A Complete Guide to International Schools in Malaysia: Crescendo-HELP International School
Crescendo-HELP International School
#Malaysia #InternationalSchool
“Our editor | Crescendo-HELP International School (CHIS) was founded in 2017. The school does not offer a kindergarten programme; the primary years follow the IPC curriculum, while the secondary years follow a British-style curriculum with IGCSE and A-Level courses and examinations. With comprehensive facilities, CHIS ranks among the best-value international schools in the Johor Bahru area.”
01 · School Overview
About the School
CHIS aims to nurture future citizens with a global outlook and well-rounded character. Blending a local and international learning environment, the school offers a rich, conceptual and integrated curriculum with a focus on literacy, numeracy, technology skills and independent inquiry, guiding students to a deep understanding of why they learn and equipping them with the skills for lifelong learning. Beyond academics, CHIS places great emphasis on students' emotional wellbeing and mental health, championing a growth mindset and encouraging students to embrace challenges, take risks, and build strong resilience in the face of setbacks and mistakes.
Photo: school website
When it comes to campus life and personal growth, the school has created a safe and happy environment that supports students across their academic, social and personal development. CHIS also offers a wide range of extracurricular activities spanning competitive sports and the performing arts, giving students of all ages a platform to express themselves, develop leadership skills and become role models. With students always at its heart, and supported by a passionate and dedicated teaching team, the school is committed to unlocking every student's unique potential and helping them succeed both academically and socially.
School Vision
To provide an educational culture and environment in which students experience the joy of learning and are helped to reach their full potential.
Philosophy and core values
CHIS is committed to nurturing global citizens with independent minds and a strong sense of social responsibility. The school is built on eight guiding principles: Resilience, Empathy, Respect, Morality, Adaptability, Cooperation, Thoughtfulness and Communication. In addition, a dedicated learning support department (Learning Pathways) provides EAL English-language support and personalised learning assistance.
Location
Crescendo-HELP International School is located in Johor Bahru, Johor, at the southern tip of Malaysia close to Singapore. It is a 30-minute drive from Senai Airport in Johor Bahru, 3 hours from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and, with clear traffic, 45 minutes from Singapore Changi International Airport. See the bottom-right corner of the map for the scale.
02 · Outstanding Academic Performance
Early Years & Primary (Early Years & Years 1 - 6)
At this stage, the best curriculum for children is one that lets them learn actively and engage with a wide variety of themes. That is why CHIS has adopted the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), which uses comprehensive thematic units to ensure hands-on, participatory learning.
Photo: school website
Once students enter the CHIS primary school, the school works hard to foster their all-round development.
CHIS has implemented the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), currently used in more than 1,000 schools across 92 countries worldwide. The curriculum takes a comprehensive, theme-based approach with a clear and rigorous learning process, setting subject goals, personal learning goals and international learning goals for every student. These goals guide children to develop a grounded global outlook and cross-cultural perspective. Students acquire important thematic knowledge that not only builds their subject expertise but also deepens their understanding of the world around them.
Primary classes have a maximum of 25 students each.
IPC accreditation: CHIS holds official International Primary Curriculum (IPC) accreditation for 2024–2028, making it the first and only officially IPC-accredited international school in Johor Bahru.
Years 1-2 curriculum:
English
Mathematics
Science
History
Geography
Art & Design
Design & Technology
Physical Education
Mandarin
ICT & Computing
Bahasa Malaysia (compulsory for Malaysian students)
Performing Arts: Music and Drama
Personal, Social and Health Education
Citizenship / Leadership
Years 3-4 curriculum:
English
Mathematics
Science
History
Geography
Art & Design
Design & Technology
Physical Education
Mandarin
Bahasa Malaysia (compulsory for Malaysian students)
Performing Arts: Music and Drama
ICT & Computing
Personal, Social and Health Education
Citizenship / Leadership
Photo: school website
Years 5-6 curriculum:
English
Mathematics
Science
History
Geography
Art & Design
Design & Technology
Physical Education
Mandarin
Bahasa Malaysia (compulsory for Malaysian students)
Performing Arts: Music and Drama
ICT & Computing
Personal, Social and Health Education
Citizenship / Leadership
Secondary School
On entering secondary school, students are introduced to a broad range of subjects that let their curious minds explore a wide variety of themes and disciplines. This prepares them well for the senior years, when they choose their IGCSE subjects as a pathway to higher education.
Photo: school website
The Years 7-9 curriculum includes:
English
Mathematics
Science
History
Geography
Art & Design
Design & Technology
Physical Education
Mandarin
Bahasa Malaysia (compulsory for Malaysian students)
Spanish
Performing Arts: Music and Drama
ICT & Computing
Personal, Social and Health Education
Citizenship / Leadership
Islamic Studies (Muslim students only)
Photo: school website
Years 10-11 Curriculum
Compulsory subjects:
English
English Literature
Mathematics
Science
Bahasa Malaysia (compulsory for Malaysian students)
Physical Education
PSHE / Citizenship
In addition, students choose five subjects from the following options:
History
Geography
Design & Technology
Mandarin
Additional Mathematics
Spanish
Music
Economics
Art & Design
Drama
Information and Communication Technology
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Physical Education (PE)
Business Studies
Computer Science
Accounting
A-Level Programme (Years 12 - 13 / ages 16-18)
The Cambridge A-Level programme at CHIS represents the gold standard in pre-university education, offering students aged 16 to 18 the internationally recognised GCE A-Level qualification.
