The Curriculum

A. STRUCTURE

The curriculum of the school is organised with the following features:

It has three phases:

1. Key Stage 3 Years 7 – 9 All students study the National Curriculum (Guernsey) aligned to the Guernsey Curriculum Statement.
   
2. Key Stage 4 Years 10 & 11 All students study between 9 and 10½ subjects leading to GCSE’s.
   
3. Sixth Form Year 12 Most students study 4 subjects at AS Level. Year 13 Most students continue their studies of 3 or 4 subjects through to A Level.

• All students study Information Technology and Religious Studies from Year 7 to Year 11. In Year 10 and 11 these studies take the form of a short course GCSE in both subjects.

• The formal subject-based curriculum is supported and complemented in each phase by programmes of Personal, Social and Health Education, Citizenship, Careers Education, Work Related Learning, Tutorial teaching and Games.

• No distinction is made between boys and girls, except in Physical Education and Games. Further details may be found in the section on the PE curriculum.

• Where choices are made, in Years 10 and 12, the timetable is constructed to take into account, as far as possible, the needs and wishes of the students.

• Teaching is in ability sets in Mathematics from Year 8 onwards and in Modern Foreign Languages from Year 9 onwards to take account of the different abilities of the students in these subjects.

B. AIMS AND PRINCIPLES

Guernsey Grammar School curriculum is designed to enable all students to learn and achieve whilst promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in preparation for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

It provides a high quality education which promotes an enthusiasm and motivation for learning together with a determination to reach high standards of achievement while remaining open to new thinking and ideas, ensuring our students are equipped to succeed in other education systems, higher education and the world of work.

It is designed to ensure the development of each individual student by offering opportunities to develop self respect, self esteem and ambition together with a sense of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, secure values, beliefs and morals so each student can become a confident, self motivated independent learner.

It develops our students as effective contributors who have an enterprising attitude, resilience, self reliance and an ability to engage with change.

It ensures all our students have an appreciation of the important role they play as members of the school and of the local and international community by fostering a respect for others and a commitment to participate responsibly in political, economic, social and cultural life so they develop as respectful, tolerant and self aware individuals who will become responsible citizens of the world.

These aims and principles are developed in more depth in the Core Values, Aims and Objectives of the School.

C. ADVANTAGES

• Most classes are not large.

• The school building is modern and pleasant. Each department is well resourced with specialist equipment. All learning materials are provided and the main resource area of Library, Computer Rooms and Careers Information is central to the curriculum.

• A new Sixth Form Centre opened in September 2005.

• The teaching staff are well qualified. Almost all staff hold both a teaching qualification and a degree in their specialist subject.

D. EXPECTATIONS

The Curriculum reflects the expectations of the school that:

• both parents and students have high academic aspirations

• students will continue their learning to Year 13

• homework is required to support the teaching, ranging from one hour per night in Year 7 to three hours per night in Year 13

• all involved accept the need for a high degree of commitment and motivation

• Further information about the Sixth Form and Post 16 Courses is available in a separate prospectus