Academic Curriculum

The School offers a full and broad curriculum with a strong academic core. Although based on the National Curriculum, Leckford Place believes in tailoring its teaching and learning to the needs of its own pupils and so there will be significant enrichment beyond national standards.

The curriculum covers the full range of subjects in the sciences, humanities, arts, and modern foreign languages. There is also a pronounced emphasis on art, music, drama, sport and PHSE (personal, health and social education), both as curriculum subjects and as "after school" activities.

In Years 7 – 8 the timetable consists of 44 lessons per week. All pupils receive 5 Maths and 5 English lessons a week alongside 6 science sessions in which elements of all three sciences are taught.

Sport is a vital element of any child’s development and this is reflected in two double periods of PE per week, whilst our commitment to modern foreign languages is manifested in the provision of 3 lessons of French and 3 of Spanish which all pupils undertake.

Art, Design Technology, Geography, History, ICT, Music, Classics, Drama and RE/PSHE are all important curriculum areas and naturally feature strongly in our timetable, which is further enhanced by the provision of additional modern foreign languages such as German and Russian as after-school extras.

In Year 9 there is the same 44-period week with similar subject allocations although the three Sciences are now taught separately as an essential preparation for GCSE and A Level and receive a total allocation of 9 periods.

Years 10 and 11 are our GCSE years and we offer a full range of option choices. Indeed, we endeavour to respond to pupil needs by creating the option blocks on the basis of pupil choice which means that the vast majority of students are able to pursue the GCSE course which is most suited to their talents and aspirations.

The GCSE students’ week is rather longer with an extra teaching period per day above the junior allocation. In Years 10 and 11 all pupils take a compulsory core of three GCSE subjects, comprising Maths, English and English Literature. They will also take a GCSE Short Course in Citizenship (equivalent to half a GCSE).

In addition, students choose six further GCSE subjects, from the list below. To ensure balance in their curriculum, all students must include in their six choices:

• at least two Science subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)

• at least one Modern Foreign Language subject (French, Spanish, German)

• at least one Humanity subject (History, Geography, Religious Studies)

The full list of available subjects is as follows:

• Biology • Chemistry • Physics • History • Geography • Religious Studies • French • Spanish • German • Art • Drama • Music • ICT and new this year GCSE PE

In addition, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Latin and Greek are available as extra subjects which would have to be taught outside the normal school timetable.