The school curriculum aims to cater for the individual needs and abilities of our girls.

Teaching and learning are adapted to meet the needs of able students with an emphasis on creative and participative learning.

Enrichment work is undertaken in all subjects to create opportunities, which extend and enhance national curriculum requirements.

Issues are explored in greater depth and detail, and regular visits are made which combine aspects of several subjects.

Many lunchtime and after school activities take place in art, drama, languages, science, mathematics, music, public speaking and sport. Lunchtime and after school opportunities also include filmmaking, robotics, bridge, archaeology, website development and Indian dance.

There are community projects, particularly for older girls, and involvement in the highly popular Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Leadership activities include leadership weekends organised by the King Edward’s Foundation and a Challenge of Management conference for senior girls.

As a Birmingham school, we benefit from the Excellence in Cities initiative and our involvement with the initiative’s Gifted and Talented strand has brought a range of extra resources and opportunities, from taster visits to universities to school visits by professional experts.

Individual needs

When it comes to an individual’s needs, girls can also benefit from individual or small group assistance in a skill where they may lack confidence or need extra practice.

Such help and assistance most often takes place in Years 7-9 to make good any gaps as soon as we have identified them.

Music matters

All girls receive music tuition in the first three years and may continue the subject into Years 10 and 11 as an optional GCSE and also to Advanced Level when tuition continues at no cost to parents.

On average, 200 girls receive instrumental music tuition at school from our large team of visiting instrumental teachers.

Teaching Groups and GCSEs

Teaching groups across all subject areas are of the same age and generally of mixed ability.

As in all secondary schools, pupils sit most of their GCSE exams in Year 11, usually taking 11 GCSEs, with a short course in IT at the end of Year 9.

All girls have a personal organiser and we expect them to do homework conscientiously and regularly. In the first year, work set is likely to take up to one hour each night and this increases as girls move up the school.

For information about the subject specific content and how you can support your child's learning, please see the departmental pages.