Academic life

The academic curriculum

Lower School (Years 6–8)

Year 6 Year 7 Year 8

• English

• Mathematics

• Science

• Geography

• History

• Religious Studies

• Music

• Art

• Computing

• Design and Robotics (CDR)

• Drama

• PE

• Taster courses in French, German and Spanish

• Games afternoon

• Life Education

• English

• Mathematics

• Biology, Chemistry and Physics

• Computing

• Design and Robotics (CDR)

• Geography

• History

• Religious Studies

• Art

• Drama

• Music

• French

• Latin

• German

• PE

• Games

• Life Education

• ‘Ethos’ - an introduction to critical thinking

In the Lower School, our pupils study a diverse and inspiring curriculum. It introduces them to new ideas and ways of understanding the world, stimulates debate and establishes firm foundations for future academic success with training in study skills and good work habits.

Pupils in Year 6 and 7 also have a weekly lesson called ‘Ethos’; this is an introduction to critical thinking, informed discussion and debating, aiming to develop independent thought and ethical reflection in our younger pupils.

• English

• Mathematics

• Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Computing

• Design & Technology

• Geography

• History

• Religious Studies

• Art

• Drama

• Music

• Two languages; chosen from: French, Latin and German and Spanish

• PE

• Games afternoon

• Life Education

• Social Entrepreneurship

All pupils in Year 8 have one lesson a week called ‘Social Entrepreneurship’.This is an approach taken by groups to develop non-profit solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. Throughout the year pupils learn by hearing from a selection of guest speakers and, in collaboration with a variety of departments, develop, plan, and organise a marketing campaign for a business idea. The course begins with pupils learning about personal finance, including topics such as budgeting, in order to improve their financial literacy.

Pupil

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ISI REPORT 2023

Middle School (Years 9–11)

Year 9 Years 10 & 11

• English

• Mathematics

• Biology, Chemistry and Physics

• Two languages selected in Year 8

• Geography

• History

• Religious Studies

• PE

• Life Education

• Art, Design & Technology, Drama and Music are studied on rotation.

• Computing

Pupils are supported closely by their teachers as they make their A Level choices during Year 11. They are also enrolled in the Independent Schools Careers Organisation (ISCO) scheme ‘Futurewise’ which further provides advice about higher education and career paths and A levels.

Sixth form

Our Sixth Form academic offer is very strong. Students choose three or four A Levels from 26 subjects and are encouraged to enhance their knowledge and range of interests through independent study with most also completing an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification).

See our separate Sixth Form publication for further details.

English

In English, we encourage an informed and questioning appreciation of literature, aiming to cultivate in every pupil the sustained love of reading which is essential to intellectual development. All pupils are regularly issued with lists of recommended books and attend themed book talks from our librarian on genres of fiction, prize winning novels, and new titles and authors.

• English Language

• English Literature

• Mathematics

• Biology, Chemistry and Physics

• A language from French, German, Spanish or Latin.

The majority of pupils study the three separate sciences at IGCSE, resulting in three qualifications. A minority of pupils follow a Double Science Award which leads to two IGCSE qualifications.

• One humanity subject from Classical Civilisation, Economics, Geography, History and Religious Studies.

• A further two subjects from a range: additional languages (French, German, Spanish, Latin), an additional humanities subject, Art, Computer Science, Design Technology, Drama and Theatre Studies, Music and Physical Education.

Mathematics

Mathematics at Emanuel encourages a curiosity about the world around us and equips our pupils with the knowledge and skills to understand and describe it. Dialogue with teachers, frequent mini-investigations and low stakes tests help reinforce the learning process; crucially pupils are educated to take responsibility for their independent progress and consolidation by regular use of learning platforms such as Dr Frost and Hegarty where they can complete interactive practice modules which assess progress.

Science

Science is divided into the Biology, Chemistry and Physics departments, each well-resourced and led by its own head of department. Pupils study the three separate sciences from Year 7 and all lessons are taught by a specialist teacher in one of our dedicated labs.The Lower School benefits from a programme that broadly follows the national curriculum but also probes beyond it, stretching pupils and fostering an inquisitive and hands-on approach.

The Humanities

The humanities subjects studied in the Lower and Middle School at Emanuel are Geography, History, Religious Studies and Classical Civilisation.

Geography at Emanuel combines traditional Geography topics (physical and human topics, area-based studies and the development of key skills) with a modern approach which incorporates contemporary current affairs at every opportunity. We educate pupils on a diverse array of skills including graphical, presentation, and analytical skills, whilst using stories from as many communities, perspectives and voices as we can to illuminate our lessons.

Year 10 geographers have been working with Friends of Wandsworth Common on some community projects championing local ecosystems and thinking about innovative ways of making local biodiversity projects captivating for young people.

This recently included a “Moth Breakfast” - tracking and identifying some of the 2500 species of moth native to the common.

At Emanuel, History fosters a sense of intellectual enquiry. Lower school lessons encourage pupils to gather and assess evidence, express arguments and ideas clearly and reach research-based conclusions. The curriculum includes the study of Medieval Realms, Tudor England, The British Empire, Slavery and the First and Second World Wars.

