Curriculum
We are proud of our wide-ranging and stimulating curriculum across the full range of academic subjects. There are also many opportunities to explore more deeply, and develop skills and interest through co-curricular activities, inter-disciplinary projects, trips, speakers, and departmental clubs and societies.
Years 7 to 9
In Year 7, girls are introduced to all the major curriculum subjects and learning skills. They have timetabled lessons in English, Maths, French, all three sciences, Religious Studies, Latin, Geography, History, Art and Design, Music and Drama. In Year 8, there is a Design Technology carousel, the option of a second modern foreign language (German, Italian or Spanish) and taster sessions in Mandarin. Classical Greek is introduced to able Latinists in Year 9. It is often possible to offer extra lessons in other languages on request. I/GCSE subject choices are made in the Lent term of Year 9. I/GCSE work begins in Year 9 in some subjects.
GCSE & IGCSE
Years 10 and 11 are the I/GCSE years. Most programmes of study last for two years, and are examined in the summer of Year 11. Exam boards are chosen to provide genuine rigour whilst also allowing girls to maximise their potential. Girls either choose to take ten subjects, or nine subjects together with an HPQ. There is a compulsory core of six subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Double Award Science and Religious Studies). Girls then choose three or four additional I/GCSE subjects, to provide a balanced education and a secure foundation for further study. The full list of core and optional I/GCSE subjects can be viewed below:
Double and Triple Science Awards
All girls have separate lessons in Physics, Chemistry and Biology throughout Years 10 and 11. About half of each cohort complete Double Award Science, which involves exams in all three subjects, leading to the award of two IGCSE grades. Those girls who choose to do so, and these are often the pupils who are already thinking about A Level sciences, take Triple Award Science, leading to the award of separate IGCSE grades in all three subjects. Girls who study Double Award Science are still able to continue with the study of individual sciences at A Level.
HPQ
Instead of a tenth I/GCSE subject, pupils may choose to embark on an AQA Higher Project Qualification in Year 10. Through the HPQ, pupils gain valuable research skills, while investigating a topic of their own choice. They produce a 2,000-word report setting out their findings, and also present them to a live audience. Pupils learn the skills needed for academic research and project management, and a specialised supervisor provides one-to-one guidance throughout. The HPQ is a one-year course of study that is equivalent to a short-course Level 2 GCSE. In Year 11, pupils who have completed an HPQ are timetabled for independent study, with a focus on preparing for public exams.
A Levels
Girls are advised to take four subjects in the Lower Sixth and continue with three in the Upper Sixth. Girls meet regularly with their tutor, and academic progress is reported to parents throughout the year. Sixth Form girls also follow our General Religious Studies programme, options from our Elective courses, a course on Sixth Form Perspectives that for many leads to an Extended Project Qualification, and our bespoke Skills for Life course on Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education.
An innovative curriculum
A modern education cannot confine itself to public examinations, however good our record is in that area. Our innovative approach to the curriculum provides the girls with opportunities to develop well beyond the syllabus. Our inter-disciplinary super-curriculum programme take girls off timetable to explore large-scale projects and learn vital life skills. This might involve looking at issues of identity through psychology, art and history, or exploring sustainability from the point of view of science, geography and business. Departments regularly collaborate on cross-curricular events, such as joint poetry readings or lectures. The biennial Sixth Form Symposium sees pupils from all departments coming together to explore a major cultural and intellectual theme, such as Byzantium or the Enlightenment.
