WESTMINSTER SCHOOL
POLICY ON CURRICULUM
Introduction
1. Westminster offers an all-round education and its academic side is immensely strong
and highly successful. Allowing for inevitable differences of style and personality,
Westminster teachers aim to exhibit scholarship and flair, and in their classroom
approach to encourage pupils to think for themselves, to question and to argue things
out. Academic departments are given considerable autonomy in choosing which
examination boards and syllabuses to follow, but whilst in all subjects the relevant
specification will be taught, this will not be allowed to be a straitjacket. Westminster is
committed to developing speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills where
opportunities exist across the curriculum. Teachers will seek to enrich their lessons, the
intention being to make learning an enjoyable experience with the end result that, when
pupils leave Westminster, they emerge well-informed and articulate and able to make a
positive contribution to society and the community at large. Timetabled meetings with
Tutors and year specific assemblies run by the Heads of Year provide the pupils with
opportunities to discuss their learning progress in a more informal manner.
Westminster School aims for a whole school approach where high quality teaching,
differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or
may have Special Educational Needs (SEN). Teachers are expected to accommodate
pupils’ learning differences in order to reduce barriers to learning.
Lower School Curriculum
2. All boys who arrive in the Fifth Form will follow a common curriculum appropriate to
their age, aptitude and ability. No subject choices need to be made before arriving at
the School. Subjects studied at this stage will include English, Mathematics, French,
Geography, History, Religious Studies, Art, Drama, Music and PE. In Classics, which
incorporates both Latin and Greek, boys will be taught in a way which allows for a
wide range of existing experience of these languages; the study of one modern and two
ancient languages not only offers an introduction to Western European culture but also
provides a formal and transferable basis for the future acquisition of any other
language. Science will be taught as three separate subjects, as well as a general science
course, and all boys will do introductory courses in Computer Science, Design
Technology and Electronics
3. For their next two years, the Lower Shell and Upper Shell, boys will prepare for 10 or
11 GCSEs or IGCSEs, including Mathematics, English Language, English Literature,
French and at least two of the three Sciences (the Science courses are designed so that
all pupils will have achieved scientific literacy by the end of the Lower Shell).
Otherwise the system of choice open to them is very flexible and at this stage pupils
can begin a second Modern Language (German, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish),
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building on the firm linguistic basis of French and Latin. Boys are required to take one
or two practical/creative subjects, choosing from Art & Design, Computer Science,
Drama, Electronics and Music. The aim is that classes should not, or very rarely,
exceed 22 in number, and should be smaller wherever possible.
4. Tutors and Housemasters engage with the pupils’ academic progress and decisionmaking on a frequent and regular basis, to ensure coherent and realistic choices are
made for GCSE, and for A-level & Pre-U.
5. All boys in the Lower School will participate in the Station (games) programme, as
described in the Extra Curricular Activities Policy, on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons, and those in the Fifth Form and Lower Shell will be expected to join at
least two Lower School Activities (a varied programme, ranging from languages such
as Modern Greek, Italian and Japanese through additional sports to music or classic
films).
6. A Wellbeing programme runs through from the Fifth Form, where during much else,
pupils are encouraged not only to speak, but also to listen. The Lower Shell and Upper
Shell programmes try to take into account key physical and emotional changes for boys
and involve a series of talks on topics such as alcohol, sexual health and drugs. Parents
of Fifth Form and Lower Shell pupils meet once a year to discuss various aspects of
adolescent issues.
Upper School Curriculum
7. The Upper School curriculum is designed to satisfy requirements both of depth and of
breadth in a co-educational environment.
8. All Sixth Form pupils will follow 4 A level or Pre-U courses (and a minority will
follow 5). Of these, the vast majority will continue in the Remove and complete the
full A level or Pre-U. A wide range of subjects will be offered making a wide variety of
subject combinations possible. The School aims to be as flexible as it can in meeting
the wishes and needs of individual pupils.
9. While pupils will be able to mix and match the Arts and the Sciences if they wish, this
is by no means the requirement or advice and many are expected to follow a fairly
specialized route; pupils are encouraged to play to their interests and strengths, and the
only recommendation given to them is to seek some sort of coherence and to bear in
mind the options they are opening up or closing down in applications to universities. In
many subjects, pupils have the opportunity to produce extended independent research
essays or investigations, some of which are an integral part of exam board
specifications. In all subjects exam board specifications will be seen as forming only a
part of the core delivery.
10. A General Studies programme, three cycles of eight week single period courses will be
offered alongside the specialist A-level or Pre-U teaching in the Sixth Form, including
Cultural Perspectives (which has a defined curriculum to introduce pupils to a range of
cultural, ethical and sociological topics and includes a compulsory essay at the end of
the Sixth form year) and Options which comprises a series of courses on a huge variety
of topics ranging from Psychology to Photography to Visiting Cultural London.
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11. The selection of subjects in the Sixth Form is predicated upon four A level/Pre-U
courses, with pupils choosing one subject from each of four timetable groups. In
certain circumstances, however, a fifth examinable subject may be pursued in the
Options block: a language for those who are bilingual; creative subjects for those who
wish to extend their practical or aesthetic skills (Music and Electronics).
12. An additional and extremely valuable feature for both the Sixth Form and the Remove
is the John Locke Society, where the entire Upper School is free for one period in the
week so that they can attend a talk by a visiting speaker who might be a politician,
journalist, author, sportsman, industrialist etc. Our central London location gives us
ready access to distinguished visitors of many kinds, a benefit which is also
productively exploited by the numerous departmental societies.
13. A structured programme of guidance for pupils runs throughout their time at the
School. When subject choices are made, pupils are offered advice on how academic
decisions might affect possible career paths. Pupils are encouraged to seek their own
work experience placements although the School is happy to provide support in
assisting those who are finding this problematic. Contacts with Old Westminsters are a
key component in developing career opportunities for pupils.
14. Talks on careers, UCAS and American universities are open to pupils and parents.
Individual advice is provided by the Higher Education Team: Head of Higher
Education, Guidance Adviser, UCAS Adviser and International Universities Adviser,
supported by Housemasters and Tutors.
15. Outside the formal academic curriculum a wealth of opportunity will be offered to both
years of the Upper School. Further languages may be studied (e.g. Arabic, Italian and
Japanese); in addition to the regular and compulsory Station programme, as described
in the Extra-Curricular Activities Policy, there are the Expeditions Society and the
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme; music, drama, debating and journalism are all
major features of School life; Civic Engagement, charitable enterprises and the weeklong residential PHAB course may also be supported by pupils. Tutorial groups and
lectures provide the means for delivery of Wellbeing topics including gender issues,
drugs, bereavement, leadership and coping with adversity.
16. In both the Lower and the Upper School there will be ample opportunities for
educational visits abroad of an academic or sporting or cultural nature. Additionally,
for all year groups, there is a major programme of opportunities for pupils to be
engaged in external community activities which goes beyond our formal Civic
Engagement programme. Westminster expects every pupil to become involved in at
least one significant activity or project in this area during their time at the School.
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