Pathways and Perspectives at St Edward's 2023

PATHWAYS & PERSPECTIVES AT ST EDWARD’S A FRESH APPROACH TO THE GCSE YEARS

PARENTS A SUMMARY FOR

What our pupils say: Pathways and Perspectives were a great addition to my GCSEs because my grade relied on my hard work over two years rather than a single exam. I was able to explore different topics in detail which was both interesting and fun. The classes were engaging, with lots of open discussions, and the coursework was varied. Roli Oseragbaje

Pathways and Perspectives at St Edward’s give you the opportunity to think and express your interest in a subject more broadly than a standard exams boards’ course like a GCSE. Pathways and Perspectives are assessed very differently, through a series

of tasks. These tasks allow you to gain a wide range of academic skills, from being able to present to a classroom of your peers to writing long-form essays. The variety of tasks kept

the course interesting and engaging – I felt I was able to work on my weaknesses academically and to build on my strengths. Bertie Gowen

AN ENHANCED GCSE PROGRAMME AT ST EDWARD’S

The Middle School Curriculum at St Edward’s has been enhanced by the introduction of rigorous, bespoke, interdisciplinary courses called Pathways and Perspectives.

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‘Pathways and Perspectives allow our pupils to learn and think differently. GCSEs provide a sound basis for progression to the Sixth Form, but these new courses require

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our pupils to innovate, work collaboratively and undertake continuous assessment exactly as they will do at university, within vocational qualifications and in the world of work. Not only that but we can mould content to address pertinent issues of the day and meet the needs of the pupils in our care, free from the constraints of the exam specification.’ DAVID FLOWER, SUB-WARDEN ACADEMIC

‘It is important that pupils are examined in a wide range of subjects at the age of 16, not least as a way of consolidating what they have learnt up to that point. That is what GCSEs are for. However, we know that taking, say, ten standard GCSEs is neither necessary nor in some respects desirable.’ BARNABY LENON, CHAIRMAN OF THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS COUNCIL

PATHWAYS AND PERSPECTIVES

These new courses sit alongside a core programme of eight or nine GCSEs and cover areas such as Sustainability, Creative Arts, Design, the Classical World, and Sports and Human Sciences. The key feature of the courses is that they promote and reward more than just the capacity to retain information. To do well in Pathways and Perspectives, pupils are required to develop a much greater range of aptitudes, including research skills, creative thinking, self- awareness, collaboration and communication. Leading educationalists have contributed to the development of the courses, which are graded 9-1 and awarded alongside GCSEs.

‘The acquisition of core knowledge is important. But dry rote learning for exams is not the way forward … Young people need the opportunity to develop the knowledge and the skills they need for future employment through

a broad and relevant curriculum that links

explicitly to the real world.’ ROBERT HALFON MP, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

‘The main virtue of the St Edward’s plan is that the School has written very attractive courses, focusing on the humanities and technology/science. They are superior to GCSEs in terms of their modernity, their breadth and the fact that there is more focus on coursework. Pupils still take a wide range of GCSEs but the new courses provide something extra.’ BARNABY LENON

‘Education is changing. In particular, two years without exams have changed the conversation about assessment. Our Pathways and Perspectives

courses are part of that change. They run alongside a core set of GCSEs, because we still think that

exams and rigorous preparation for them are important, but our new courses take

pupils much further in thinking about their own learning, in making links between subjects and in developing skills – for the Sixth Form, for university and for life.’ ALASTAIR CHIRNSIDE, WARDEN

‘Universities and employers certainly want young people who are engaged with and passionate about their subjects. But alongside the acquisition of knowledge, young people will benefit in their career choices if they also understand some of the attributes and skills that they develop through academic learning. Pupils need to learn to be self-aware: it will bring lifelong value in terms of meeting the challenges of the workplace if they can learn to understand and articulate their strengths, and to know which of their skills to apply to achieve the best outcome. Learning about how they learn, and becoming an agile learner, is as important as the core knowledge.’ DR KATE DAUBNEY, DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR CAREERS

‘Leading the way in educational initiatives is instinctive for this dynamic Oxford school.’ TATLER SCHOOLS GUIDE

The new Christie Academic Centre

St Edward’s School, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 7NN www.stedwardsoxford.org

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