Pre A-Level Pathway Course for International Pupils Booklet 2025

downside SCHOOL

PRE A-LEVEL PATHWAY COURSE FOR INTERNATIONAL PUPILS

INTRODUCTION D ow n s i d e i s a s p e c i a l p l a c e w i t h a d e e p u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e n e e d s o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l b o a r d i n g p u p i l s and their parents.

D ow n s i d e o f fe r s a r i c h a n d u n i q u e h i s t o r y o f s t r o n g v a l u e s i n a n i n s p i r i n g s e t t i n g w i t h a n u n s u r p a s s e d l e ve l o f c a r e .

A t D ow n s i d e a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l p u p i l i s we l c o m e d , h i g h l y v a l u e d a n d i n c l u d e d a t t h e h e a r t o f a l l t h i n g s .

D ow n s i d e c h a l l e n g e s p u p i l s t o l i ve a l i fe o f h u m i l i t y, p e r s o n a l d i s c i p l i n e a n d e m p a t hy i n t h e p u r s u i t o f a c a d e m i c e x c e l l e n c e a n d a we l l - r o u n d e d i n d i v i d u a l .

D ow n s i d e p u p i l s wo r k h a r d , c o n t r i bu t e t o t h e i r c o m mu n i t y, a n d s h ow a m b i t i o n i n a l l t h i n g s . T h e y t a ke j oy i n l i fe ’s j o u r n e y a s p a r t o f a s u p p o r t i ve c o m mu n i t y.

T h e P r e - A L e ve l C o u r s e f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l P u p i l s p r ov i d e s a n i n s p i r i n g p r e p a r a t i o n f o r A L e ve l s t u d y.

I t c o m b i n e s f u l l i m m e r s i o n a s a D ow n s i d e p u p i l w i t h e x c e p t i o n a l p a s t o r a l c a r e ; t h e f u l l r a n g e o f e n g a g i n g a n d e x h i l a r a t i n g c o - c u r r i c u l a r a c t i v i t i e s a n d a n i n n ov a t e a c a d e m i c p r ov i s i o n t o s u p p o r t s u b j e c t d e ve l o p m e n t , E n g l i s h l a n g u a g e a c q u i s i t i o n , c u l t u r a l i n t e g r a t i o n a n d c o n fi d e n c e t o j o i n t h e a c a d e m i c m a i n s t r e a m t o s t u d y a t A L e ve l .

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DOWNSIDE BOARDING D ow n s i d e ’s h i s t o r i c H o u s e s a r e we l c o m i n g , bu s t l i n g , c a r i n g p l a c e s f u l l o f l ove , l i fe a n d l a u g h t e r.

E a c h H o u s e i s l e d by a n e x p e r i e n c e d H o u s e M a s t e r o r H o u s e M i s t r e s s w h o i s a l w ay s av a i l a bl e t o pupil and parents.

H o u s e s a r e p l a c e s w h e r e p u p i l s fi n d f r i e n d s h i p a n d f u l fi l m e n t i n a h o m e aw ay f r o m h o m e .

I n t h e i r H o u s e s p u p i l s p a r t i c i p a t e i n s p o r t , mu s i c , d r a m a , o u t d o o r p u r s u i t s , a n d s p i r i t u a l a c t i v i t i e s .

T h e y e n j oy we e ke n d t r i p s t o B a t h , B r i s t o l , a n d l o c a l c u l t u r a l s i t e s .

P u p i l s b e n e fi t f r o m a s a fe , s t r u c t u r e d , a n d e m o t i o n a l l y s u p p o r t i ve e nv i r o n m e n t , w i t h a c c e s s t o t h e H e a l t h & We l l b e i n g C e n t r e a n d a c o m p r e h e n s i ve p a s t o r a l n e t wo r k .

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DOWNSIDE CO-CURRICULUM D ow n s i d e ’s c o - c u r r i c u l u m r a n g e s p a n s a l l i m a g i n a bl e p u r s u i t s b e yo n d t h e t r a d i t i o n a l c o m p r e h e n s i ve s p o r t s p r o g r a m m e t h a t yo u wo u l d e x p e c t f r o m a l e a d i n g U K B o a r d i n g s c h o o l .

Outdoor Education We e ke n d s a r e f o r a d ve n t u r e ! P u p i l s c a n g o c av i n g , c a n o e i n g , d i n g hy s a i l i n g , k ay a k i n g , o f f r o a d c y c l i n g , r o c k c l i m b i n g , s c u b a d i v i n g , c l ay s h o o t i n g o r p a d d l e b o a r d i n g .

