91% of all our grades were 4 or above, exceeding the national average of 67% by a significant margin.
The School places an emphasis on traditional values and methods of teaching that are enriched by hands-on exploration in the classroom and grounds, supported by regular ventures into the wider world. Our bespoke curriculum takes a much broader approach than the National Curriculum, and ensures every child has the opportunity to make learning an enjoyable and rewarding experience. These experiences are planned to take account of each child as an independent learner with individual needs. We believe every child has a gift or talent and in addition to our rich learning experiences in the curriculum, provide an extensive extra-curricular programme. We aim to give every child a strong sense of achievement.
Parents, naturally, want to do the very best for their children, and part of that means ensuring they give them the highest quality of education they can afford.
We welcome children at any stage of their education. We always find that children who come into our established classes settle really quickly and happily and make good progress.
The individual attention they receive in our small classes meets every child’s needs.
Our Senior School curriculum provides a fully rounded academic education which provides for the needs and interests of all our pupils. The curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure that we keep up-to-date with National trends whilst ensuring that traditional excellence is not comprised.
In Years 7 and 8 all pupils study a wide range of subjects, with Art, Design Technology, Food Preparation & Nutrition, Drama, Music and PE taking their place in the curriculum alongside History, Geography, Religious Studies, Maths, English and Science. Unusually for a school of our size, pupils have the opportunity to study both French and German, rather than learning a single foreign language. We believe this breadth inspires pupils to develop a well-rounded love of learning before they begin the business of external exam preparation.
GCSEs start a year early at Hipperholme Grammar; today’s qualifications have more content than was the case when GCSEs were originally conceived as two-year courses, so we feel the advantage of an extra year of study lessens the risk of anxiety and burnout.
In Years 9, 10 and 11 pupils will study the core subjects of English (with most pupils working towards qualifications in Language and Literature) and Mathematics, with the most capable pupils being able to take on Further Mathematics.
In addition to the core, pupils choose up to six optional subjects. Our current list of optional subjects includes Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design Technology, Food Preparation and Nutrition, French, Geography, German, History, Music, PE, Physics and Religious Studies. All pupils must study at least one of the Sciences – Biology, Chemistry and Physics – with many choosing all three. Some pupils requiring extra support in the core subjects can choose Additional English & Maths in place of an Options subject. Each year our options package is tailored to the individual pupils to ensure success.
