Classroom

Our Senior School teachers are dynamic, friendly subject specialists.

ACADEMIC PRIORITIES

  • To enable all pupils to see academic challenges as an enjoyable and valuable aspect of their learning
  • To make aspiration and ambition the guiding principles of all teaching and learning, so that teachers and pupils look beyond the limitations of terminal examinations
  • To promote scholarship for all, teaching pupils how to be academically independent and take risks

ABOUT OUR SENIOR SCHOOL

Pupil choice and keeping academic opportunities open is at the heart of our curriculum. Year 10 pupils pick their preferred modern language/s and all non-core subjects without restriction. In Year 12, everyone studies four A levels chosen from 30 wide-ranging subjects.

All academic departments have specialist teaching rooms, access to iPads, and – where appropriate – laboratories, computer suites, studios, workshops, technicians, and subject specific libraries.

We also offer thousands of books and e-resources at our Sir Martin Gilbert Library. We’re lucky enough to have myriad new titles delivered termly for avid readers, and our friendly team of librarians help plan frequent author visits and interactive workshops!

Additionally, all pupils have access to an e-learning platform called ‘HERO.’ This intuitive piece of software enables them to organise their homework and pursue exciting extension opportunities.

VARIETY, BREADTH AND INNOVATION

We intentionally keep the curriculum extremely broad throughout Years 7, 8 and 9, so that pupils have a chance to try every subject as a timetabled class.

  • Our Year 7 pupils follow a general Science course that introduces scientific methods and investigations; they then have lessons in the three separate sciences from Year 8 onwards
  • Alongside French, which is taught to everyone, pupils in Year 7 also take a language carousel consisting of German, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish before choosing which second modern language to focus on in Year 8
  • We are passionate about the Creative Arts, and all pupils have weekly lessons in Music, Art and Drama, with regular opportunities to show their work and perform in front of their peers
Pupils have a good cognisance of other’s skills, support and build on other’s ideas —ISI Report, 2021
Pupils show exceptional attitudes to study and scholarship —ISI Report, 2021

1:9

In our Senior School,
our teacher to pupil ratio is 1:9.

OUR GCSEs

At Highgate, pupils take ten GCSEs or IGCSEs in class sizes of up to 24. In Year 9, pupils start their courses in Chemistry, Biology and Physics, and in Year 10, pupils start English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and one language from either French, German, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish.

Pupils then choose their remaining subjects from Art, Classical Civilisation, Computer Science, Design Technology and Engineering, Drama, Geography, Greek, History, Latin, a second Modern Language, Music and Religion Studies.

NON-EXAMINED COURSES IN YEARS 10 AND 11

Throughout both Year 10 and Year 11, pupils have sports afternoons, complimented by exercise lessons in Year 10; there are also lessons dedicated to PSHEE.

Pupils also have a fortnightly academic lecture on something quite intentionally off syllabus. This is a good opportunity for introductory talks in Philosophy, Economics, Politics and History of Art, which are all new subjects that pupils might be considering for Sixth Form study, but other lectures have included talks on evolution, why wood burns, and the Israel / Palestine conflict. In Year 10, pupils also have a day of Sixth Form taster lessons.

Our Senior School departments

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