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Senior school:

• Overview
• Departments and Curriculum
  • Art and Design
  • Careers and Higher Education
  • Classics
  • Drama
  • Economics
  • English
  • Geography
  • History
  • Mathematics
  • Meno
  • Modern Foreign Languages
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Politics
  • Religious Studies
  • Science
  • Sport and PE
• Pastoral
• Extra-curricular
• Library and Red Zone
• The School day
• For current parents
• Parents' handbook

Departments and Curriculum

Departments

Please select a department from the menu on the left to see further details including a full list of members.

Curriculum

In Lower Four (Year 7) the boys and girls study: English, Mathematics, French, Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics taught separately), Geography, History, Latin, Religious Studies, IT, Creatives (Art, Design, Drama and Music taught separately), Meno, Games and Physical Education.

Meno is a broad course which takes in PSHE issues, Study Skills and a range of diverse subjects such as Philosophy, Mandarin, Hebrew, relaxation techniques, Field studies and organics.  Regular trips out for cross-curricular purposes are also a feature of this programme.

In Upper Four and Lower Five (Years 8 and 9), a choice of German or Spanish is added to the above.

At the end of Upper Four the pupils wishing to study Music or Drama to GCSE opt for these; the rest do a foundation year in Art and Design.  There are opportunities to switch Creatives and to take two to GCSE in consultation with the Director of Studies.

Middle Five and Upper Five (Years 10 and 11) are primarily focused on GCSE courses.  Our GCSE programme requires:

English (taken in January U5)

English Literature

Mathematics (IGCSE)

A Modern Language (French, German or Spanish on four periods per week, or French and German on 2 periods a week each or French and Spanish on 2 periods a week each)

Science (IGCSE; Biology, Chemistry, Physics are taught separately for the Dual Award. Each science has three periods per week)

Creative (Art, DT, Drama, Design or Music)

THREE Options (from Art, Classical Civilisation, 2D Design, 3D Design, Drama, , Geography, Greek, History, Latin, Music, Religious Studies)

A total of 9 or 10 GCSE subjects is studied by each pupil.  All subject areas are studied for at least two years (L4-L5) before choices are made.  Parents and pupils are consulted at option points.  Other subjects such as PE, IT and Meno are not examined.  Games form a substantial part of the curriculum in every year, as do the tutorial provision and assembly time.

Sixth Form

The qualification for the Sixth Form is 6 B grades and better in those areas chosen for study.

In the Lower Sixth, pupils take four or five AS levels including an optional Critical Thinking AS level.  There is a choice from 26 subjects and each is allocated 7 periods a week.  The exceptions to this are Critical Thinking which is given 2 periods per week and Further Mathematics which is taught to the more able mathematicians in a reduced time allocation.  AS level exams are taken in the summer of the Lower Sixth.  Thereafter most pupils cut to THREE subjects to study through to A2 taken at the end of Upper Six.  At each stage the Advice Team helps with decision-making.

Subjects available: Art, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Critical Thinking*, 2D Design, 3D Design, Economics, English Literature, French, Geography, German, Greek, History, Latin, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Politics, Religious Studies, Spanish, Sports Science and Theatre Studies.

*AS only.

Assessment and Reporting

Pupils are assessed regularly with the expectation that weekly homeworks will be set and marked quickly.  Homeworks are usually intended to be challenging in content and to take learning onwards rather than being simple repetition of work already done.  Every three weeks there is an assessment point at which pupils who have done particularly well, or who are causing concern, are raised.  Heads of Department send names to the Director of Studies.  There are half-termly and termly grade cards and a Full Written Report once a year.  Parents’ Evenings are integral to the reporting process with the expectation that there will be a full dialogue between subject teachers and parents.  The timing of these is designed to encompass main decision points (Options, for example) in each year.  Parents are also encouraged to contact the tutor or subject teacher as soon as an issue arises, rather than to wait for a reporting point.

AS/A2 Subjects and Boards

GCSE SUBJECTS AND BOARDS