We believe every child is unique.
Every child deserves the opportunities and resources to pursue his or her interests. This is made possible here at Edgefield with the Full Subject Based Banding (Full SBB). In 2019, Edgefield Secondary was highlighted by then Minister for Education, Mr Ong Ye Kung during the Committee of Supply Debate as a trailblazer for its re-organised form classes where students from the different courses of study come together. In 2020, we subsequently became one of the 28 pilot schools selected by the Ministry of Education to pilot Full SBB.
Students will experience integrated form classes right from the start of Secondary One in Edgefield. Integrated form classes allow students of varying courses of study to come together for a common learning experience which creates an invaluable setting for them to interact, build friendships, and appreciate different perspectives. With a widened circle of friends, our students experience a diversity of views, build more support networks, and become more adaptable and flexible as thinkers and doers. Students will pick up positive learning habits from each other and find more role models to learn from. Besides this peer support, our students will also have the same form teachers with them from their first year in Edgefield all the way till they graduate in their fourth year. This is our way of ensuring our students are supported and understood by teachers who will walk with them on their secondary school journey from the start till the end.
In addition, students deepen their learning in an area of their interest. For instance, other than the English Language, Mathematics, Mother Tongue Languages and Science, learners are now offered the Humanities such as Geography, History and English Literature at an academically more demanding level when they move to Secondary Two. Factors taken into consideration to offer these subjects include the strengths and interests of the learner and an appropriate overall academic load.
What Seniors Say
I have made so many new friends who are from other courses. Most of them come from my form class as most of my subjects are Normal Academic (NA), so most of my friends would be from the NA course. However my mixed form class has allowed me to make friends from Normal Technical and Express. From this I have been able to see things from different perspectives and learning from others is one of the things I love about mixed form classes.
I enjoy Literature and Geography lessons and the activities being planned! It is fun and interesting as I could learn more things. The class is really disciplined and focused which I really like as everyone can listen to the teacher properly and pay attention in class. We can help each other and guide each other better since we have different strengths. It is fun as we can learn new things and at a more demanding level. In addition, we can set higher standards and goals for ourselves.
Purpose of Full SBB
With Full SBB, the school is moving towards one secondary education, with many subject bands, to better meet our students’ learning needs, without labels. This is part of the broader shift in our education system to recognise the strengths and interests of our children, to help them build their confidence and develop an intrinsic motivation to learn for life in them.
Full SBB in Edgefield Secondary School
Our school implements the following:
Reorganised form classes at Secondary 1
This is applicable to Secondary 1 students entering our school since 2019.
- Each form class comprises students offering the G1-3 courses of study. There is a balanced mix of students with different PSLE T-scores in each form class, even within each course of study.
- Students take common curriculum subjects (CCE, PE, Art, Design and Technology, Food and Consumer Education and Music) together as a form class.
- For subjects such as English, Mother Tongue Languages, Mathematics and Science, the students are regrouped and continue to offer these subjects through the subject-based banding (SBB) arrangements. For example, students eligible for SBB G3 English will join other students offering the G3 course of study.
Students continue to benefit as they have been before, and benefit even more as the full subject-based banding model creates a common learning experience and creates a valuable setting for students to mingle, build meaningful friendships, and appreciate different perspectives.
For more information on how our school implements Full SBB, you can contact us at [email protected].