Cambridge Curriculum Development

I worked at a bilingual school in Hanoi where students studied both the Vietnamese and Cambridge curriculum simultaneously. Alongside teaching Cambridge English, Maths and Science, I also supported the integration of the Vietnamese and Cambridge Maths curriculum across four year groups.

My role involved reviewing both curricula, mapping overlapping Maths topics, and adjusting lesson sequencing to create better continuity between the Vietnamese and Cambridge programmes. The curriculum was designed for students studying within a bilingual Vietnamese–English environment, while also supporting teachers and parents through a clearer and more manageable learning pathway across both systems.

One of the main challenges was that students were learning similar topics through two different systems, often with different terminology, pacing and teaching approaches. This sometimes created repetition, confusion and unnecessary workload for younger learners.

Aim

The aim was to create a more connected bilingual learning experience where the Vietnamese and Cambridge curricula could support each other rather than feel like two separate programmes.

The work focused on aligning similar topics, balancing workload and progression between both systems, and helping students move more naturally between Vietnamese and English learning contexts. At the same time, there was a strong focus on developing conceptual understanding rather than simple memorisation or procedural learning.

Key Curriculum Integration Principles

The integration process focused on several key ideas:

• Aligning similar topics across both curricula to improve continuity in learning
• Balancing pacing and workload to reduce cognitive overload for students
• Supporting students in transferring understanding between Vietnamese and English learning contexts
• Reducing unnecessary repetition between both programmes
• Encouraging conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning
• Adapting lessons based on student responses and classroom needs
• Using technology and gamified activities to improve engagement and participation

Outcomes

The integrated approach helped create a more sustainable and manageable bilingual curriculum by reducing unnecessary repetition and balancing workload across the Vietnamese and Cambridge programmes. It also supported a stronger focus on practical understanding, mathematical reasoning and active participation rather than rote memorisation alone.

More broadly, the curriculum aimed to create a smoother learning progression where students could apply concepts more confidently across both Vietnamese and English learning contexts.