Academic

Subjects in Lower Line

The Lower Grammar (Year 9) Curriculum

In the first year, we offer pupils a curriculum of considerable breadth that includes Information Technology, Art, Music and Design and Technology. At the end of this year subject choices are made for GCSE.

GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX AT STONYHURST COLLEGE

Introduction

As a school in the Jesuit tradition, the educational course at Stonyhurst aims to assist in the fullest possible development of each individual’s God-given talents. We aim for breadth in every pupil’s academic programme, believing that intellectual formation includes the study of both basic humanistic and scientific disciplines, based on competent and motivated teaching, and includes developing the ability to reason reflectively, logically and critically. All pupils take Religious Studies which is the integrating factor in the process of discovering God in all school programmes. We emphasise an appreciation of literature, music and fine arts as well as the beauty all around us at Stonyhurst, and encourage good communication skills through essays, drama, speeches and debates. We have a proud history of excellence in games and offer well developed programmes of sport and physical education.

The criterion of excellence is applied to all areas of school life. The pursuit of academic excellence is therefore essential, but within the larger context of human excellence. We are ultimately concerned with how students make use of their formation in service of others “for the praise, reverence and service of God”.

At the Lower Grammar Parents’ Weekend Lower Grammar pupils will finalise the choice of their academic programme for Grammar leading to GCSE at the end of the Syntax year. The pupils will have had plenty of opportunity for consultation about GCSE options. Tutors will have played a significant role as will individual subject teachers and Heads of Department. The Careers Department can provide advice and assistance on the GCSEs that need to be taken in order to pursue certain careers; for example, a student considering medicine as a career must take all three sciences.

The GCSE Curriculum

All pupils will take a core curriculum of subjects together with various options. The Core curriculum is made up of the subjects listed below with their weekly allocation of time in 70 minute periods.

Core Subject

Religious Studies

English

Mathematics

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

Periods per week Grammar

Periods per week Syntax

The following options are available, each occupying two 70 minutes periods per week. At least one Modern Language and one Science must be chosen.

French	Biology	History	Art
Spanish	Chemistry	Geography	D&T Product Design
German	Physics	Physical Education	Music
Latin			Information & Communication Technology
Greek

Thus, pupils will take up to 10 GCSE subjects: Religious Studies, English, English Literature, Mathematics, a Language, a Science and 4 other options. Whilst we follow a defined scheme of work in PSHE, it is not an examined subject. Less academic pupils might take fewer options and have curriculum support lessons as appropriate, and some will concentrate on one, rather than both English GCSEs.

Selection of subjects

Pupils are asked to use the choice form to select their first language, their first science option and four more option subjects. After one language and one science, there is a free choice of subjects but restrictions start to apply as time moves forward, when we start to write the timetable.

Sometimes courses become oversubscribed; in which case pupils will be admitted to the course concerned according to their priorities and on a first come basis. If you have any questions to ask please make contact with Mr V Sharples by phone, e-mail or fax.

Telephone 01254 827007

Fax 01254 827138

e-mail v.sharples@stonyhurst.ac.uk

Parents’ weekends

While parents are encouraged to have regular contact with their son or daughter’s tutor and playroom master or housemistress, there are more formal occasions during the year when we invite parents to Stonyhurst to meet the team of teachers, tutors and playroom staff who care for your child.

The Grammar Parents’ Weekend will be in the Summer term and will most likely coincide with our annual Confirmation ceremony. The Syntax Parents’ Weekend will be in the Easter term when the focus will be on the final approach to GCSE exams in the summer and A level or IB subject choices.

Options in Higher Line (Sixth Form)

Stonyhurst was authorized as an IB world school to teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in 2012 and will be teaching the IB Diploma from September 2013. This will be offered as an additional sixth form qualification to run alongside A levels.

With effect from September 2012 we will offer a Stonyhurst pre-IB course - a one year programme designed to give an excellent preparation to those pupils who wish to enter Stonyhurst in year 11 (Syntax) before commencing the two year IB diploma course in years 12 and 13 (Poetry and Rhetoric). It also suits any other pupil wishing to join the College in year 11 and is equally suitable as a preparation for A levels in years 12 and 13.

Sixth form entry requirements

There is something of a gulf between GCSE and sixth form work. Sixth formers are expected to be more independent in managing their time, conducting research, meeting assignment deadlines, and more skilled in taking notes from directed reading. Our minimum entry requirement for students wishing to pursue a full course (3 or 4) of A levels or the IB Diploma Programme is 5 B grades at GCSE, or their equivalent. However we are willing to tailor a more appropriate curriculum in higher line for those who have achieved fewer than 5 B grades at GCSE, or their equivalent. Some subjects recommend higher grades at GCSE in the particular subject to be studied; these are the Sciences, Languages and Mathematics.

Subjects in Higher Line

In Higher Line pupils can either take four AS levels in Poetry (Year 12) and reduce this to three A2 levels in Rhetoric or choose to study the IB . To read further information about subject choices look at our Higher Line Brochure which gives information onthe subjects taught at both A-level and IB as well as more information about Higher Line in general. The choice of subjects is as follows:

A-level

Art

Biology

Business Studies

Chemistry

Design and Technology

Drama and Theatre Studies

Economics

English Language

English Literature

French

Geography

History

German

Greek

Information and Communication Technology

Latin

Mathematics

Further Mathematics

Music

Music Technology

Physical Education

Physics

Politics

Theology

Spanish

International Baccalaureate

English Language

English Literature

German Literature

French

Spanish

Spanish ab initio

Latin

Greek

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Enviromental Systems and Societies

Economics

Geography

History

Philosophy

Mathematics

Mathematical Studies

Music

Visual Art

Theatre Arts

Theology General

All pupils in Higher Line also follow a two-year Theology General programme, which is non-examined but challenging. Pupils are offered a choice of modules from a variety of different topics and the course is enhanced by visiting speakers who share their own experiences of working in areas of social injustice (for example, the prison system, CAFOD and supporting refugees). The course cultivates pupils analytical, reasoning and debating skills as they address ethical questions and moral dilemmas.

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

For pupils from overseas who require extra support in English, we offer an EAL curriculum in Syntax which covers language development and exam preparation. The exams offered include the Cambridge First Certificate and Advanced examinations, which are regulated by the ESOL department of the University of Cambridge. Whilst attaining one of its certificates is an achievement and a reward in itself, there are also many other benefits to taking them:

the certificates are valid for life
they are recognised around the world for business and educational purposes
thousands of employers, universities and government departments officially recognise the Cambridge ESOL examinations

Please refer to details of the Cambridge examinations at the Cambridge ESOL website below:

www.cambridgeesol.org

Head of English as an Additional Language: Miss K Mitchell

Curriculum Support

Curriculum Support is available for pupils who need extra time and extra help to complete studies and coursework. If it is considered that these pupils would benefit from doing one or even two fewer subjects, they can have these lessons with the Special Needs Teacher and her team instead. This may be essential if the pupil already has a formal assessment. The lessons enable the pupils to spend more time on the core subjects and give them the opportunity of having individual help.

Head of Curriculum Support: Miss M Murphy