Our broad and balanced curriculum is designed to promote intellectual curiosity and creativity, and foster a lifelong love of learning.
Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 study a wide range of academic subjects, allowing them to make informed choices regarding their GCSE options as they move up through the senior school. All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will also take part in PSHE, which is taught by year group, and in our Physical Education and Games programme. Games take place over one afternoon per week for each year group.
In Years 7 and 8, all students study English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Religious Education, French, Mandarin, Latin, Art, Drama, Music, and Computing.
In Year 9, students begin to hone down their subjects in preparation for their studies at GCSE. Students continue with the core subjects of English, Mathematics, and Computing, but now study the three classical sciences separately. Students begin their iGCSE studies in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics in Year 9 to allow plenty of time for practical investigation. Students are additionally asked to select one subject from the Humanities, one Modern Foreign Language, and one Creative Arts subject. Students are free to choose their remaining three subjects from the options available. These may include Spanish and Classical Civilisation, which are introduced from Year 9.
The GCSE curriculum is designed to provide both academic breadth and rigour, preparing students not only for success in their examinations, but to make informed decisions about their subject choices in the Sixth Form.
The two-year GCSE programme, which begins in Year 10, provides students with a strong academic foundation from which to progress onto A levels. Students typically study ten subjects which are selected for study in the spring of Year 9. Our GCSE courses are a mixture of GCSE and IGCSE to provide the most engaging and academically stimulating curriculum. All students study the core subjects of Mathematics, English Language and English Literature, one Modern Language, and three Science subjects selected from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Computer Science. Students choose a further three subjects which may include a fourth Science; a second Modern Language; a Creative Arts subject; another Humanities subject; or Business Studies, which is only available from Year 10.
Our fast-track GCSE programme enables students to take five GCSE subjects in one year only, and achieve the qualifications required to progress onto A levels.
The One-Year GCSE programme at KPS is primarily designed for international students aged 15 or 16 who are transitioning to the UK education system for the first time. However, the programme is also suitable for UK students wishing to transfer from other schools or retake their GCSEs to achieve the best results.
The course is highly structured, enabling students to not only complete their GCSEs in one year, but to develop the academic skills needed to flourish on the A level programme and beyond at university. Small class sizes ensure OYG students receive a high degree of individual attention and support, and that their progress is carefully monitored throughout the year.
A focused course of study, the A level programme takes place in our dedicated Sixth Form on Queen’s Gate, where students are taught in small class sizes by A level subject specialists.
In Years 12 and 13, students undertake the two-year A level programme, during which they study three or four subjects in depth. Many students will start with four subjects in Year 12 before continuing with three subjects in Year 13. Students are guided to select the best combination of subjects depending on their strengths and interests, as well as their university and career aspirations. With no set subject combinations or option blocks, A level students benefit from a personalised timetable built around their subject choices, and can choose from a wide range of disciplines, including many new subjects not offered at GCSE.
Average class sizes of 6 to 8 in the Sixth Form (with a maximum of 10 per group) not only ensure A level students receive a high degree of individual attention and support, but facilitate academic discussion and debate beyond the confines of the formal curriculum. Experienced A level subject specialists, many of whom are also examiners, help students to develop the independent learning, critical thinking, and research skills they need to become successful lifelong learners. Regular EPPs (Exam Practice Papers) additionally help to bridge the gap between GCSE and A level, while an extended curriculum, which includes the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), essay competitions, and independent research projects, provides further stretch and challenge.
Students joining KPS Sixth Form can choose from the following A level subjects:
Sixth Form students at KPS benefit from a unique pre-university experience which prepares them for life beyond the classroom. Our comprehensive university and careers programme, which starts in Year 12, ensures students make informed decisions about their future, while our broad-ranging Sixth Form co-curricular and enrichment programme provides opportunities for students’ intellectual, physical, cultural, and social development.
Our specialist team of advisors work closely with students to ensure they make informed decisions at every stage of their journey at KPS.
UNIVERSITY PREPARATION
Our University and Careers programme starts in the Senior School as pupils are guided to select the best combination of GCSE and A level subjects depending on their future goals. The process continues in earnest in the Sixth Form, and tutors play a key role in helping students navigate the higher education options available to them. Tutors are assigned on the basis of students’ academic interests and ambitions as identified during their admissions interview, and provide individualised guidance on all aspects of the UCAS application process, from selecting undergraduate courses and universities, to writing the personal statement and interview practice. Tutors meet with their tutees fortnightly on a one-to-one basis throughout their time in the Sixth Form, continuing to support students in Year 13 as they make decisions on university offers, prepare for their A level examinations, and explore gap year opportunities.
In addition, the Higher Education team delivers a series of focused workshops and events during the summer term of Year 12 to support students with UCAS and the personal statement. All students will also attend a UCAS Discovery Day where they will meet representatives from UK universities and attend subject related seminars. For those students applying for US and other international universities, Oxbridge, or Medicine courses, additional preparation classes are provided, including sessions on interview skills and how to prepare for specialist entrance tests, such as the BMAT, UKCAT, TSA, and SATs.
Every year, KPS students are successful in securing offers for competitive undergraduate courses at a wide range of universities, in the UK and beyond.
