Curriculum Overview

At Oxford High School we offer a varied and balanced curriculum which blends academic studies with creative and aesthetic options whilst still offering opportunities for students to participate in a wide range of extra curricular activities. The dedicated and well-qualified members of staff are committed to providing the very best educational experiences.

Our academic results speak for themselves and we are justifiably proud of the excellent standards attained by our students. However, we place great emphasis on the path to these achievements. We wish to equip our students with the confidence and desire to become lifelong learners and to relish intellectual challenge whilst reaching their potential. This is achieved through careful monitoring and attention to the needs of our students both in and out of the classroom. We do not take any external examinations early as we wish to develop a questioning approach to study and a deeper level of understanding. This allows us to explore topics and ideas, prompted by student interest, which may not be on formal schemes of work.

We wish to develop a collaborative atmosphere where teachers deliver the curriculum in a stimulating, interesting and encouraging way and students enjoy their time at school and wish to question and learn.

CURRICULUM IN YEARS 7, 8 AND 9 2011-2012

The number of teaching periods allocated to each subject is given in the grid.

Notes:

• Each teaching period is 35 minutes long.
• There are 8 periods each day – so 40 periods each week.
• In Y7 & 8 we only timetable 37 of the 40 available periods.
  On 3 days each week we leave the lesson after lunch ‘free’ so that students can
  have more time for extra-curricular activities, etc
• (*) In Y7 & Y8 Music and ICT are taught in half-form groups for 1 period per week. In Y9 ICT is taught in forms and RS and Music are taught in four groups.

CURRICULUM for YEARS 10 & 11, 2011-2012

CORE CURRICULUM

Non-examined core curriculum

Tutor period/PSHCE – 1 period
Physical Education – 2 periods
General Religious Studies (for students not studying GCSE Religious Studies) – 1 period
Complementary Studies (modular courses in Art, Design & Technology, Drama, Music, Textiles and Physical Education- courses provided to give a balanced curriculum for each student) – 2 periods

Examined core curriculum

All students take the following subjects at GCSE or IGCSE:
English & English Literature – 4 Periods
Mathematics (IGCSE) – 4 periods
Additional Award Science (worth 2 GCSEs) + tailored enrichment/enhancement programme. – 9 periods
(Biology, Chemistry and Physics, studied as separate sciences, are taught by specialist teachers)
A Modern Foreign Language – 3 periods

OPTIONAL GCSE SUBJECTS

Students choose 3 or 4 of these and each occupies 3 periods in the timetable.

Art, Design and Technology
Art
Art: Textiles
Design & Technology

Classical Languages
Greek
Latin

Humanities
Geography
History
Religious Studies

Information Technology

Modern Languages
German
Spanish
Russian

Performing Arts
Music
Drama

Notes:

• In the Spring term of Y9 students are asked what subjects they would like to choose at GCSE.
  The blocks are then constructed, based on these choices, to enable as many students as possible to study their chosen combination.
  (For at least the past 6 years every student has been able to study their chosen subjects.)

SIXTH FORM STUDIES 2011-2012

YEARS 12 and 13 – subjects offered to AS/A Level

Art
Art: Textiles
Biology
Chemistry
Critical Thinking (*)
Design and Technology
Drama and Theatre Studies
Economics
English
French
Geography
German
Government & Politics
Greek (Ancient)
History
Italian (**)
Latin
Mandarin (***)
Mathematics
Further Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Psychology
Religious Studies
Russian
Spanish

Note: the majority of subjects are timetabled for 7 periods each week but this may be reduced if there are only a small number of students wishing to study a particular subject.

(*) Critical Thinking is a core, compulsory part of the Y12 curriculum for at least the autumn term. The majority of students continue with the subject and take the AS at the end of Y12.

(**) Italian: this provides an opportunity to begin a new modern language and to study it to either AS or A2 level. The course is very intensive and it will not be possible to take the AS level examination until the end of Y13.

(***) Mandarin was introduced into Y12 this year – after moving up through the school over the course of the last 5 years.

Notes:

• We recommend that students choose 4 subjects to study at AS level and then to continue with 3 of these to A level (although it is possible to do more than this).
• Mathematics: courses generally consist of pure and applied units where the applied component is either mechanics or statistics.
• Further Mathematics: students intending to take further mathematics must also take mathematics. The total number of periods timetabled is 12 per week.
• Art: Textiles: good drawing skills are needed for success at AS level at the end of Y12.
• Y12 students will be asked to confirm their choice of A2 subjects, for study in Y13, in the Spring Term of Y12.
• In addition to the above subjects students follow a General Studies programme (2 periods per week), a Critical Thinking course (2 periods per week for at least the first term in Y12) and a Tutor/PSHCE period (1 period per week).