The curriculum is structured into three key stages, with students having degrees of choice when they reach Year 10.
Years 7 – 9 Students are placed in mixed ability tutor groups, and normally remain in the same groups until Year 11. They follow a three year Key Stage 3 programme, which provides breadth and balance and experience a wide range of subjects. All students follow the same curriculum, unless they are disapplied from part of it for an individual reason. Students are taught in sets for some subjects (eg Mathematics); in others, they are taught in mixed ability groups (eg History). In addition to lessons, students take part in a range of other activities to enhance their learning, such as STEM days (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), team building residentials, sporting, languages and creative arts events.
Years 10-11 During Year 9, students make choices about the courses they wish to follow in Years 10 and 11. All students follow the 'core' curriculum, which includes GCSE RE. To this, they add three choices of their own, one of which will be Geography or History. The majority of students study 10 GCSEs, while some follow an alternative curriculum, taking up to 8 GCSEs. Beyond the classroom, as well as subject related activities, students take part in a variety of events such as Enterprise, Holocaust Awareness Day, sporting and creative arts activities.
Years 12-13 There are 27 A Level/BTec subjects on offer, and students usually take three subjects for two years. Alongside the taught curriculum, there are impressive university-style study facilities to support independent study. Students also take part in a fortnightly programme of careers education, study skills and personal development. In addition, there are a number of conferences to support students as they consider their futures (eg Health, Finance). Extra-curricular sports and extensive subject-related activities are all part of the ‘BSS6’ experience. Further details on our A Level courses are available in the sixth form section of the website (click here).
The Wider Curriculum Careers guidance and education is delivered either through discrete lessons, tutorials, careers days or extra-curricular activities. Students have access to additional learning support where necessary, whether for a specific learning difficulty, disability or an area where a student is identified as gifted or talented. Personal, social and health education is delivered through the taught curriculum and conference days. Complementary learning is provided through collective worship, where spiritual development, values building and reflection are central to everything that we do.