Academics

The following subjects are taught to all students:

1. English
2. Mathematics
3. History
4. Computers
5. Shona
6. Science
7. Accounts
8. Physical Education
9. French
10. Geography
11. Technicals
12. Religious Instruction

There are 5 subjects which fall within the Technical Subjects Group:

Art, Fashion &Textiles, Music, Technical Graphics, Agriculture and Woodwork. These are taken in rotation so that by the end of their form one year, every student will have done all subjects.

Religious Instruction and Physical Education are non-examinable subjects and occupy a small portion of the timetable but are equally important for the development of the total student as the rest of the subjects.

At the end of the first term students write an examination in English, Mathematics, Science, Geography and Accounting. The results of these exams are used to fine-stream the students for the rest of the year but deserving cases will still be considered for movement up or down the form at the end of the year.

At the end of the year the two subjects, Technical Graphics and Woodwork combine to form Design and Technology.  Each student will be required to choose one from the four Technical subjects for study for the next three years leading to the IGCSE examinations.

The ‘A’ stream is now divided into an ARTS class (3AA) and a SCIENCE class (3AS). There are two B stream classes.

Only the 3AS class will be registered for all three Science subjects – Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students in 3AA may only choose one science subject EITHER Physical Science or Biology but they will all study Accounting or Business Studies which are not offered to the AS class. Students in 3B1 study Combined Science while those in 3B2 study Core Biology. Design and Technology primarily follows on from Technical Graphics.

There are a variety of options available to students depending on the class that they belong to. The set-up is as follows:

Some syllabi are available at two different levels, CORE or EXTENDED. An Extended syllabus leads to an ‘A’ Level course in the subject but a Core syllabus does not. This applies to Mathematics and Biology.

The three Science subjects are taught at the Extended level to 3AS, but Biology offered to the B2 class is at Core level. For Mathematics the students will follow the Extended course until the end of the year before a decision between Core and Extended is made. As in Form two, students will be divided into sets for Mathematics and also for English.

FORM 4

Students continue with the same subjects they studied in Form three until they write the final examinations.

Music students write London College of Music examinations in theory and in practical, in addition to the Cambridge examinations.

The ‘A’ Level programme runs for two years (Lower 6 and Upper 6). Towards the end of Form four students are invited to indicate which ‘A’ Level subject they would like to study. Teachers are invited to make comments on these choices. Depending on the teachers’ recommendations provisional offers for ‘AS’ Level places will be made. Final choices and selections will be made as soon as the official results are published. Students will, from 2023 write AS Exams at the end of their 5^th year then proceed to write ‘A’ the following year. Students normally study three ‘A’ Level subjects. Only in special circumstances will a student be allowed to study two or four subjects. The subjects are divided into four groups as follows;

1. English Literature; Chemistry; Travel and Tourism; Graphic Products
2. History; Mathematics; Business
3. Physics; Biblical Studies; Accounting; I.T.
4. Biology; Business; Geography; Computer Science.

A student may not choose more than one subject from each group. No student will be allowed to choose both I.T. and Computer Science. Lessons for subjects in each group are timetabled at the same time. In addition to their chosen subjects all students will also attend classes in Life Skills, English General Paper or Global Perspectives (up to Cambridge AS Level) and ICDL course.

In addition to the A’ Level programme described above the college also offers a three-year Agriculture Diploma Course. The course is designed for students to study immediately after form 4. In the first and second years of the course teachers and students spend the afternoons carrying out practical work on the college farm. During specific holidays students are advised to carry out vocational employment within the agricultural industry. The third year is solely farm attachment for at least nine months.

Applicants for the Diploma Course should have at least 5 ‘C’ grades including Mathematics, Science and English at IGCSE or O’ Level. Students will be accepted on passing an interview which is held prior to starting the course.