The Portsmouth Grammar Senior School offers girls and boys aged 11-16 outstanding academic, pastoral and co-curricular opportunities.
Our pupils flourish in a supportive and caring environment, achieving excellent results at GCSE. Pupils are enthusiastic and committed learners. They enjoy supporting others in their learning, using information and communication technology to enhance their understanding.
From Foundations to Futures: The Senior School Experience
The Senior School is made up of two distinct areas: The Middle School comprising of Years 7 and 8 and the Upper School comprising of Years 9 – 11. Each stage has a unique atmosphere, acting as a school within a school and building strong foundations to move on to the Sixth Form.
Middle School – Years 7 and 8
Reflecting the thematic curriculum aims in the Junior School, the Middle School curriculum features opportunities to bring different subjects together through inter-disciplinary study – this helps pupils combine knowledge, skills and understanding from different disciplines in a deliberate manner. It gives pupils a better appreciation of how one learns in different fields of study and makes their own thinking more effective. Information literacy and bespoke academic enquiry, along with the important development of digital skills in an increasingly data driven world all have their place in the new curriculum too. We want our pupils to not only know their subjects in great depth, but to develop the skills to use their knowledge, to apply it, communicate it, synthesise it and form links to knowledge found elsewhere in their curriculum.
Upper School - Years 9 to 11
Year 9 marks the beginning of a new and exciting stage in a pupil’s school career. New opportunities are opened to pupils including a wide programme of co-curricular activities on Mondays after school and there are also opportunities for responsibility such as the chance to sit on one of the Pupil Councils.
In Year 10, pupils embark upon their GCSE and IGCSE courses and all that that offers in terms of challenge and excitement. There are further chances to expand their co-curricular activities, including the Duke of Edinburgh programme which begins with the Bronze Award in Year 10. Towards the end of Year 10 and through the course of Year 11 pupils begin to look ahead in terms of career and Sixth Form studies. A comprehensive programme of advice, presentations and interviews, including a one-to-one interview with the Head for each pupil, is offered via tutors, Year teams and Senior Teachers in conjunction with the Careers department.
