St. Bees School - Curriculum

Curriculum

For the first three years of the main school( Forms 1-3), pupils follow an internally developed and assessed curriculum. They then spend two years studying for GCSE qualifications, and then two years in the Sixth Form studying for A-Levels. Pupils in the International Centre study for some IGCSE examinations, as well as taking the appropriate ESOL qualifications to enable them to transfer into the main school, usually for Sixth Form study. Throughout the school, Religious Studies, PSE ( Personal and Social Education) and Games sessions are compulsory, except in the Sixth Form, where Religious Studies is no longer taught.

During GCSE study, most pupils take 10 or 11 exam subjects, including compulsory lessons in English, English Literature, Maths, separate sciences, French, and non examined classes in PSE and Religious Studies. Each pupil is also given a choice of 3 options from a range of subjects including Geography, History, Art, Music and others.

All pupils learn Latin for at least the first two years, and can study Latin all the way up to A-Level - which was an unusual feature in British schools as a whole before the recent upsurge in teaching of Latin. As well as the more traditional academic subjects, the school uses its position near to the Lake District to run Adventurous Training sessions on a rota system for the 1st and 2nd Forms, as well as during Senior Games.

In the Sixth Form, pupils must still participate in Games and take a General Studies AS or optionally full A-Level, but otherwise have a free choice of subjects - pupils usually pick four AS-Levels in the Lower 6th. Most pupils then drop one of their subjects going into the Upper 6th, to take 3 A-Levels at the end of their time at the school.