P u p i l s a r e e n c o u r a g e d t o t a ke p a r t i n t h e D u ke o f E d i n bu r g h Aw a r d s s c h e m e .

Clubs and Activities We d n e s d ay a f t e r n o o n s a r e a t i m e f o r c l u b s a n d a c t i v i t i e s r a n g i n g f r o m h o r s e r i d i n g t o c e r a m i c s ; f r o m T h e C o m b i n e d C a d e t F o r c e t o fe n c i n g o r a r c h e r y.

Sports and Games W i t h a s w i m m i n g p o o l , a s p o r t s h a l l , s q u a s h c o u r t s , a fi t n e s s s u i t e , n e t b a l l a n d t e n n i s c o u r t s , a h o c ke y a s t r o t u r f , r u g by p i t c h e s a n d c r i c ke t p i t c h e s a l l t r a d i t i o n a l s p o r t s a r e c a t e r e d f o r.

O f f s i t e , p u p i l s c a n p l ay g o l f , p l ay t e n n i s i n d o o r, s a i l o n t h e C h e d d a r r e s e r vo i r, c a n o e o n t h e R i ve r Avo n .

A r t , D e s i g n a n d Te c h n o l o g y P u p i l s c a n c r e a t e wo r k i n a r a n g e o f m e d i a i n t h e a r t s t u d i o.

T h e D e s i g n a n d Te c h n o l o g y f a c i l i t y o f fe r s p u p i l s a p l a c e t o d e s i g n a n d c r e a t e .

Music, Drama and Dance M u s i c i s wove n i n t o t h e f a b r i c o f s c h o o l l i fe f o r a l l p u p i l s . F o r t h o s e w h o w i s h , t h e r e i s a l s o t h e c h a n c e t o h ave p r i v a t e l e s s o n s i n a c o m p r e h e n s i ve r a n g e o f i n s t r u m e n t s .

P u p i l s c a n s t u d y d a n c e a n d d r a m a a n d t a ke p a r t i n p e r f o r m a n c e s a n d p l ay s i n t h e p u r p o s e - bu i l t theatre.

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ACADEMIC SUBJECTS A c a d e m i c s u b j e c t s a r e p r ov i d e d by s u b j e c t s p e c i a l i s t t e a c h e r s f o c u s e d o n e n s u r i n g t h a t p u p i l s a r e f u l l y p r e p a r e d f o r t h e i r n e x t s t a g e o f s t u d y.

P u p i l s s t u d y M a t h s , S c i e n c e , C o m p u t e r S c i e n c e a n d R e l i g i o u s S t u d i e s a s s t a n d a r d . A l t e r n a t i ve subject options can be considered – please contact admissions to discuss.

SUBJECT Maths

LESSONS PER WEEK 4

Science

4

Computer Science

2

Religious Studies

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ASSESSMENT Star t of Term and End of Term internal assessment according to exam body.

Star t of Term and End of Term internal assessment according to exam body.

Star t of Term and End of Term internal assessment according to exam body.

Star t of Term and End of Term internal assessment according to exam body.

P u p i l s s i t a n i n t e r n a l s t a r t o f t e r m a n d e n d o f t e r m p a p e r t o a s s e s s t h e i r l e ve l o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g and attainment. They are also evaluated throughout the term to track progress in Organisation, E n g a g e m e n t , C o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d R e s i l i e n c e . T h e s e a r e a d d i t i o n a l q u a l i t i e s t h a t we d e ve l o p i n p u p i l s to help them transition to mainstream academics.

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COMPONENT

CONTENT

EAL Exam

Focus on IELTS or IGCSE

SESSIONS/WEEK 10

ASSESSMENT Star t of Term and End of Term internal assessment based on selected exam.

Weekly practice tests.

Ongoing classwork and

Guided Grammer

MyGrammarLab work

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prep Ongoing in classwork and prep.

Academic Writing

Presentation*

Focus on writing for

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Ongoing in classwork and

academic subjects

prep and from Star t of

including IELTS/IGCSE

Term and End of Term

A combination of listening

EAL assessment.

Ongoing in classwork and

for academic purposes

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prep.

and presentation creation and delivery.

E n g l i s h c l a s s e s a r e e n g a g i n g , c o m mu n i c a t i ve , d e ve l o p a l l f o u r s k i l l s a n d u s e a r a n g e o f t e c h n o l o g y t o m a x i m i s e e f fi c i e n c y.

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D OW N S I D E S C H O O L S T R AT TO N - O N - T H E - F O S S E , R A D S TO C K , B AT H B A 3 4 R J admissions@downside.co.uk www.downside.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1761 235103