Nanyang Girls' High School (NYGH) Integrated Programme (IP) Curriculum — The Evergreen Guide for Maths & Physics-Minded Students

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08 Jul 2025, 00:00 Z

TL;DR
Nanyang Girls' High School (NYGH) runs the first four years of a 6-year Integrated Programme that skips the O-Levels and feeds directly into Hwa Chong Institution for the GCE A-Levels. Its curriculum stretches core Maths & Physics one to two years earlier than the mainstream track, layers on research-style projects and talent programmes such as SMTP, and uses weighted assessments (WAs) instead of mid-years. Parents who want their daughters to excel in \(F = ma\) and \(y = mx + c\) must therefore plan subject choices, talent routes and targeted tuition well before Sec 3.

1 | Big-Picture Snapshot

6-year arc — Years 1-4 at NYGH, Years 5-6 at Hwa Chong Institution; no SEC/O-Level checkpoint.
Curriculum goal — “stretch beyond O-Level requirements” with flexible, research-driven modules.
Fusion approach (rolled out to Sec 1 in 2024) links concepts across subjects to solve real-world problems.
End credential — Singapore-Cambridge A-Level certificate after JC 2.

2 | Year-by-Year Curriculum Map (Maths & Physics)

Year	Mathematics — new beyond Express	Physics / Science strand
Sec 1 (IP Yr 1)	Standard form, solving inequalities, intro data-logging	Integrated Science: forces, energy & simple vectors
Sec 2 (IP Yr 2)	Quadratic sketching, simple probability, trig with obtuse angles	Vector addition/subtraction, work-energy graphs
Sec 3 (IP Yr 3)	Binomial theorem (\(n\le10\)), surds, \(\sigma\) notation, derivative from first principles	SUVAT, Newton II, free-body diagrams, electric circuits
Sec 4 (IP Yr 4)	Product/quotient/chain rules, first hypothesis test, recurrence relations	Electricity & magnetism, error propagation, graphing with spreadsheets

The kinematics identity

\[ v^2 = u^2 + 2as \]

drops into Sec 3, two terms earlier than in Express.

For how this early acceleration impacts Sec 3 stress levels, see Why Sec 3 IP Students Struggle.

3 | Talent-Development Pathways

3.1 Science & Mathematics Talent Programme (SMTP)

Two-year stretch track in Sec 3-4 that deepens Maths & Science breadth and research design.
Graduates are “strongly encouraged” to continue SMTP at Hwa Chong for JC.

3.2 Mathematics Talent Development Programme (MTDP)

Offers Olympiad-style enrichment and advanced problem-solving workshops.

3.3 Other Academic Special Programmes

Students may take only one special programme (Art Elective, BSP, Humanities Programme, SMTP, etc.).
Choosing wisely matters because research hours subtract from CCA & revision time.

4 | Subject-Combination & Promotion Rules

Sec 2 → Sec 3 Gate	Typical NYGH cut-off (community-shared)	Why it matters
Triple Science (PCMB)	Science ≥ B3 and MSG ≤ 3.0	Triple Sci loads 4 lab subjects; vital for Medicine or Engineering aspirations.
SMTP enrolment	Department invitation & aptitude test	Adds research hours; boosts HCI SMTP eligibility
Advanced Lit / Third Lang	Merit + portfolio	Heavy essay workload; time trade-off with Physics

Promotion to the next year usually requires GPA ≥ 2.5 (school-wide IP norm). For cross-school comparisons see Integrated-Programme Subject Combination & Promotion Criteria.

5 | Assessment Landscape

5.1 Weighted Assessments instead of Mid-Years

MOE caps one WA per subject per term; NYGH uses these as data-handling tasks, slide decks or practical write-ups. Project-style physics WAs may ask students to verify \(F = ma\) with sensors, write uncertainty tables and balance chemical-fuel equations like \(\ce{C3H8 + 5 O2 -> 3 CO2 + 4 H2O}\).

5.2 Fusion Projects

Interdisciplinary assignments under the Fusion umbrella force students to marry Maths graphs with Physics concepts and societal contexts.

5.3 Why Exams Still Bite

A single WA can weigh 15 - 20 %; one missed sign in \(\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{dt}}(e^{2t})\) can dent the year-grade. Timed practice and error-logs mitigate risk — see Are Careless Mistakes in Math Inevitable?.

6 | Why Specialist Maths & Physics Tuition Still Matters

Express-level centres stop at O-Level scope; NYGH IP injects A-Level skills like uncertainty propagation in Sec 3.
SMTP & MTDP homework features proof-based tasks not found in Ten-Year Series.
Weighted-assessment timing is 45-60 min; students must solve \[ s = ut + \frac{1}{2} a t^2 \] intuitively, not by brute force.
Tailored tuition provides mini-mock WAs and reinforces units: e.g., gravitational field strength \(g = \pu{9.81 m/s2}\).

Compare our IP-only approach in Forces, Dynamics & Free-Body Diagrams.

7 | Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1 — Does skipping O-Levels mean less stress?
Work shifts earlier; Sec 3 is notoriously intense.

Q 2 — Is Triple Science compulsory?
No, but NYGH reserves seats for those who meet B3 + MSG ≤ 3.0 and may ballot if over-subscribed.

Q 3 — Will picking SMTP lower my Maths grade?
Only if time-management falters. Strong calculus foundations—say mastering \(\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{dx}}(\sin x)=\cos x\)—offset the heavier project load.