Years 7 to 9

Years 7, 8 and 9 comprises of the first three year groups of Woodhouse Grove and provides a thoughtful transition from the much smaller world of prep or primary school.

In these pivotal years of bridging the gap between primary and secondary school, the Grove believes in offering pupils a wide range of experiences to assist their development into caring, confident and capable young people.

For the next three years, pupils follow a common curriculum designed to broaden the subject base and pick up learning momentum before embarking upon the GCSE programme.

Maths, English and French are taught in sets, but otherwise pupils are put into mixed ability classes.

There is a perceptive realism to the Grove´s approach at this stage, with growing emphasis on information technology and modern languages - German and Spanish in addition to French - to enable pupils to take advantage of growing links with Europe.

Years 10 to 11

As pupils enter Years 10 and 11, the foundations have been laid for the main thrust of GCSE work. With so many pressures and choices ahead, pastoral care and academic guidance are vigilant and responsive to need.

Account is taken of the growing maturity of pupils who are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for managing their time and workload.

Emphasis is placed on the development of study skills, revision programmes and examination techniques in preparation for both internal and external public examinations.

These are testing years, thoughtfully provided for at the Grove with a wide range of co-curricular activities designed to create a more rounded personality.

Pupils learn to think ahead, to prepare not merely for GCSE but also for the challenges beyond it. Individually and in discussion with staff they will look for a balance of academic and creative subjects which will make the narrower choice at A Level easier, and ensure a fruitful match of interest and ability.

Talent, application, high quality teaching and facilities all play their part in ensuring all-round achievement for students in the Sixth Form. This achievement comes from the progressive maturity of pupils´ ability, skills and sense of responsibility over their school career.

Sixth Form

Over 20 AS and A Level courses are offered in the Sixth Form. Additional breadth of study is provided by our Sixth Form enrichment programme including General Studies.

These are the vital statistics of success but they are not simply the product of book and class-based curriculum. Pupils achieve because they are stretched in different and stimulating ways: by commitments to House and team, by appointment as a school prefect, by clubs, activities or work in the community as well as the paramount academic effort.

Advice on the stage beyond school aims to match individual aspirations to real-world requirements. For most pupils, that means a university degree course to maximize their career options and appeal to prospective employers in today's highly competitive job market.