Senior Curriculum

Art
Each year, pupils dive into an exciting exploration of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, and 3D skills. They’ll craft their own unique sketchbooks, capturing personal ideas and documenting their creative adventures step by step. 

Textiles
Pupils embark on a journey to master a variety of techniques, including stitching, sewing machine skills, machine felting, advanced embroidery, couching, reverse applique, and 3D modelling. Through exciting activities like educational trips, the exploration of inspiring artists and designers, and the integration of photography and drawing into their textile projects, pupils will cultivate a dynamic range of design and making skills.
 

Classic Civilisation
We all know history repeats itself. Our pupils learn about the past (Greeks and Romans) which aids them in understanding our present time. They also explore the exciting world of Mythology! 

Latin
Studying the Latin language reinforces a knowledge of English and MFL languages and improves vocabulary. From the Romans we have learnt traditions that are still in use today, like wearing the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand. Learning Latin helps pupils to make connections and step out of their comfort zones!

 

Pupils gain essential digital skills for the modern world, including the basics of coding and creating their own programs whilst solving problems. With a strong foundation in digital literacy and coding, our pupils are well-prepared for future opportunities in a technology-driven world. 
 

English is the subject that underpins all the rest! Therefore, our lessons are spent developing our pupils’ communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking and listening, through the study of literary rich texts and imaginative tasks from across the genres and ages. 
 

We ensure that Food as a subject is so much more than just cooking. We introduce our pupils to important knowledge of food hygiene, key knife skills and of course understanding the importance of the food groups and how they interact with our body.  We do all this while still cooking some delicious foods to bring home to share! 
 

Understanding the world around us has never been more important and in Geography we aim to bring this knowledge alive. Through a diverse range of topics, from learning about our UK home to the issues faced by populations around the world, pupils build up a better understanding of our world. Fieldtrips, such as the Hayling Island coasts trip helps to bring the concepts to life. 
 

History is an exciting and diverse subject.  We aim to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past and to equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement.  History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. 
 

We aim to inspire, engage and challenge pupils during their learning, regardless of ability. The curriculum is relevant and links with careers and other subjects. Opportunities are provided for pupils to participate in Maths competitions, problem-solving and other enrichment activities. In recent years we have had a large increase in the number of pupils who go on and study Mathematics at a higher level. 
 

French
Salut! We encourage our pupils to enjoy speaking French through listening to pop songs, playing fun games and preparing dialogues, whilst always developing their range of vocabulary to talk about everyday life, family and friends, interests and opinions. Pupils develop their communication skills as well as knowledge of the French culture. All pupils are offered the opportunity to go to Normandy, France, when in Year 7, for a week of total immersion and fun! 

Mandarin
Learning Mandarin, the most spoken language in the world, helps our pupils learn more about China’s charming culture and ancient history through this fascinating language.  In our lessons we learn a range of topics, where pupils get to experience writing Chinese characters and speaking the language using the four different tones. 

Spanish
¡Hola! Pupils explore Spanish culture and the Spanish language through research, games and quizzes. Pupils begin to discover how to communicate in Spanish and learn how to pronounce words, introduce themselves, talk about family life and how to travel around town. 
 

Music lessons are fun, inclusive and creative. Pupils learn about musical styles from around the world, expanding their knowledge of different musical genres, including developing an understanding of Music Technology using Apple Mac computers and working collaboratively to compose and perform their own music. All pupils will have the opportunity to perform during the school year, whether as part of an ensemble or as a soloist. 
 

Dance and Drama are used to create scripted and devised work. Pupils work through a range of genres from pantomime to Shakespeare and physical theatre. The enjoyment of class performance rolls over into the Senior production where pupils can take part in performing on stage, being part of the backstage crew or controlling the technical elements of the performance.  
 

We aim to embed a life-long love for physical activity in all our senior pupils. Girls benefit from working in small, streamed teaching groups with specialist staff and top-quality equipment. There is a strong emphasis not only on refining and developing individual skills but also on teamwork. The girls are taught to use a variety of strategies when faced with competition. There is also an increasing emphasis on leadership. The curriculum is enriched by an extensive co-curricular programme where every girl, regardless of ability, can enjoy being physically active and challenged through a variety of sports and activities.  
 

The teaching of Religious Studies at St Nicholas’ School provides our pupils with spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils are encouraged to consider their own values, beliefs and ideas, as well as those of others. They study the history, beliefs, worship, festivals and lifestyle of different world religions. Discussion and questioning are promoted in lessons to develop spiritual growth, reflection and self-expression.
 

From Year 7, all pupils study the three sciences separately. The curriculum is designed to build on the knowledge gained at KS2 and to encourage independent thinking. The course broadly follows the National Curriculum but, in many cases, the work is taken to a higher level. In addition, pupils develop their ability to plan, carry out and evaluate their own experiments. They develop their maths skills, literacy skills and enquiry processes.

Biology
Pupils learn about the Science of Life. Everything from cells, organ systems, the basics of genetics to ecology. They find out how every living thing is dependent on another for its survival. 

Chemistry
Have you ever wondered what everything is made of? Our pupils have the opportunity to carry out a variety of different chemical reactions while learning about elements, compounds and mixtures. 

Physics
Studying Physics helps our pupils find a key to the Universe. They start to see how different things are connected, answering the bigger questions about our planet and beyond. The study of Physics helps with key skills such as problem-solving, logic and reasoning.