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Mr Darren Lim Jen Zen

Darren Lim is inspired by his experience as a contract teacher at a local school before entering university, Darren decided to pursue teaching to be an inspiration that brings positive change to the lives of young minds. He has since been privileged to serve 15 years as a Humanities teacher and assistant curriculum leader at an international school in Penang, particularly developing his expertise in producing successful outcomes in Geography from Key Stage 3 to A-Levels. Graduating from Universiti Utara Malaysia with a Bachelor of Development Management (1st class Hons.) and currently pursuing his postgraduate studies in Education, Darren’s background in the broader social studies informs his cross-curricular approach to global issues as well as his ability to connect his lessons to authentic local and global case studies.

As Assistant Curriculum Leader for Humanities, Darren has led cross-curricular learning integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goals, global citizenship, and subjects including Geography, History, Psychology, Enterprise, Malay and History. He is also a recipient of the 2025 Anugerah Guru Berwibawa (Inspiring Teacher) Award for private schools, presented by the Penang Education Department Southwest District Office for his contributions to pupil soft skills development.

With over a decade of experience in student enrichment, Darren has coached his school’s World Scholar’s Cup team to local and global success, hosted the Penang Round for 12 editions, and was recognised as Coach of the Decade in 2023. He has also established student initiatives including a LEO Club, TEDxYouth conference and Soft Skills Committee, and guided teams to two FOBISIA Race4Good championships.

At Stonyhurst Penang, Darren hopes to continue creating high-impact opportunities for student development. Outside the classroom, he is a passionate movie reviewer, reader and singer, as well as a certified Google Gemini Educator, Microsoft Innovative Educator and trained Solutionary Learning practitioner.

Junior School

Areas of learning for Key Stage 1 & 2

Covering everything from core subjects to co-curricular activities, Key Stage 1 & 2 offers the ideal pathway to Senior School and beyond.

English

Reading

Early Years (Nursery & Reception)

In our Early Years, we lay the foundations for reading through a carefully structured and engaging phonics programme, delivered through play, talk and storytelling. Children begin by exploring sounds in their environment, developing listening skills, rhythm and rhyme, before moving on to learning how letters represent sounds. Through daily phonics sessions, they are gently introduced to blending sounds to read simple words and segmenting them to begin writing. Our approach is brought to life through stories and memorable characters, helping children to grow in confidence, develop their language and nurture a genuine love of books. In a caring and supportive environment, children are encouraged to be curious, to persevere and to take pride in their learning, doing their best in the spirit of Quant Je Puis. Alongside this, they enjoy sharing a wide range of stories, building early comprehension skills and positive reading habits from the very start.

Pre-Prep (Years 1 & 2)

In Years 1 and 2, children build on their early phonics knowledge to become fluent, confident readers. Daily phonics lessons follow a clear, systematic progression, ensuring that children develop a secure understanding of sounds, spelling patterns and key words. Pupils are taught to read by blending sounds smoothly and to spell by breaking words into their individual sounds, applying these skills across their learning. Reading books are carefully matched to each child’s phonics stage so that they can practise successfully and grow in independence and confidence. Alongside decoding, we place a strong emphasis on understanding, encouraging children to question, reflect and think deeply about what they read. Through this balanced approach, we aim to develop enthusiastic, resilient learners who take pride in their achievements and strive to do their best in the spirit of Quant Je Puis, preparing them well for the next stage of their education.

Writing

Our teachers use the proven framework, Talk for Writing, to inspire students to unlock their potential as writers. At the start of each unit, students are assessed in order to craft a learning journey of imitation, innovation and invention. The topics for these units are linked to the IPC and students’ own interests to ensure that their writing has a real purpose.

Alongside the creative element of writing, key skills are developed. In Reception and Year 1 pupils learn to write in lowercase. When the pupils develop control, the remainder of their time in KS1 focuses on introducing a flowing, cursive style that encourages them to write with confidence. Grammar and spelling skills lessons are used to explain key concepts and support them in achieving their English writing goals.

Maths

From Reception to Year 6, our students learn Maths through the scheme White Rose Maths. White Rose Maths is based on the Singaporean approach to teaching maths, but targeted towards achieving the UK National Curriculum overviews. The scheme uses proven tools and methods from Singapore Maths to develop a mastery of the subject at all levels. The programme focuses on CPA: visualising maths concepts using Concrete materials, illustrating them Pictorially, and finally completing Abstract problems. This is also the scheme used in St Mary’s UK (Preparatory School to Stonyhurst College), which allows us to work closely with our UK counterpart.