Religious Studies (RS) facilitates pupils’ skills in deep questioning to enhance thinking and communication skills so that they will be confident to put forward their own views in a group and make positive judgments in everyday life. Pupils are inspired to consider the insights and influences of a variety of religious traditions.

From Year 10, pupils are offered the opportunity to study Classical Civilisation as a GCSE course. This popular subject involves the study of the lives and works of the Romans and Ancient Greeks and focuses on ‘Myth and Religion’ with Hercules, Theseus, Aeneas and Romulus all making an appearance, as well as ‘Roman City Life’ or ‘War and Warfare’.

Modern & Classical Languages

Global culture is widely celebrated at Emanuel, with inspirational staff teaching French, Spanish, and German. Pupils are inspired to become more confident in their ability to process language through reading, listening, speaking and writing. The varied trips, exchanges and extra-curricular activities on offer provide additional opportunities for language immersion.

Latin is immensely popular at Emanuel spurred by pupils’ enjoyment of the Cambridge Latin Course. It is supported with a cornucopia of extra-curricular activities and trips, including visits to Bath, Fishbourne, the British Museum, Pompeii and Herculaneum. Emanuel was selected as one of only 10 independent schools in the UK to take part in the pilot Intermediate Greek Certificate. This has been a triumphant success.

Visual Arts

Emanuel Art and Photography is housed in the Dacre building, which is equipped with specialist paint and print studios, a ceramics room with a kiln, glazing room and a sculpture studio, a dark room and film studio.

The Art department ensures that Emanuel pupils become proficient in all these media, and its innovative curriculum is deservedly regarded as one of the best of any London school. Outside the classroom budding artists enjoy participating in weekly art clubs. A Level students attend weekly life drawing masterclasses and there are regular trips, including residential trips for older students to the Turner Contemporary at Margate and St Ives in Cornwall, as well as annual London tours of the Tate Modern and V&A and visits to specific exhibitions of interest.

From 2023, Dacre will also house the Design and Technology department in multi-purpose workshops which will further enhance its resistant materials curriculum offer of woodwork, metal work, plastics work and CAD and 3D design. Pupils are given a solid practical and theoretical knowledge base in design and making, including sketching, modelling, CAD/CAM and a mix of traditional and modern manufacturing techniques.

Computing

Computing lessons at Emanuel develop computational thinking skills. Pupils develop an understanding of the operation of networked computing devices and learn to use these safely to analyse, communicate and present information in a variety of formats. Lower school pupils build and code self-driving robotic vehicles with line-following and obstacle-avoidance features. Animated programmable robotic heads complete with speech recognition, capable of tracking head movements, displaying emotions and engaging in conversation provide an exciting way to extend their understanding of both coding and robotics.

Performing Arts

All Emanuel pupils in Years 6-9 study Drama. The vibrant Drama department focuses on skills-based teaching as well as a rich programme of public performances, trips and theatre visits. Pupils are encouraged to experiment with the creation of meaning in their work and study abstract theatre as well as more naturalistic styles of acting. The curriculum teaches characterisation skills, theatre history and the study of text.

The Music department is hugely ambitious for Emanuel pupils and their musical opportunities. We are working to become a centre of excellence for contemporary music while maintaining our high standards in choral and orchestral music. We offer DJ lessons, developing the KS3 curriculum so pupils benefit from a truly 21st century music education, hosting careers talks for those keen on a future in the music industry, becoming a Rockschool examination centre, offering RSL Music Production grades and investing in the very latest technology and software.

Learning support

Emanuel has a dedicated Learning Support department. Our highly trained staff offer support and expertise to help resolve difficulties and promote positive solutions for pupils experiencing barriers to learning. For more information, please visit our website.

The Library

Emanuel’s library, centrally located at the heart of the school, is one of the biggest and best resourced learning resource centres in London, with a stock of around 30, 000 books over 50 magazine subscriptions and an extensive range of graphic novels. Older pupils make extensive use of the large range of online resources subscribed to, including JSTOR, Newsbank, MASSOLIT, and the History Reference Centre.

Goddard lectures

The annual Goddard lectures are named after one of our most distinguished alumni, Professor Peter Goddard, CBE FRS. He is a mathematical physicist who works in string theory and conformal field theory.The lectures offer pupils an opportunity to hear from experts in their field and promote a high level of academic and professional engagement, by showing innovative thinking and gritty determination.

Recent speakers have included Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia and Yonca Dervisoglu, Chief Marketing Officer of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Google, co-founder of Google Arts and Culture the Google Cultural Institute.

Emanuel Expo

Emanuel’s super-curricular initiative: Emanuel Expo, is a programme of presentations from different academic departments, aimed at giving pupils opportunities to be inspired by intellectual ideas beyond the scope of lessons. They have so far included outside speakers, pupil presentations, and practical activities. Highlights have included OE architect, Laurence Dudeney, sharing with over 50 pupils a snapshot of his work and Zaha Hadid talking through projects that included the 2012 Olympic Torch.