Year 7 & 8 Pathway Course for International Pupils Booklet 2025

downside SCHOOL

YEAR 7 & 8 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 Pa t h w ay 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 s t a r t . 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 .

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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 C o re P l u s C L I L Core Plus CLIL lessons combine subject lessons with a cutting-edge language learning approach to d e ve l o p l e a r n e r s ’ a c a d e m i c E n g l i s h , s k i l l s a n d c o n fi d e n c e .

P u p i l s s t u d y fi ve c o r e s u b j e c t s e a c h we e k t a u g h t by a c o m b i n a t i o n o f s u b j e c t s p e c i a l i s t a n d E n g l i s h s p e c i a l i s t t o h e l p p u p i l s d e ve l o p s u b j e c t - s p e c i fi c l a n g u a g e .

SUBJECT

SUBJECT TEACHER

ENGLISH TEACHER

ASSESSMENT

MATHS Internal written paper at

SCIENCE GEOGRAPHY HISTORY RELIGIOUS STUDIES

2 Subject lessons per

2 “CLIL” lessons per week

star t and end of term.

week plus homework.

plus homework.

Ongoing evaluation against “Readiness Framework”.

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

FOCUS

General English

Listening, Speaking,

LESSONS PER WEEK ASSESSMENT 8

Star t of Term and End of

Reading, Writing plus

Term full Cambridge

Grammer and Vocabulary

exam.

Weekly Practice Tests.

Guided Grammer

Grammatical structures

2

Classwork and prep.

Ongoing from classwork and prep.

Star ting English Literature Literacy, Oracy

3

Ongoing by por tfolio and glossary,

Writing English for

Producing written texts in

Subjects

core subjects

and in Core Plus CLIL

Settling into Downside.

end of term assessment.

Ongoing from “Readiness

Life at Downside

Learn about UK culture

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2

Ongoing from classwork

Framework” and engagement with school life.

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