LOWER SCHOOL
The curriculum in the Lower School aims to provide breadth, balance and variety of activity, with the requirement to opt for one subject against another being delayed until the Third Year and even then kept to a minimum. All pupils follow a common curriculum in the first two years, as outlined below, with figures representing the number of 50-minute periods per two weeks allocated to a subject.
First Year
English [6]; Drama [1]; Mathematics [7]; Modern Language 1 [5 a]; Latin [4]; Junior Science [7]; History [3]; Geography [3]; PE [2]; Games [4]; Art [3]; Music [3]; DesignTechnology [3]; RE [3]; ICT [1]; Extended Study [4 b] ; Tutorial Period [1].
Notes :
a. Pupils choose one of French or German or Spanish as their first modern foreign language.
b. Friday afternoons are devoted to the Extended Study Programme, comprising six different units over the school year.
Second Year
English [6]; Drama [1]; Mathematics [7]; Modern Language 1 [3]; Modern Language 2 [3]; Latin [3]; Junior Science [7]; History [5]; Geography [5]; PE [2]; Games [4]; Art [3]; Music [3]; DesignTechnology [3]; RE [3]; ]; ICT [2].
Third Year
English [6]; Mathematics [6]; Modern Language 1 [4]; History [4]; Geography [4]; PE [2]; Games [4]; Sciences [15 a]; RS [3 b]; Creative Subject [3 c]
plus
Modern Language 2 / Latin / Greek [6]
plus
2nd Creative Subject / Latin / Italian [3]
Notes :
a. Pupils study Biology, Physics and Chemistry separately with 5 periods devoted to each science.
b. Pupils start a two-year course leading to Religious Studies short course GCSE at the end of the Fourth Year.
c. The creative subjects are chosen from Art, Music, Design Technology and Theatre Studies.
UPPER SCHOOL
In the Upper School the core is reduced and pupils choose three options of 6 periods per two weeks each to complete their timetable. Within the 15 periods per cycle for the sciences students will either take Biology, Chemistry & Physics, ie 3 GCSEs, or Science plus Additional Science, ie 2 GCSEs. Pupils intending to take only one modern foreign language at GCSE and who have studied a second modern language in both Second and Third Years may choose which of those two languages to study as their core language in the Upper School.
Fourth Year
English [6]; Mathematics [6]; Modern Language 1 [6]; Sciences [15]; RS [4]; PE [1]; Games [4]
plus 3 of
History, Geography, Economics, Latin, Greek, Modern Language 2 (French or German or Spanish), Computing, Sports Science, Art, Music, Design Technology, Theatre Studies.
Fifth Year
As the Fourth Year curriculum, except that the 4 periods allocated to RS now go to provide an extra period for PE, and 3 periods of Private Study, one of which may be used occasionally for ICT, PSHE or study skills. Additional Mathematics is taken as an extra examination by a proportion of the year group (usually two sets).
SIXTH FORM
Students study four subjects to AS level in the Lower Sixth, and three or four subjects to full Advanced level in the Upper Sixth. The Foundation Studies programme is followed by all in the Lower Sixth and by those taking 3 A2 subjects in the Upper Sixth.In addition, all have 4 periods of Games in both Lower and Upper Sixth and Open Forum in the Upper Sixth year. Full details are provided in the Sixth Form Curriculum Guide.
REPORTING
Parents receive two formal written reports during the course of the year and a parents’ evening provides an opportunity to discuss academic progress with teachers. Attainment and effort grades are provided in all three terms. Parents are invited to contact the Tutor in the first instance if they wish to raise any matter relating to their child’s school work or to arrange an individual meeting.