Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (IP) Curriculum — The Evergreen Guide for Maths & Physics Students
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)08 Jul 2025, 00:00 Z
TL;DR
The Victoria-Cedar Alliance IP moves fast: Year 1-4 pupils in Victoria School (boys) or Cedar Girls' (girls) jump into enriched Maths and triple-Science before converging at Victoria Junior College for a two-year A-Level sprint.
Early mastery of \(y = mx + c\), \(F = ma\) and uncertainty analysis is non-negotiable; well-timed tuition bridges the gaps between WAs, CCAs and the vanished mid-years.
1 | How the VCA IP Is Organised
| Phase | School(s) | Quick facts |
| Lower Sec (Y1 - 2) | Victoria School / Cedar Girls' | Integrated Science, enriched Maths, compulsory CCA |
| Upper Sec (Y3 - 4) | Same campus | Split into Pure Physics, Chemistry, Biology, A-Math becomes compulsory; no O-Levels |
| Pre-U (Y5 - 6) | Victoria Junior College | Minimum \(3\text{H2}+1\text{H1}\) subjects + GP, PW, MTL; 67 official combis |
Reference: VCA IP page · VCA handbook PDF
2 | Maths Track — Year-by-Year Highlights
Y1 - 2 Foundations + Stretch
- Standard form, financial maths, inequalities, quadratic-graph sketching.
- Weekly “ACE tasks” require pupils to explain reasoning in prose, not just compute.
Y3 Fast-forward
- Binomial theorem to \(n=10\), sigma notation, surds, logarithms.
- First taste of calculus: derivative from first principles.
- WAs often bundle geometry + algebra in one 60-min paper.
Y4 Pre-A-Level Concepts
- Product / quotient / chain rules, basic integration, recurrence relations, hypothesis tests.
- Selected VJC tutors co-teach “A-Math enrichment” in Term 4.
Y5 - 6 H2 / H3 Stage
- 9758 H2 Mathematics core; options for H2 Further Maths or H3 research modules.
- VJC offers 67 combis; popular STEM set is PCME \(Physics, Chemistry, Math, Econs\).
Cross-reference: IP Math Roadmap & 12-Week Grade-Jump Plan
3 | Physics Track — Concept Leaps & Lab Skills
| Year | Key topics new to IP | Why it matters |
| Y2 | Vector-component forces, work-energy-power | Links Maths trig to real motion |
| Y3 | SUVAT, Newton II in 2 D, free-body diagrams | Foundation for later EM fields |
| Y4 | Current-potential divider, basic induction \(E = -\frac{d\Phi}{dt}\) | Appears early in VCA WAs |
| Y5 | H2 kinematics + dynamics, E&M, SHM | Aligned to 9478 A-Level spec |
| Y6 | Data-logger practicals: \(\pu{1 \%}\) uncertainty, spreadsheet LINEST | Paper 4 practical (20 %) |
Need drill help? See Forces & FBD Master Guide and Measurement & Uncertainty.
4 | Assessment Landscape
4.1 Weighted Assessments (WAs)
- One WA per subject per term, 15 - 20 % each.
- Short 45-90 min papers or practical-poster tasks.
- No Mid-Year Exams since 2021 → pupils must self-simulate full-length papers.
4.2 Promotion Rules
- Lower Sec: pass all subjects + conduct ≥ “Fair”.
- Upper Sec: GPA ≥ 2.0; fail → conditional promotion or transfer to O-Level stream.
- JC: “Promo” exam + pass GP, PW, 2 H2, 1 H1.
Detailed tables: Subject Combination & Promotion Criteria
5 | Subject-Combination Choices at VJC (Y5)
| Stream | Common STEM sets | Contrasting subject rule |
| Science | PCME, BCME, Physics + Computing | One H1 from Arts if all H2 are Science |
| Arts | HELitE (Hist, Econs, Lit) + H2 Math | Must take one Science/H2 Math |
VJC lets high flyers add H3 (e.g. H3 Math research) in JC 2.
6 | Why Many Students Stumble — And How Tuition Helps
- Acceleration shock — VCA IP compresses A-Math + H2 preview into 24 months.
- Vanished mid-years — fewer timed papers → weak exam stamina.
- Heavy CCA load — sports & SYF peak in Y3 - 4.
- Mixed-mode WAs — poster + practical + slides demand transferable skills.
Eclats edge
- IP-only micro-classes (≤ 8).
- 24 / 7 WhatsApp for WA “rescue”.
- Maths-Physics hybrid sessions (two subjects, one slot).
- Custom mock papers modelled on past VCA scripts.
Read more: Why Sec 3 IP Students Struggle
7 | FAQ
Is triple-science compulsory?
Yes for the top sets; others may choose Physics + Chem or Bio + Chem.
Can my child switch from IP to O-Levels?
Possible after Y2/Y4 subject to space and MOE approval.
How early should we bridge algebra?
Ideally in the P6-Sec 1 holiday — factorising \(ax^2 + bx + c\) appears in Week 2.
8 | Further Reading
Last updated: 8 July 2025.
