Academic

The School operates a two week timetable which means that lessons for every student will be different in week A to week B. This timetable allows us to maximise the use of academic time, structure more time for sport and extra-curricular activities, especially for the younger age groups, and create a better rhythm to the working week. Academic lessons take place in the first four to six hours of the day whilst sport and activities take place in the afternoons.

Every child is assigned a tutor with whom he or she will meet each week to discuss academic progress. The tutor will also check prep diaries and ensure each student is keeping up with their work. A student’s tutor is a parent’s first point of contact about any academic matter and their names and e-mail addresses are provided to each parent when their son or daughter joins the school. 

Students receive one full report per year and those children who sit formal, internal examinations at the end of the academic year (Years 9 and 10) will also receive a statement of results. Parents are also invited to attend a parents’ evening once a year to discuss their child’s work and progress, and a parents’ and tutors’ meeting which informs parents of issues relevant to their child’s year group.

Every student’s academic progress is monitored via the Challenge Grade process. At the beginning of each academic year your son or daughter will be set a Challenge Grade in each subject. These grades, set by Heads of Departments, will be ambitious and – with hard work – achievable. They are based on the detailed academic information we have about your child, gleaned from tools such as MidYIS, verbal and non-verbal reasoning scores, Common Entrance scores and other tests.  Parents have direct and immediate access, via our Parent Portal, to all their child’s Challenge Grade results and accompanying subject and tutor comments.

The Shell curriculum has been designed to allow pupils to experience a good range of subjects, before they have to make decisions about which subjects they wish to continue studying at GCSE level. All Year 9 pupils will be taught a core academic curriculum comprising: English, Mathematics and Science, in addition all pupils will study a core creative curriculum of Dance, Drama and PE. These compulsory subjects take up 56% of the timetable leaving 44% for the optional subjects. To complete their timetable pupils choose six subjects from the following list: Art, Computer Science, DT, French, Geography, History, Latin, Music, REP, Spanish, Learning Support and English as a Second Language. This means that pupils in the Shell will study up to fourteen subjects as the three sciences are taught separately. Pupils receiving scholarships or exhibitions in Art or Music are required to study those subjects in the Shell year. 

Learn more about the Shell Curriculum

In Remove and Fifth all students study the same academic core as they did in Shell (Year 9). In addition, four optional subject choices are selected from blocks which include the following: Art, Classical Greek, Computer Science, Dance, Design Technology, Drama, French, Geography, History, Latin, Music, Physical Education, Religious Studies and Spanish.

Learn more about the GCSE Curriculum

Most A-level subjects have 10 lessons per fortnight and practical subjects have an extra lesson in the Lower Sixth year. All subjects have 11 lessons per fortnight in the Upper Sixth but those taking Maths with Further Maths have 15 lessons per fortnight throughout their course. Students are expected to be working towards university entrance, which normally requires three A-levels.