The Senior School curriculum is designed for boys to pursue academic success: to enable them to grow in knowledge, skills and understanding and to develop as independent learners. The curriculum is balanced and broad and promotes intellectual, pastoral, creative, physical, spiritual and moral development. It extends beyond the classroom into all activities and experiences undertaken by the boys.

There is emphasis in ensuring that each boy develops good core skills of numeracy and literacy since these form the bases for learning in most other subjects and, increasingly, on the use of information and communication technology across all subjects.

All boys are taught by teachers who are subject specialists.

Boys generally sit for nine or ten GCSEs and all GCSE subject courses and specifications have been chosen and designed with our boys’ strengths in mind. There is, therefore, a carefully balanced and managed programme of coursework and examination-assessed work.

Informative and genuine feedback is important to boys’ motivation. Grades and reports are sent home to parents three to four times each term. School examinations are sat twice a year in November and in June.

The vast majority of boys study French as a Modern Foreign Language through to the end of Year 8. Spanish is introduced in Year 8 and thereafter boys may choose either French or Spanish or both. All boys are encouraged to pursue a Modern Foreign Language to, at least, GCSE standard.

In Year 9, boys begin to prepare for their GCSE subject choices by choosing two subjects from Art, Music, Spanish and Technology. The following year, in Year 10, boys are entered for GCSEs in core subjects of English, English Literature, Mathematics and the Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) and choose a further four optional subjects from: Art, French, Geography, History, ICT, Music, Physical Education, Spanish and Technology.

We have an active Support for Learning department that provides appropriate support for individual boys at different levels.

 

SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE CURRICULUM

Assessment

Both classwork and homework are marked regularly by all staff and feedback is given to boys, either verbally or in writing. The aim of this is to give your son the right information about his progress to help them improve. Most pieces of written work will be marked formally, but some work may be marked in class or not marked at all, (because, for example, it is preparatory work for a project). Some work may be commented upon and not graded. Your child’s teacher will keep a record of marks awarded.

Homework

Homework is set every week night, and each tutor group has a published timetable, which will be given to your son at the start of the year. Tasks set may include preparatory work for the next class, written work, learning (for example for a class test) reading, drawing or practical tasks.

Year 6 – 3 subjects per evening x 20 minutes

Years 7-9 – 3 subjects per evening x 30 minutes

Year 10 & 11 – 3 subjects per evening x 40 minutes

Year 10 & 11Homework

Homework is set regularly and boys are expected to organise their time to ensure that all work is completed on time and handed in punctually. As a general rule boys can expect to be set approximately one hour of homework per week per GCSE subject, but the nature of GCSE work means that this represents an average amount and there may be fluctuations from week to week. Some GCSE subjects require the completion of coursework which can take longer at certain times of the year. Boys are encouraged to undertake homework when it is set, rather than waiting until the day before it is due in, as many tasks will require a number of evenings to complete to the best level, and failure to spread work evenly can be stressful and lead to under-performance.

Please see the School’s Homework policy for further details.

Coursework

The amount of coursework required for a GCSE varies from none to 60% of the total marks or more. Coursework is a valuable opportunity for boys to gain marks outside of a timed examination setting, when they can show the examiner the best work of which they are capable. Coursework should therefore be taken seriously and undertaken with care and attention. All coursework must be the pupil’s own work. Each pupil will be asked to sign a declaration to that effect with each piece of coursework submitted for GCSE. In most subjects boys will work on their coursework partly in class and partly at home; it is very important that when boys are working without the direct supervision of a member of staff they adhere to this principle: parents are welcome to read through their son’s coursework and even make suggestions for improvement but this must be confined to comments of a general nature. If you are not sure how much help you can give your child and remain within the rules laid down by the examination boards then please ask. Failure to adhere to examination board requirements can lead to disqualification from the GCSE and in extreme cases from all examinations administered by that awarding body. Some coursework is marked by the teachers in school and the marks are moderated by an external examiner; some coursework is entirely marked externally. Where coursework is marked internally we will let your son know the mark we have awarded but this is a provisional mark and the moderation process does sometimes result in a change being made by the examination board at a later date. If you disagree with the process that the School has carried out in order to arrive at the coursework mark (but not the mark per se) you can appeal under examination board rules; further details may be obtained from the Deputy Head.

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