Sutton Grammar School

Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to enable pupils to fully realise their academic potential by becoming successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens.  It is also designed to equip pupils with the skills and qualities needed to meet life’s challenges in a fast-changing world. Breadth and balance are important features of our curriculum design.

If you would like to find out more about the curriculum please get in touch with the Heads of the Department which you will find on the subject pages.  You can also contact Mr Costello, who oversees the school curriculum. Please see the contacts page.

Context

The school provides a curriculum for selective pupils aged 11-18. The school’s curriculum is guided by the National Curriculum and we regularly review and update the curriculum, implementing initiatives that best suit pupils of selective ability.

Whole School Curriculum Map

Key Stage 3

The Key Stage 3 curriculum is broadened and deepened by the inclusion of several days called Challenge Days. These Challenge Days provide SGS pupils opportunities to learn and be challenged beyond that provided by normal subject lessons. Please see the buttons below for Year’s 7, 8 & 9 curriculum overview maps.

Year 7 Curriculum Map Year 8 Curriculum Map Year 9 Curriculum Map

GCSE

The essence of the Key Stage 4 curriculum is the balance between a curriculum that offers breadth and that of pupil choice.

All pupils follow the statutory Key Stage 4 subjects of Maths, English (Lit. and Language), Science, P.E., Games, R.E. and Citizenship.

To ensure breadth, the school insists that all pupils continue to study at least one modern foreign language to GCSE.  We also continue with a Form Tutor period and in Y10, we offer a Young Enterprise course. There are careers lessons in years 10 and 11, and there is access to independent careers advice on an individual basis.  STEM lessons are offered to students in Y10 and Y11 once a fortnight.

Five ‘fixed’ subject blocks are timetabled, three for Science and one each for English and Maths.

Four GCSE Option blocks are also offered and cover all the GCSE subjects listed in this Curriculum Section.

A Level

All Sixth Form students study 4 full A level subjects.  We believe that committing to four A-level subjects for two years is the best post-16 preparation for university and working life.

A level courses receive an equal number of lessons – 11 lessons in Y12 and 12 lessons in Y13 per fortnight.

Another important aspect of our sixth form is the co-curricular offer ‘Cogitas’ in Year 12, and our taught Personal Development programme and a scheduled sports afternoon across both years of sixth form.

The aim of the Cogitas course is to provide breadth to students’ academic study in the sixth form.  Students pursue a 4th A-level as a means of developing academic depth.  However, breadth is also an important part of a student’s academic development, and that is the purpose of the Cogitas/Extended Studies. The programme starts with one or two collective sessions, introducing the course and covering some broad aspects of study skills. Students then have the opportunity to choose two courses from a range offered by SGS staff, which they will study across two semesters through the three terms.  Each semester will run for 16 weeks.  These are non-examined courses, allowing teachers to offer topics which they themselves are enthused about and an opportunity for students to share in that interest and extend their own horizons.

School Day Pattern

Every fortnight consists of 70 teaching periods, each of 45 minutes duration.

The school day starts with registration at 8.30 a.m. and the school day ends at 3.35 p.m. Years 7 to 9 finish 45 minutes early on one day per week with some extra optional classes in these times such as electronics. The total teaching time per week is 26.25 hours per week.

The school operates on a two week timetable – Week A and Week B.  The Student Diary will indicate the appropriate week.  Each school day comprises seven lessons and the timetable is the same as for the rest of the school.

08:30 Registration
08:39 Period 1
09:26 Period 2
10:13 Period 3
10:58 Break
11:20 Period 4
12:07 Period 5
12:52 Lunch
13:42 Registration / Assembly
14:03 Period 6
14:50 Period 7
15:35 Lessons end
explore our

Student Learning

Subjects

We provide a wide range of subjects to suit students wishing to study at Sutton Grammar School.

School Library

Explore our school library with a selection of books, carefully chosen to support the curriculum.

Curricular Enrichment

Interested in attending a club or extra-curricular activity? Explore the options here!