Secondary at VES

Secondary education covers Year 7 – 13 and includes 3 important “Key Stages”. All students are assigned a form teacher who will help guide and support them through their studies, and they will have one form period per week.

Key Stage 3 [Years 7-9]

These students take a broad and varied curriculum that includes at its core:

• Mathematics
• English
• Science – Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• Arabic
• Islamic Education (for Muslim students only)
• Social Studies
• Moral Education

It also includes:

• Geography
• History
• ICT
• Art
• French
• PE

This ensures that students enjoy a balanced and holistic education at the start of Secondary School. However, just as importantly, they start to be assessed on the ICCSE 1-9 scale. This gives students a feel for the academic standards required in Key Stage 4 and allows them to track their progress towards their final targets.

Key Stage 4 [Years 10-11]

In these years, students will take their IGCSEs.

We have compulsory, core subjects:

• English
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Arabic
• Islamic Studies (for Muslim students only)

Plus students chose 3 subjects from:

• ICT
• PE
• ART
• Business Studies
• History
• Geography
• Psychology
• French

The IGCSE is a challenging certification that is recognised worldwide for its rigour. Students learn detailed content and are expected to apply their knowledge in different situations alongside displaying skills of critical thinking. Students who achieve top grades in subjects will probably consider them for

Key Stage 5/ VI^th Form [Years 12-13]

In the VI^th Form students take ‘AS’ levels up to 5 subjects at the end of Year 12 and many students go on to take 3 full ‘A’ levels in the Year 13. These allow our students to access the very best universities at home and abroad and the school has successfully places students at prestigious universities for the last 20 years. Students are in much smaller classes and receive the kind of personal and intensive tuition that prepares them for success in the examinations and at University.

Subject choices in the VI^th form include:

• English Literature
• English Language
• Mathematics & Statistics
• Mathematics & Mechanics
• French
• History
• Geography
• ICT
• Physics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Business Studies
• Psychology
• Arabic