Curriculum

The purpose of the curriculum is to not only help students achieve the best academic results they can, but to become confident individuals and responsible global citizens.  We offer a coherent, flexible and enriched curriculum. The traditional AS/A Level courses are only part of the picture for our Sixth Formers. There is also a programme of sport, PHSE (Personal, Health, Social and Economic education), and a comprehensive enrichment programme.

In general lower sixth students take 4 AS Level subjects.  Timetabled teaching hours are five and a half hours per week per subject, plus a 15 minute “one to one” meeting per subject with their academic tutor.   In the upper sixth most students concentrate on three A2 Level subjects with seven hours of teaching per subject per week, plus personal tutorials and continued one to one meetings.

The examination board of choice is Edexcel who is part of Pearson, the world’s leading learning company which has an educational heritage rooted in names like Longman, Heinemann and Prentice Hall.  Edexcel is the UK’s largest awarding organisation, offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in the UK and internationally.

A Levels

AS and A2 Level qualifications from the British Edexcel Examination Board are offered.  This is a General Certificate of Education which follows a modular approach and one highly valued by universities all over the world and employers alike.  Palma College is an approved examination centre.

BTEC

Pearson Level 3 certificate to extended diploma qualifications are offered for Sport.  These are equivalent to A Levels and are based on assignments.  

One to One Meetings

For every subject taken at AS level there is a 15 minute per week meeting between an individual student and teacher.  This one to one time is invaluable.  For talented students it gives them time to be set more challenging work and for others time to go over things they might not have understood clearly during lesson time.

Tutorials

Tutorials are for Upper Sixth students.  The tutor keeps in close touch with teachers, students and parents. Weekly meetings of 15 minutes with individual students will provide an opportunity to talk over academic matters, such as time management; work output and preparing the strongest possible university application, as well as any issues of personal concern for the student.