Colombo - School Report Question and Answers
Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
Students are encouraged to apply themselves and try their hardest. Some teachers accomplish this better than others, but most are very good about engaging the kids in the learning process, building critical thinking skills, and keeping the kids trying. I would argue that OSC does a great job with IB. A particular strength is the environmental sciences option in DP. - Oct 2024
We've had good experience with the curriculum at the primary and MS level. There has been some turnover of teachers which has led to some unevenness, but we're generally very happy with the academic program. I don't have enough experience to talk about the HS curriculum in specifics, but I know the small size of the schools means that the options can be somewhat limited if kids are looking for a very specific program. - Sep 2024
The school is stronger in language. There seems to be more of a focus on English and World Language classes and creativity. The school's math and science programs do not seem to be as strong, in my opinion. There doesn't seem to be a lot of differentiation in math classes. My older kids have been in advanced math and did not get the same level of challenge. Two kids left OSC after a year and they had significant gaps in math. I spoke to the primary counselor about my youngest's math achievement (low average on MAPS) and was told many kids in this grade are scoring closer to the 10% so they weren't concerned. After our first year, many math and science teachers left the school. Due to low enrollment, they could not replace all of the teachers. Therefore, some teachers are teaching out of their content area. For example, a social studies teacher is teaching math. An administrator with a background in English is teaching design. - Jan 2024
