Skip To Main Content

Secondary School

Secondary School is a time of growing challenges, greater choice, and discovery of where your interests can lead. At NOVA, students in Grades 6 to 10 follow the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), before moving into the IB Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 and 12.

Throughout the MYP, students deepen their knowledge while learning to question concepts, make connections across subjects, and apply what they know to real situations. Creativity, service, interdisciplinary learning, and critical thinking are part of the experience, helping students become more thoughtful and capable learners as they move through Secondary School.

Grades 6 to 12IB MYP, then the IB Diploma
95.6%IB DP pass rate, Class of 2026
32.5 pointsIB DP average score, Class of 2026
80%IB Bilingual Diploma, Class of 2026
Secondary students performing a dance piece on stage at the spring performance

Challenge and Balance Go Together

Academic challenge is balanced by opportunities to create, perform, compete, contribute, and stay active. Arts, design, and physical education carry equal depth in the curriculum, while performances, competitions, service, and student-led initiatives give students different ways to participate in school life and develop their strengths.

These experiences matter because students are still discovering what interests them, what they are good at, and where they want to stretch themselves. Secondary School gives them room to explore those questions while building the discipline and confidence to act on what they discover.

The IB Diploma Programme

In Grades 11 and 12, the Diploma Programme brings greater academic depth and choice. Students select six subjects, combining Standard Level courses that maintain breadth with Higher Level courses that allow them to explore areas of particular interest in greater depth.

The program asks students to think critically, engage in substantive academic discussion, conduct independent research, and communicate their ideas clearly. Through the Extended Essay and the wider Diploma Programme experience, students develop skills that prepare them for the demands of university level study.

By the time they graduate, students have had the opportunity to test their interests, make considered academic choices, and develop a clearer sense of the direction they want to pursue after NOVA.

Explore the Diploma Programme →
Secondary students listening during a class discussion
One journey, seven years

Explore each stage

Each year brings new milestones and more responsibility. Choose a stage to see what it holds.

Middle Years Programme
Diploma Programme

Grades 6 to 8

MYP 1 to 38 subject areasAdvisory

Students study eight subject areas: Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, Design, and Physical and Health Education. Service as Action is part of both classroom learning and student-led projects.

MYP Grades 6 to 10 →
Beyond the classroomSuperNOVA teams, student-run clubs, and Advisory open up from Grade 6.

Students learn how to learn, strengthening thinking, communication, research, collaboration, and self-management.

Grade 9

MYP 4Arts and design rotationCounseling begins

Students rotate through Visual Arts, Theater, Dance, Music, Design, and Physical and Health Education. University and career counseling begins, with career and psychometric assessments that open the first conversations with a counselor.

University and career counseling →
Week Without WallsPopova Shapka Expedition: Unforgettable Bonding Voyage

A trip that welcomes new and returning students into a safe and supportive environment where they can forge lasting connections.

Grade 10

MYP 5Personal ProjectMYP eAssessment

The MYP culminates in the Personal Project. Past projects have explored robotics, carpentry, baking, dressmaking, and physical fitness. At the end of the year, MYP eAssessment gives an externally validated measure of achievement, and students choose two arts and design areas to continue.

MYP Grades 6 to 10 →
Personal Project ExhibitionTurning an idea into something of their own.

Students research, plan, solve problems, and share what they have created with the wider NOVA community.

Grade 11

DP year 16 subjects, SL and HLTOK and CAS

Students follow the full IB Diploma or take individual DP courses. Theory of Knowledge runs over three semesters, and CAS keeps the Diploma experience connected to creativity, activity, and service. Weekly counseling classes move students from exploring directions to researching universities.

DP Grades 11 and 12 →
Week Without WallsMountains and Memories: Adventure in Tara and Zlatibor

Rapids, mountain slopes, and a visit to Visegrad, building friendships, resilience, and teamwork.

Grade 12

DP year 2Extended EssayUniversity applications

Students take greater responsibility for their choices, deadlines, and submissions, with individual guidance from their counselor throughout. University visits, fairs, and conversations with alumni help them picture the next step.

Where NOVA graduates go →
After NOVA235+ students enrolled abroad.

Opening pathways for students to pursue their ambitions around the world.

What students study

From eight subject areas to six Diploma groups

In the MYP, students study across eight subject areas. In the Diploma Programme they choose six subjects, one from each group, alongside the three core components. Open a group to see the courses offered in 2026/27.

