Abingdon’s academic curriculum is founded on well established principles of breadth and challenge. Our pupils study a broad range of subjects up to Third Year (Year 9) and then follow a core of 7 GCSEs combined with 3 optional subjects, making a total of 10 GCSEs for most pupils.
In Sixth Form, we offer A Level courses in 25 subjects and pupils begin with studying four of these in the Lower Sixth, with most choosing to drop to three.
Alongside the above we also have a programme of Personal Development Education (PDE) – often also known as PSHCE or General Studies – which runs throughout the school. Beyond the curriculum, there are myriad opportunities for students to be extended academically, for example via the vast array of Challenges, Olympiads and Competitions that they enter as well as in such things as the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) which a number of students complete during their Sixth Form.
There are also many internal opportunities for students to extend themselves in their subjects which don’t necessarily end in awards, such as our plethora of magazines (The Martlet, Words & That, Polyglot, Axiom, Timeline) and our science ambassador programme.
Our aim throughout the school is to promote the life of the mind and encourage in our pupils a genuine and life-long enjoyment of academic pursuits, whatever they may go on to do in their careers. We encourage students to be inquisitive, to challenge and to be increasingly independent in their approach to study.
We want our students to engage readily in intellectual debate, to be creative in their approaches and to have a “What’s next?” attitude to learning.
Lower School (Years 7 and 8)
Around 65 pupils join the Lower School for the First and Second Year curriculum. They are split into three classes and are taught in those classes for all their subjects. They are usually taught one of their subjects by their tutor and several of their teachers will teach them for both years in Lower School.
The curriculum in Lower School is very broad so pupils are exposed to a wide range of subjects before they begin to narrow them down for the Middle School years. Alongside English and Maths, children study the humanities (History, Geography, Philosophy and Theology), the sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), all four of the practical arts (Art, Product Design and Engineering, Drama, Music), Computing, Latin and a selection of Modern Foreign Languages. Pupils also follow PE and Sports programmes.
The emphasis in Lower School is on exploration and excitement – we want to see our students enjoying their learning free from the constraints of public examinations. The curriculum therefore has an academic rigour but also plenty of opportunity to have fun, undertake individual research and be creative.
Middle School (Years 9 to 11)
Lower School pupils move into the Third Year and follow the Third Year Curriculum. They are joined by around 110 students from other schools (including Abingdon Prep School).
These pupils then move into Fourth and Fifth Year and follow GCSE or iGCSE specifications, along with some non-examined subjects, such as PSHCE and PE.
Third Year:
Those coming up from Lower School follow a broad curriculum which is designed to give them a very sound grounding in all of the subjects they might take onto GCSE. Given that the 190 students who make up the Third Year usually come from around 40 different schools and via a number of different routes, a key element of the Third Year is bringing everyone up to the same level of knowledge and skills as well as establishing and consolidating strong work practices so the students can begin their GCSE courses with confidence.
Students study a core of subjects comprising English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computing, History, Geography and Philosophy & Theology. Students choose two practical options from Art, Product Design and Engineering, Music and Drama. All students study one MFL subject (from German, French, Spanish and Mandarin) and either take a second MFL or Classics. Alongside these subjects, PE, Sports, Career Guidance and PSHCE programmes are also followed.
Fourth and Fifth Years:
All students follow GCSE courses in ten subjects. The compulsory core of these comprise English, English Literature, Maths, a Modern Foreign Language and the three sciences.
In addition to studying these subjects, students choose three options from a list of 16, all of which they will have had the chance to experience in the Third Year. Some subjects will insist that pupils studied it in the Third Year to be able to access the GCSE (e.g. MFL, Latin, Greek) whereas others are happy to have children start a GCSE course without having had the Third Year experience (e.g. Ancient History, Drama).
In addition to their GCSEs, students continue to follow courses in PE, Sport, PSHCE and Career Guidance.
Historically, the vast majority of Fifth Years stay on at Abingdon for the Sixth Form. There is a minimum GCSE requirement for Sixth Form entry which most students meet easily. The rationale for this ‘Sixth Form Bar’ is in the section below.
Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13)
The move to Sixth Form is an incredibly exciting time – one of possibility, discovery, and growth.
We view the two years of A Level study as a pivotal transition and the bridge between being a school pupil and stepping confidently into the world as a university student or an employee. It’s a chance for you to pursue your passions, discover new ones, and even redefine yourself if you wish. We’re here to scaffold and support you every step of the way.
The support which we offer at a personal level is important to us, this includes our pastoral care, of course, but also extends to the way that students look out for each other. We are extremely proud of the support which students receive through our comprehensive careers guidance and university application programme, called After Abingdon, as well as through our personal development programme. In addition, Sixth Formers are encouraged in the pursuit and development of individual excellence through our co-curricular programme, fondly known as The Other Half.
Abingdon is an unashamedly fast-paced academic environment, designed to stretch and challenge. All Sixth Formers begin with four A Level subjects (five if pursuing Further Maths) and the majority drop down to three (or four) in the Upper Sixth. A good number also choose to make submissions for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and it is even possible to study a modern foreign language ab initio to GCSE.
To help ensure your success at Abingdon Sixth Form, we have a long-established minimum entry criteria which all students must meet. This includes:
- An overall average of a Grade 6 across all GCSEs.
- A minimum of Grade 7 in the subjects you wish to study at A Level (or Grade 8 for Further Mathematics).
