Our Curriculum

Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9)

Students in Years 7 to 9 follows all National Curriculum subjects. In addition to the Core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and Spanish, the students receive a well-rounded education in subjects which enrich their educational experience and from which they will choose their Key Stage Four options in Year 9.

For specific information about the Year 9 options process, please click here.

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11)

In Years 10 & 11, courses at Westside are split into four categories:

A-Level Available - Courses that can lead all the way to A-Level qualification in that subject.

No A-Level Available - Courses that will lead to a qualification (GCSE/Level 2), but will not necessarily offer a path to an A-Level course in that subject; can lead to A-Level courses in other subjects.

Alternative - Pupils who feel they might struggle with courses in that subject can choose an alternative course. They will not receive a GCSE/Level 2, but will obtain some form of certification.

Vocational - Courses that offer an equivalent Level 2 vocational qualification in the same area as the subject. These courses are more geared towards vocational skills directly drawn from industry.

For detailed information about the courses that are offered in each of the above categories, please explore the 'Our Curriculum' section on the individual subject pages below.

For specific information about the Year 11 options process, please click here.

Key Stage 5 (Years 12 & 13)

In Years 12 and 13 pupils follow a 12A Options Course.

All pupils will have a single period of Liberal Studies.

In order to maximise choice and make the best use of our resources, the three secondary institutions, Westside School, the Gibraltar College and Bayside School are operating a consortium which can see certain subjects being followed at different locations. As we work together, a standardised list of entry requirements for 'A' level has been drawn up and compromised of the following:

As a rule of thumb students wishing to pursue a subject at 'A' level will have been required to take it at GCSE level and to have obtained a minimum grade ranging between '4' and '6'. This is subject dependent, so it is important that you refer to the appendix which provides specific details of the entry requirements for each course.

Please see the Entry Requirements for each subject here - Year 12 Subject Entry Requirements.

Some A-Level subjects are only available through the Gibraltar College - please see the available list here.

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