Key advantages of choosing A-Levels at CHIS:
Flexible and diverse subject choices: Options span Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Psychology, Economics, Business, Accounting, History, Geography, English Literature, Art & Design and Mandarin, and can be flexibly tailored to meet the requirements of top universities worldwide.
Experienced teachers and academic support: Strong academic guidance is provided throughout by experienced, Cambridge-accredited teachers.
Dedicated A-Level centre facilities: A standalone Sixth Form teaching and learning centre equipped with world-class facilities.
Outstanding leadership development: A diverse range of programmes builds students' key life skills and leadership. One-to-one university and scholarship guidance: Dedicated one-to-one university application planning and scholarship advisory services.
Photo: school website
The school's Sixth Form offers the Cambridge A-Level programme, with subjects including:
Mathematics
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Computer Science
Psychology
Accounting
Business
English Literature
Mandarin
Art & Design
Economics
Geography
History
Subject availability depends on enrolment numbers.
03 · A Rich Extracurricular Programme
Extracurricular Activities
The CHIS Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) programme is run by school staff, volunteer parents and a wide range of qualified providers across Johor. The school's diverse programme is fun, engaging and educational, and students are strongly encouraged to take part.
From Monday to Thursday, primary CCAs run on campus from 2:45pm to 3:45pm, and secondary CCAs from 3:10pm to 4:10pm. On Fridays, primary CCAs run from 12:15pm to 1:15pm and secondary CCAs from 1:15pm to 2:15pm.
Photo: school website
Recent CCA offerings include:
Go Fitness (Primary)
LEGO Bricks (Primary)
Crafty Kids (Primary)
Creative Puzzles (Primary)
Big Players (Primary)
Fun Badminton (Primary)
Zumba (Primary)
Basketball (Primary)
Jolly Phonics (Primary)
Yoga (Secondary)
Basketball U13 School Team (Secondary)
Board Games (Secondary)
Joyful Choir (Secondary)
Table Tennis (Secondary)
Chess (Secondary)
Dodgeball (Secondary)
Career Experience (Secondary)
Media Club (Secondary)
Badminton (Secondary)
Malaysian Performing Arts (Secondary)
Collage Arts & Crafts (Secondary)
IGCSE Art Guidance (Secondary)
Dance (Secondary)
Photo: school website
04 · Everything Else You Should Know
Dual Accreditation: FOBISIA and CIS
CHIS is a full member school of FOBISIA (the Federation of British International Schools in Asia) and holds international accreditation from CIS (the Council of International Schools), a mark that its teaching quality and student welfare meet world-class international standards.
Apple Distinguished Learning Environment / 1:1 iPad Digital Learning
CHIS makes extensive use of digital learning, with a full 1:1 iPad programme across the secondary school that weaves technology deeply into everyday lessons.
Pastoral Care and the House System
The school runs a traditional British-style House System that strengthens cross-year interaction, teamwork and collective pride, alongside a robust whole-child pastoral care and counselling programme.
The Learning Pathways Department
The school has a dedicated learning support department (TLP) that provides targeted, tiered support for students who need English-language reinforcement (EAL) and those with Special Educational Needs.
Photo: school website
Campus Facilities
The school boasts two auditoriums, a 25-metre competition swimming pool and a beginners' pool, a large library, professional science and computer laboratories, dance and art studios, a multi-purpose sports hall, a running track and athletics field, and a full-size grass football pitch.
Photo: school website
Cafeteria
The school cafeteria plays an important role in supporting children's healthy growth and building good eating habits. Catering at CHIS is provided by Tyson Catering, a champion of healthy eating, which is committed to serving students high-quality, fresh and nutritionally balanced meals from a diverse menu. Every meal is carefully matched to the nutritional needs of school-age children and contains no pork.
Photo: school website
Operationally, the CHIS cafeteria uses a convenient cashless payment system. Each day it serves Western and Asian set meals as well as vegetarian options, along with a wide selection of fresh bread, snacks, baked goods and nutritious drinks to suit every student's preferences.
Students can choose to:
Sign up for the school meal plan (breakfast and lunch)
Bring packed food from home
Scholarships
The Board of Governors has agreed to offer scholarships to outstanding external students wishing to join CHIS. The Principal's Scholarship covers 75% of the published tuition fees, while the Merit Scholarship covers 40% of the published tuition fees.
Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in their approach to learning, as well as those with a high level of talent in areas such as music, the arts and sport.
The awards are open to outstanding students entering Year 7 (secondary entry) or Years 12 and 13 (A-Level entry), giving high-achieving students of exceptional academic accomplishment and character the opportunity to receive a Cambridge education.