures and, by doing so, to further international understanding;
  • Creativity, activity and service should play equal parts.  However, service is often the most transformative experience for students;

CAS experiences are often the source of genuine pride and satisfaction for students and create a distinct and lasting impression of their Post 16 experience at WIS. 

CAS Journals
Reflection is the essential process that allows students to learn from their experiences.  Reflection is the self-appraisal of goals and achievements and provides the opportunity to document feelings and healthy self-criticism, a vital part of the CAS process.  Students will use their CAS journal (an online reflective tool) to record their aims, goals, participation and reflections.

Examples of CAS
The following are a small number of the options open to students:
Creativity   
  • Music (choir, orchestra, music lessons, music practice)
  • Drama (performing, costume design, make-up, stage management)
  • Oration (debating, Model United Nations, public speaking)
  • Visual Art (drawing, photography, sculpting)
  • Website design and computer graphics
  • Writing (creative writing, magazine writing and editing)
  • The planning of service projects and special events
Activity
  • Sport (athletics, badminton, cross-country running, fitness training, football, hockey, netball, sailing, squash, tennis etc.)
  • World Challenge
  • The Award for Young People expeditions and physical activities
Service 
  • Community Service
  • Tutoring and peer support
  • Leadership in and creation of school based activities
  • Giving time and energy to produce meaningful benefits for others

What is not CAS? 
It is helpful to look at examples of activities that do not count as CAS:
  • Operating passively 
  • Service where there is no real benefit for someone else
  • Activities with no opportunity for reflection
  • Class activities/projects that are part of your academic studies
  • Activities with a financial reward or other tangible benefit
  • Repetitive, tedious tasks with no value for others
  • Activities where you do not understand why you are completing tasks
  • Fundraising with no clear goal
  • Activities with no leader or supervisor able to confirm your involvement
 
For further information on CAS please contact Mr Paul Madden at paul.madden@wis.edu.hk