Introduction to the Senior School Curriculum

From their very first day we aim to foster in our pupils a curiosity and thirst for knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live. To maintain this enthusiasm our curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of individual pupils as they progress through the school. At all stages there is an emphasis on the development of appropriate study skills and increasingly greater independence in learning, so that pupils can access the curriculum and make full use of the opportunities it provides for academic and personal progression. Our expectations are high and pupils are challenged to achieve their personal best in a variety of spheres and to take personal responsibility for their own learning. Academic achievement is regarded as extremely important and is firmly rooted in the context of our Benedictine ethos of 'Teaching a way of living'. The curriculum is delivered in an environment of mutual respect, support and encouragement, with an emphasis on the promotion of the values, behaviour and skills that underpin and reflect this ethos.

By the time our students take their public examinations they are well prepared and confident in their own abilities, not just as students, but as part of a community where they valued for what they contribute as well as for what they achieve.

The foundations for future success are laid down by provision of a broad academic curriculum that also encompasses artistic, musical and sporting opportunities. This is illustrated on the accompanying curriculum diagram. ICT is delivered as a discrete subject in the first two year groups but is also more widely incorporated into specific curriculum areas in a variety of ways. This breadth of curriculum is maintained (and extended) over the first three years, after which more pupil choice is introduced at GCSE and A level.

Monitoring and assessment are extensive and rigorous. They are used to identify pupils' progress in order to ensure that they achieve their personal best, as a tool for pupil improvement and to inform classroom teaching to the mutual benefit of both pupils and teachers. Pastoral staff and subject teachers work closely together to manage pupil learning. Feedback to parents is provided by formal written reports and parents' evenings and additional contact is provided when helpful, initiated either by parents or by the school as appropriate. Academic success is facilitated through parents and teachers working together to support the pupils. Sharing of information is a key part of this process.

Our students leave us as mature young men and women, equipped not only with the qualifications that will earn them a place on a Higher Education course of their choice, but also with the skills, attitudes and attributes that will allow them to play a full part in society throughout their lives.

Please click here to view the Curriculum Map.