Overview

We believe that in an increasingly competitive global market, our students need to become confident and competent learners with the self-belief to succeed. We tailor our curriculum to the needs of the individual, in order to connect with each one of our students, engaging them in exciting and challenging programmes of study which are relevant to their needs and which reflect their interests and strengths. To this end, we provide a framework which facilitates a diversity of personalised pathways, constituting different routes to success.

In addition to the wide variety of courses, there is a range of differentiated assessment routes that enable students to progress at their own pace, fast-tracking where they are able or taking more time to consolidate their learning according to their needs. We recognise that what matters most is not the speed of taking courses or the volume of qualifications acquired, but that students feel part of the process and are engaged in identifying the best route for them personally. 

Key Stage 3

Students arrive here in year 9 in their final year of Key Stage 3. We make a priority of working very closely with our feeder middle schools to ensure the continuity of curriculum and student care. The students are placed into 2 broad ability bands and all follow a common curriculum. This gives them experience of a broad and balanced curriculum and allows them to make informed choices for Key Stage 4. In core subjects such as Maths and Modern Foreign Languages, students are able to embark on their GCSE programmes during the course of this year 

Key Stage 4

In addition to following the National Curriculum, students have a great deal of choice at Key Stage 4. Our structures place minimum constraint on student preferences and we do not channel students into pre-determined pathways. Consequently, it is possible for students to customise their curriculum by putting together a variety of academic and vocational courses, should they wish.

Sixth Form 

Our aim is that students will enjoy their learning with us, become progressively independent in their approach to their learning, and by doing so will fulfil their growing potential as rounded contributors to society.
Courses in the Sixth Form comprise A levels, BTEC courses and New Diplomas.  This menu is complemented by an enrichment package from which students select activities designed to equip them with a competitive CV at the end of Year 12, or for most, Year 13.  This package consists of various intellectual challenges, citizenship studies, computer skills and leadership opportunities.
Students are expected to achieve a standard at the end of Year 11 which suits the Sixth Form courses they wish to follow.  These ‘qualifications for sixth form entry’ are published in our Sixth Form Prospectus, and elsewhere on the website.  The options blocks are arranged to suit the majority of requests, and the provision of more than one teaching group in several subject areas means that we can provide for most students’ choices without difficulty.
A new point of emphasis for us is the provision of more vocational courses.  We expect that students taking vocational courses in the Years 10 and 11 may see increasingly clear links with the possibilities for their progression into the Sixth Form.   Students from elsewhere increasingly choose courses at South, either as part of the Forward Consortium of local school and college providers, or as independent learners exercising choice.