The Middle Years

The GCSE years at St Edward’s have been transformed with the introduction of innovative new Pathways and Perspectives courses designed by the School in conjunction with leading educationalists.

At St Edward’s, we feel that while GCSEs in their current form provide good foundational knowledge for Sixth Form, they can limit the ambition of pupils, constrain their curiosity, and underplay the transferable skills young people will need in their Sixth Form and university studies, and in the workplace beyond. The Pathways and Perspectives courses aim to complement GCSE subjects and fuel pupils’ individual interests and ambitions. A key feature of the new courses is that they will promote and reward more than just the capacity to retain information. To do well in Pathways and Perspectives, pupils are required to develop a much greater range of aptitudes, including research skills, creative thinking, self-awareness, collaboration and communication.

We expect that most pupils will take between seven to eleven GCSEs. All pupils take English Language, World Literature, Maths and Science (Double or Triple award) and one Modern Foreign Language at GCSE. Pupils then choose four optional courses from the range of additional GCSEs or Pathways and Perspective courses. Since their inception, the vast majority of pupils have taken either one or two of the Pathways and Perspectives courses, taking three is a possibility by request.

 

 

Click on the links below to read a guide for pupils and parents about choosing a programme of study for the Middle Years and a leaflet about the Pathways and Perspectives courses.