01Studies in Language and Literature
  • English A Language and Literature, SL and HL
  • Macedonian A Literature, SL and HL
  • School supported self-taught A language
02Language Acquisition
  • English B HL
  • French ab initio; French B, SL and HL
  • German ab initio; German B, SL and HL
  • Spanish ab initio; Spanish B, SL and HL
03Individuals and Societies
  • Psychology, SL and HL
  • Economics, SL and HL
  • Business Management HL
  • History HL
04Sciences
  • Biology, SL and HL
  • Chemistry HL
  • Physics HL
  • Sport, Exercise and Health Science, SL and HL
  • Computer Science, SL and HL
05Mathematics
  • Analysis and Approaches, SL and HL
  • Applications and Interpretation SL
06Arts
  • Dance, SL and HL
  • Theatre, SL and HL

The Diploma core

Theory of Knowledge

Over three semesters, students examine how different perspectives shape, interpret, and influence knowledge, and learn to question assumptions, including their own.

Extended Essay

An independent research project that asks students to manage substantial work over time and communicate their ideas clearly, preparing them for university level study.

Creativity, Activity, Service

Students take part in experiences and design projects across creativity, activity, and service, set goals, and reflect on what they learn along the way.

The daily rhythm

A day in Secondary School

An A/B schedule gives students focused time with each subject, with a FLEX period for Advisory, service, projects, and counseling built into every day.

Day begins8:15 a.m.
Dismissal Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri2:35 p.m.
Wednesday dismissal2:15 p.m.
  1. 1st period
  2. 2nd period
  3. FLEX
  4. Lunch and Recess
  5. 3rd period
  6. 4th period
  7. 5th period
  1. 1st period
  2. 2nd period
  3. Lunch and Recess
  4. FLEX
  5. 3rd period
  6. 4th period
  7. 5th period
  1. 1st period
  2. 2nd period
  3. FLEX, longer on Wednesdays
  4. Lunch, order varies by grade
  5. 3rd period
  6. 4th period
  7. Dismissal
ClassesFLEX: Advisory, service, projects, counselingLunch and recess
See the full timetable →
Every student known by name

Support and life beyond the classroom

Guidance, care, and plenty of ways to get involved, so students can grow academically, socially, and personally.

University and Career Counseling

From Grade 9, counselors help students weigh their academic profile, fields of study, location, finances, and priorities to build a balanced university list, with workshops for parents along the way.

Meet the counselors

Counseling and Learning Support

Guidance lessons twice a month, individual counseling when it is needed, help with course and schedule choices, and push in or pull out learning support in small groups or one to one.

Student Support Services

Health Office

Two registered nurses are on duty each school day for first aid, everyday health needs, and screenings, and as someone to talk to when something is troubling a student.

Health Services

SuperNOVA

Competitive athletics and academics across three seasons, from soccer, basketball, and volleyball to speech and debate, robotics, Knowledge Bowl, and MathCounts.

SuperNOVA Athletics and Activities

Student-run Clubs

Every club starts with a student idea. From film and design to politics, philosophy and economics, students present their clubs at the fair each fall, with a staff mentor alongside.

Student-run Clubs

Week Without Walls

For a few days each year, students travel and learn together with their grade and advisory teachers, through outdoor challenges, culture, history, and service.

Week Without Walls
We remain committed to a meaningful reimagining of student-centered learning, with emphasis on real-world skills.
Bela Gligorova, PhDSecondary School Principal
Read the Principal’s Welcome
They’ve managed to do so in a welcoming environment, aided by the kindest teachers and the friendliest staff overall.
Alana Yakima SchönbeckClass of 2021
More from our alumni
News
Davor Keskec hands on workshop with the art club
Posted
University counselor holds and info session for parents
Posted
NOVA Runners Push Their Limits at the Skopje Marathon
Posted
Student-led Clubs Fair 2026: Students Take the Lead
Posted
Three women wearing black aprons stand around a large blue pot of red sauce in a grassy outdoor area with a building in the background.
Posted
NOVA Students Dance, Lead and Contribute to Community
Posted
A group of people stands on a cobblestone street in the foreground, with a rustic building and a large tree in the background.
Posted
Students play volleyball on an outdoor court with colorful buildings and a large tree in the background.
Posted
Crowd of students and families in the schoolyard during the Parade of Nations
Posted
Six people stand in a line in the foreground against the backdrop of a large, crowded stadium.
Posted
PTA Coffee Morning: Conversation and a Voice in Our Community
Posted
Elementary School: Twice the Spirit, One Caring Community
Posted

 

Secondary School

Students deepen their thinking, take greater ownership, and develop the knowledge and perspective to move forward

Students sit at white desks with laptops in a modern classroom featuring yellow chairs and dark grey wall panels.