Curriculum: GCSE and A Level
At St George’s we provide a broad education that is modern, dynamic and exciting and we are committed to giving our pupils a diverse academic and cultural experience that stimulates an interest in and thirst for learning.
Whilst our core syllabus is designed to be well balanced and academically challenging, we take great care to tailor teaching and learning to meet individual needs. Our small class sizes are one of our greatest assets, allowing our teachers to stretch the very brightest, and provide plenty of support for those who need it, enabling every student to recognise their full potential. Expectations are, therefore, high for every one of our pupils whatever their capability, with each of our girls encouraged and, most importantly, supported to do their very best.
Our dedicated and hard working staff are all specialists in their academic fields and are passionate about sharing their subject expertise with pupils in an inspiring way. It is also a measure of the personal commitment of our staff that they willingly and generously give of their free time to provide an excellent system of additional support outside of the classroom.
Year 7
In Year 7 at St George’s, all girls study Art, Food and Nutrition, Drama, English, French, Geography, History, Computing, Mathematics, Music, Religious Studies, Science, Study Skills and Textiles. In addition, they have designated weekly curriculum time for PSHE and PE. Girls are set in Maths and French. All other subjects are taught in mixed ability classes.
Year 8
In Year 8 the curriculum is extended to include Spanish. Girls are set in Maths, French and Spanish. All other subjects are taught in mixed ability classes.
Year 9
In Year 9, girls begin the GCSE Science curriculum, with girls in the top set commencing studies on the separate sciences. In Modern Languages, girls who are able linguists have the option to study two languages, others study just French or Spanish. Girls are set in Maths, Science and Modern Languages. All other subjects are taught in mixed ability classes.
Additional Language Tuition
Girls may study further languages as a paid extra. Languages available include Arabic, Chinese, Italian, German, Japanese and Russian. These lessons are provided by visiting language staff.
While most girls take nine or ten GCSE subjects, we will advise girls individually on what we feel would be the appropriate number for them. In doing so, we will consider individual strengths and weaknesses and any regular commitments to co-curricular activities, such as Sport, Music and Drama. We believe it is better to aim for quality rather than quantity, as good grades are essential for university applications and future career opportunities.
All pupils in Year 10 and 11 take their core subjects including English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (either as separate Sciences or Trilogy Science). There are two weekly periods of PE and one weekly period of PSHE. PSHE lessons include a programme of Study Skills.
Most pupils take three optional GCSE subjects in addition to the core subjects (9 or 10 GCSEs in total depending on whether Science is 2 or 3 GCSEs) and thus have an additional three weekly periods of supervised study in our Library.
Very occasionally, a pupil will take five optional GCSE subjects (up to 11 GCSEs in total) and thus have no supervised study periods.
Pupils for whom English is a second language have the option not to choose French or Spanish, provided that they take one modern foreign language GCSE (such as Russian or Chinese).
Most pupils take three A Level subjects in the Sixth Form. A few girls will take a fourth subject. In most cases, this will be Further Mathematics or a second language for a girl who is bilingual.
The subjects offered are Drama, Spanish, Geography, Music, French, Philosophy and Ethics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, Politics, Photography, Textiles, History, Economics, Business, Psychology, PE, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science and English Literature.
Pupils have five periods per week for each of their subjects. The only exceptions to this are those subjects with only one pupil where the decision may be made to deliver the curriculum in four lessons per week.
The Sixth Form has a weekly enrichment session arranged by the Head of Sixth Form which includes Higher Education advice, help with UCAS applications and further PSHE as appropriate for this age group.
Girls have two compulsory periods of PE per week. Upper and Lower Sixth are timetabled together for PE. The Year 11 join one of their PE sessions.
All Sixth Form pupils study for the Extended Project Qualification offered by AQA (Assessment and Qualification Alliance). This focuses on developing pupils’ research skills, helps them to choose a topic, think about time management and develop their critical thinking. In addition, pupils are allocated a supervisor who meets regularly with them to monitor their progress, ensures their log book is kept up to date and provides them with advice throughout the process. Pupils are encouraged to complete their EPQ by Christmas of the Upper Sixth.