Abbey Learner Profile
The Abbey Learner Profile highlights all we look for in Junior School Learning. We hope that our pupils will carry these qualities forward into higher education and into a future of lifelong learning.
This page offers an introduction to our four main areas of learning:
- English and the Arts
- Humanities
- Languages
- Maths and science
There are also subject pages for those who wish to find out more about each of the courses we offer.
General approach
The Abbey’s programme of Learning is one of the most exciting and innovative in the country, and underpins our exceptional academic results.
Our Lower School curriculum (Year 7-9) is unique. It includes:
- A language carousel in Year 7, with students exploring French, Spanish, German, Mandarin and a project tying all four together.
- Choices of what to study in Year 8, including the option of accelerated study for our most committed linguists and classicists.
- Cognitive psychology for every student in Year 9, studying how to think and learn and understanding the human mind and each student’s own capabilities
- A festival of learning, with students off timetable and following their own interests
- An enrichment iPortfolio, where every student tracks all the things they’ve been doing beyond their lessons, leading to an exhibition showcasing all they’ve learned
In Upper School (Years 10-11), students work towards their GCSE exams, but range far beyond them in their learning, following paths of curiosity and scholarship. There are many opportunities for them to find their own paths and passions as they prepare for Sixth Form, where, again, we teach a unique curriculum based on A Levels, but offering far more choice and range than almost any other school. It is one of the best and most flexible offers anywhere in the country.
Subjects
The creative arts encompass everything that is vibrant, dynamic and full of life. Intrinsically bound up with emotion, performance and communication, studying the creative arts enables deeper understanding of the world we live in and our response to it. Skills are developed in practical exposition and critical appreciation and are valuable both for personal satisfaction and in an enormous range of careers.
English, Drama, Art & Design, Music and Food are all offered as curriculum subjects through to Sixth Form. In addition, these departments offer extra-curricular clubs which allow many students opportunities for developing their practical and performance skills.
Humanities at The Abbey School comprise Geography, History and Theology & Philosophy at all Key Stages, and Business Management, Economics and Global Politics as additional options in the Sixth Form. These subjects, in their broadest sense, are all disciplines that study human culture. Each is taught as a discrete subject by specialists in their field and all flourish within the school curriculum. At GCSE and A Level the results in all the humanities are impressive, with many students continuing to pursue these subjects at University.
The Humanities provide our students with a plethora of skills which will be highly valued by their employers in the future:
- Critical Thinking
- Analysis
- Research
- Communication
- Synopticity
- Creativity
- Global Perspective
The departments all enhance their offering with field trips (in the UK and overseas) and talks from visiting experts.
Whether ancient or modern, languages hold the key to communication and understanding. In an increasingly global employment market, communicating to colleagues and customers in their native tongue is a distinct advantage that sets you apart from the competition. Studying other languages and cultures broadens your horizons and is a fascinating way in which to engage in the world around you.
“Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.”
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The languages department at The Abbey is full of enthusiastic linguists (many of whom are native speakers) who delight in introducing the language and culture of their homelands. In Upper III (Year 7), students study French, German, Spanish and Mandarin on a carousel, so they can make the most informed choice of which languages they want to take in Lower IV (Year 8) and beyond. Everyone also studies Latin in Lower III and passionate linguists take accelerated courses from then on to experience the broadest possible range of languages.
All languages are popular options at GSCE and A Level. We are delighted that a number of students now attend leading universities to pursue their studies further.
“Languages are like animals, they evolve from each other.”
Student
Of course, the best way to learn a language is to visit the country, so the department organises regular visits, often working with other departments to devise a cross-curricular programme with many strands of interest. Whether it’s finding the perfect present at the German Christmas markets, discussing the economic future of Europe in Paris, delving into the works of Homer or sampling the gastronomic delights of Italy and Spain, languages unlock a world of discovery. We also run a variety of clubs and our Foreign Language Assistants make speaking more fun.
Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science are taught as separate subjects, by specialists, at all Key Stages with Further Mathematics and Psychology offered in addition in the Sixth Form. Bucking the national trend for students, these subjects are all popular in the Sixth Form at The Abbey and many students go on to study STEM and other related subjects at university.
These disciplines provide opportunities for the students to develop a range of skills from hands-on practical work (with four dedicated labs for each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics and a practical Computing Lab for construction, robotics and network build) to the power of combining logical and creative thinking in problem solving.
Specialist days, visits, clubs and cross-curricular activities complement the standard curriculum time and enable students to see how solving real life problems comes from combining and applying what they learn in the different subjects.