International Primary Curriculum

The IPC is a central element of our KS1 and KS2 curriculum. The students learn about a range of topics across the year that are carefully planned to cover the breadth of the primary curriculum in a cross-curricular way. Creating these links allows students to see topics as real world scenarios and understand the complex links between issues. A key focus is placed on evaluating students’ existing knowledge and focusing the teaching on where they would like the learning to go. Our Jesuit Pupil Profile is a key element in our learning here as students work towards their own personal goals as well as the curriculum targets they are set.

Science

At Stonyhurst, we understand the importance of increasing students’ science capital through clearly illustrating the vital role science plays in our day to day lives. At times, this is by teaching Science directly through our IPC, drawing a clear link to the wider topic. At others, this involves discreetly exploring the skills and knowledge they need to complete the British National Science curriculum. 

Our well-equipped Science lab is available to facilitate students in their practical understanding and further their passion for the subject. Furthermore, our Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to directly learn from our Senior School Science teachers as they prepare them for their future learning and see their potential as scientists!

ICT

ICT is incorporated into all aspects of learning across the curriculum. State of the art interactive panels are placed in all classrooms and 1:1 devices are available from Year 2 upwards. Not only does this provide the technological resources our students need for the modern world, but it also allows us to meet our intentional limiting of wasteful paper resources wherever necessary. 

Programming plays a central role across all year groups. This starts in our Early Years with the introduction of programmable toys and is later explored through the students’ discreet ICT lessons, which are taught by a specialist teacher across KS2.

Creative Arts

Music, Art and Drama are all key elements of our curriculum. They are often closely linked to our IPC and English lessons as they help the students to express themselves. With close links between children who excel creatively and those who excel in the sciences, our focus is on ensuring that creative subjects are given as much value by our community as those traditionally seen as academically rigorous. Music has a specialist teacher throughout the entire Junior School, with Art and Drama specialists taking over from KS2. Our well-equipped auditorium provides students with the opportunity to gain confidence, perform to large audiences and create memorable experiences.

PE and Swimming

PE and Swimming lessons are taught by specialist teachers throughout every pupil’s time at Junior School. They play a vital role within the School day and pupils learn key life skills, both related directly to their sports, teamwork and the spirit of competition. Students are further encouraged to develop their love of sport through our co-curricular activities.

Languages

French, Mandarin and Bahasa are the languages across KS1 and KS2. With specialist teachers ensuring each language is taught at the highest level, our students learn key language skills that provide them with opportunities in the international workplace and as global citizens.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is of the utmost importance at Stonyhurst. Through the teaching of all subjects, we ensure that student wellbeing is considered and our school values are reflected. In addition, opportunities for discreetly taught Wellbeing lessons may be taken each week. These sessions focus on the traditional PSHE topics as well as extending out into meaningful discussions through Philosophy 4 Children and from Key Stage 2, our bespoke Stonyhurst Coaching programme.

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JUNIOR SCHOOL

Teaching

Prep Programme in Year 6

At Stonyhurst International School, Penang we have two Schools, the Junior School and the Senior School. The Junior School consists of the EYFS, KS1 and KS2 UK national curriculum and the Senior School is working towards the IGCSE and A-Level examinations. Traditionally, the move from Junior School to Senior School can be a difficult time for students. We have tried to ease this transition through a strong shared ethos across both schools, a consistent pastoral framework and our Coaching programme. In addition, we have developed our Prep programme for all of our Year 6 students.
 
‘Prep’ is short for preparatory; the literal meaning of this is to prepare for a task. We recognise that to make the most out of their time in the Senior School, our Year 6 students need this opportunity to prepare for this next phase in their academic journey. The following highlights some of the strategies we have put in place for our Prep programme:
  • Year 6 will be taught by specialist teachers in specialist classrooms for the many of their lessons – including Maths and Science
  • Year 6 will be a part of the Senior School Coaching programme, coached by an older student in Year 8 or 9 as part of their Lines
  • Year 6 will begin interacting with their Line tutor groups over the course of the year during tutor time
  • Year 6 students will move from attending our Junior School assembly to attending our Senior School assembly over the course of the year
 
However, we recognise that the students still have valuable experiences to gain from being the oldest and most mature members of the Junior School. Therefore, in addition to the time they spend in the Senior School, they will also experience an important continuation of their time in the Junior School. This will include:
  • The continuation of the IPC as their central curriculum
  • The continuation of exit point celebrations involving parents and / or the wider School community
  • Junior School positions of responsibility
 
Through the Prep programme we aim to bridge the gap between the two Schools, including their curriculums and logistics. This will allow any potential issues this may pose to our Year 6 students to be highlighted and handled through our team in a nurturing way, eliminating any nerves they may have regarding the next step in their education. Moreover, for the majority of our students, Year 6 Prep will be a time of excitement, where they get to experience the joy of working with our outstanding Senior School specialists and being inspired by their subject knowledge and enthusiasm.
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