In the Seniors, not all of our pupils have the level required in the four key skills of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking to participate fully in the mainstream English classes though it is our ambition to get them there.

In Year 7, children for whom English is a second or additional language, or whose level is low, attend small group ‘Booster’ classes. These are focussed on equipping them to prosper in a school with English as the teaching medium.

For Years 8 and 9 the children are placed in a group according to their needs and abilities as the first step towards success at IGCSE level in Year 11. Native speakers of the language and those others with a very high proficiency attend mainstream classes, and those for whom English is a Second language join the ESL group. Both classes are different and focus on the differing needs of both sets of learners. The mainstream class has a greater focus on creative writing, literature, and language analysis. The ESL class has more of a focus on transactional writing, vocabulary acquisition and grammar though creativity is certainly welcomed and encouraged. We are very proud of the fact that hardworking, ambitious ESL students are sometimes able to make the transition into the mainstream classes and do extremely well.

In Years 10 and 11 all students work intensely on preparing either for First Language English examinations or English as a Second Language. The latter is a very demanding test of the four key skills and prepares students very thoroughly for advanced study or English in sixth form and is a significant step on the route to university level learning.