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British curriculum

A British curriculum school in West Accra

What the British curriculum means here, which qualifications your child sits, and why we run Pearson Edexcel rather than Cambridge.

Pearson

What "British curriculum" means at Crystal Heights

Your child follows a British curriculum from the primary years to A-Level, and sits qualifications set and marked in the United Kingdom. The awarding organisation is Pearson Edexcel: one of the two British examination boards, and the body behind International GCSE and International A-Level.

Most parents know the qualifications long before they know the board, which is the right way round. What matters is that the papers are externally set, externally marked, and read by universities worldwide without needing explanation.

External marking is also what makes a result comparable: a paper sat in Amasaman is marked on the same scale as a paper sat anywhere else. Crystal Heights learners hold four Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards, three of them for the highest mark in the world, across three consecutive years: iPrimary Mathematics in Oct/Nov 2022 and May/June 2023, and iLowerSecondary Global Citizenship in May/June 2024. Each is signed by the Managing Director of Pearson School Qualifications.

Are you a Cambridge school?

No. We run Pearson Edexcel. Cambridge International is the other British board, and some directory listings still describe us as a Cambridge school. They are out of date: we are a Pearson Edexcel school and have been throughout.

For a parent choosing a school, the distinction matters less than it sounds. Both boards award International GCSE and International A-Level, both are externally moderated in the UK, and universities treat them as equivalent. The real differences are subject options and assessment structure, which is why a school picks one board and teaches it properly rather than mixing them.

The stages your child would move through

Preschool and iPrimary are shared by both of our pathways, so the early years look the same whichever route a family later chooses. From iPrimary 6, the British route continues through iLowerSecondary, International GCSE and International A-Level, while the Ghanaian route continues through JHS and SHS on the GES curriculum.

See every stage and what it covers

Compare the British and Ghanaian pathways

Quick answers

Does Crystal Heights teach the British curriculum?
Yes. Crystal Heights International School in Amasaman, West Accra, teaches a British curriculum from iPrimary through International GCSE and International A-Level. It is awarded by Pearson Edexcel, a British awarding organisation, and assessment is externally set and moderated in the United Kingdom.
Is Crystal Heights a Cambridge school?
No. Crystal Heights runs Pearson Edexcel, not Cambridge International. Both are British examination boards offering IGCSE and International A-Level qualifications, and universities worldwide treat them as equivalent, but they are separate organisations. Some third-party directories list Crystal Heights as a Cambridge school; that is incorrect.
What is the difference between Pearson Edexcel and Cambridge?
They are two British examination boards awarding the same families of qualification. Universities do not prefer one over the other, and both are externally moderated in the United Kingdom. The practical differences are in subject options, assessment structure and timetabling, which is why a school chooses one and teaches it consistently.
Which British qualifications does Crystal Heights offer?
Pearson Edexcel iPrimary, iLowerSecondary, International GCSE and International A-Level. Preschool and iPrimary are shared with the Ghanaian pathway, and families choose between the two routes after iPrimary 6.
Where is the school?
Shikpontele, Amasaman, opposite China Mall, in West Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Amasaman is the capital of the Ga West Municipal District.

Come and see a British curriculum lesson.

The quickest way to judge a curriculum is to watch it being taught. Book a visit and sit in.

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