The three school system remains at the heart of our approach to educating young people. It allows our three different age groups to live, work and socialise in their own unique areas.
Whilst a three school system is unusual in independent schools, ISI and Ofsted have described its pastoral benefits as “excellent” and “outstanding”respectively. It is based on the fact that eighteen year olds and eleven year olds have very different needs.
For boarders and day pupils this means that each school benefits from its own special style, atmosphere and facilities, always appropriate to the pupils’ ages and interests. This leads to higher standards of pastoral care, staff who are clearly focused on the needs of each age group, and pupils who can spend more time with friends of their own age. The traditional house system runs happily alongside this structure and all its best features remain. House loyalty and spirit are as strong as ever in competitions, sport, music and drama.
Pupils have a very good moral understanding which is evidenced by their manners and lifestyle in the school.
ISI 17/18
This emphasis on pastoral care is underpinned by our Christian ethos as a Woodard School. Chapel is an important part of our weekly routine, for worship and as a meeting place for the whole school. Parents regularly join us for the main service of the week, and they always receive a warm welcome. We are fortunate to have a high percentage of staff living on site, which means that both boarding and day pupils are able to build strong relationships with their Tutor, Head of House, Head of School and the Chaplain. The Medical Centre is also staffed every day by fully qualified nurses with frequent doctor’s surgeries and a counsellor is available by appointment. For those living off site, there is a comprehensive network of buses serving the surrounding towns and villages. Whether returning to a boarding house or family home, pupils arrive back after busy days packed with lessons, activities, music and sport.
As one of the best independent schools in Staffordshire, we know that busy people need high energy levels. Using a wide selection of freshly prepared, locally sourced, home cooked produce, we are able to cater for all dietary requirements. Our menus are designed to encourage healthy eating and satisfy hungry appetites. To inject fun and interest into our menus, we offer themed dining evenings which give our students a taste of foods from different countries and cultures.
Pupils in the Junior School (First to Third Form) study a broad range of subjects with the objective of providing a solid academic foundation and enabling opportunities for all pupils to achieve across a range of subject areas.
All pupils in the Junior School attend lessons in: Art, Biology, Chemistry, Design Technology, Drama, English, French, Geography, History, Computing, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Religious Studies and Spanish.
In addition, First Form pupils experience library skills lessons whilst pupils in th
The GCSE years in our Middle School (Fourth and Fifth Form) see increased academic momentum.
Pupils choose three option subjects at the end of the Third Form, and at least one modern foreign language (in nearly all cases), to go with compulsory core GCSEs (Maths, English and Science), leading to a possible combination of 10 GCSEs. Core subjects are generally taught in subject-specific sets, with five or six sets in each core GCSE subject. In this way we believe the College is an optimal size, being big enough to offer a wide choice of options and appropriate setting, but small enough to offer good pastoral care and academic oversight.
All pupils entering the Middle School will sit exams at the end of the Fifth Form. Towards the end of the Michaelmas Term in the Fifth Form, pupils begin the process of choosing their preferred Sixth Form options, with a structured system of guidance involving tutors and subject teachers supporting pupils and parents with these decisions.
All Sixth Form students at Denstone study three or four subjects in their Lower Sixth, with most opting to continue with three subjects in the Upper Sixth. There are currently 21 different subjects available in the Lower Sixth, alongside the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) available within the College’s activities programme.
Overseas students can also participate in additional lessons leading to the widely recognised International English Language Testing System (IELTS) certificate. As students look ahead to life beyond Denstone they can take advantage of a vast array of support in their important UCAS decisions, with specialist staff such as the Head of UCAS and Careers and Oxbridge Admissions Tutor available to offer guidance alongside academic tutors and subject staff. The College follows a number of examination boards and details are given on the examinations page.
As an independent school, we have the freedom to be innovative, and so we offer a curriculum experience that offers more than just a focus on GCSE and A level courses.
The LIFE programme is formally timetabled throughout the Lower Sixth. LIFE focuses on developing skills in Leadership and Innovation, equipping students to be Future-ready with Enterprise capability. The World Economic Forum, in its The Future of Jobs, has pinpointed the skills most prized by employers of the future and these range from complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity, to people management, emotional intelligence and cognitive flexibility. Essentially LIFE will encapsulate three key skill areas:
The programme offers lectures, seminars, further research opportunities, experience days, visits, and collaborations. It draws upon our alumni and parent networks, integrating with the careers and university preparation we already offer. Exposure to these valuable life skills will aid in developing confident, financially mature and self-sufficient young people who are equipped to maximise any opportunity that comes their way. The programme will run alongside the many enrichment and extension opportunities.
The freedom to be inventive in our offering extends down throughout the year groups in a number of exciting ways.
e Second Form and beyond study Spanish as an additional language. Specific PSHE lessons are provided to all First and Second Form groups and EAL (English as an Additional Language) is also available.
