A new uniform and a new start! At The Abbey Upper School is known as the ‘black jumper’ years, with extra privileges and responsibilities alongside the new dress code.

This is when students start really to own their learning. All students study six core GCSEs: two English qualifications, Maths and three sciences. Alongside that they choose four subjects of their own from our extensive list.

In all areas of life they also learn to become leaders. They mentor younger students and help to organise activities. They take more of a leading role in clubs. They will often take leading positions in orchestras, drama groups, teams and workshops. There are more career opportunities, from seminars to working lunches.

Alongside this they have a new area of the school that becomes their own and Upper V (Year 11) have a full programme of engagement with Sixth Form. And hot chocolate in their social area!

The first three years of secondary school are some of the best on offer! There’s no pressure of public examination and students are free to explore their interests, working out who they are and who they want to be.

Our curriculum in Lower School is sector-leading, developing all the skills, independence and initiative students will need in their futures. Highlights include:

• 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 diploma, where every student tracks all the things they’ve been doing beyond their lessons, leading to an exhibition showcasing all they’ve learned
• There are so many clubs for Lower School students too, as well as opportunities to get involved in whole-school trips and activities through the house system and make connections with older students.

Abbey Correspondent is the work of the Journalism Club, and the website comprises a range of opinion and reporting based articles. If podcasts are your thing, then we have a number to choose from – there really is something for everyone. Please take a look and let us know your thoughts. You can even comment on each article to show your support for our wonderful authors.

The Journalism Club is led by Mr Hickman, and meets every Monday at 12.30pm in C4. So if you are a budding writer and want to sharpen your journalistic skills, come along and be part of this exciting new venture.

The DofE Award seeks to inspire, guide and support young people in their self-development and recognise their achievements. To achieve an award, students take on activities under five categories: Volunteering, Skill, Physical, Expedition and Residential. Students need to show motivation, organisation, commitment, a willingness to try new things, meet new people and overcome challenges. It is no surprise that to complete a DofE Award is seen as such a worthwhile achievement, and such is the recognition of achieving the Gold Award, that presentations are made by the Earl of Wessex in a ceremony at St James’ Palace or Buckingham Palace.

The expedition section, which often provides memorable moments and tall tales of adventure from the participants, dovetails into The Abbey’s wider Outdoor Education programme. The Silver Award programme involves a UK walking expedition; the Gold Award programme comprises a UK walking expedition, canoeing, and occasionally, an overseas expedition. Examples of past expedition locations include The New Forest, River Severn, Snowdonia, Morocco and Ecuador.

By Sixth Form, some students are ready to follow a strong ambition in life, and we can support them in making that happen. However, it is perfectly normal that most haven’t identified their vocation – whether at the point of making GCSE or A-Level choices, or embarking on the International Baccalaureate diploma. We see our role in guiding them to keep their options open at each key decision-making stage, and to help them develop skillsets that are robust and transferrable across a range of careers.

We educate them to spot opportunities, research careers, and understand how to promote themselves and build resilience in the competitive world of work. We source the most-up-to-date information regarding university courses, apprenticeship programmes, labour market information and recruitment practices so that our students are always in the best possible place to make informed decisions about their career, now and later in the future.