Curriculum

At Merchiston Juniors your son will benefit from a curriculum designed with the following principles in mind: 

• Challenge and enjoyment 
• Breadth 
• Progression 
• Depth 
• Personalisation and choice 
• Coherence 
• Relevance

Although the curriculum content is largely based on the English National Curriculum Key Stages 2 and 3, we are very aware of the aims of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We, strive to develop its four capacities via a wide variety of learning experiences in and out of the classroom.

The 4 capacities:

• Successful Learners 
• Confident individuals 
• Responsible citizens 
• Effective contributors

Where appropriate, we are committed to integrating Assessment is for Learning, active and collaborative learning and cross-curricular work into our existing curriculum and will tailor our lessons to the learning and teaching style of your son. We believe in the principles of Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum; staff are committed to developing your son’s literacy and numeracy skills.

Our Academic Tutorial system in the First – Third Form ensures that your son has someone overseeing his overall progress. He will have dedicated meetings with his tutor to discuss learning skills and set appropriate targets. We will provide him with a variety of types of activity within the classroom to ensure he has opportunities for individual study, creativity, leadership, co-operative learning, self- and peer assessment and target setting.

Thanks to co-curricular activities in the arts and sport your son will have many other opportunities to be challenged, to flourish and to succeed. We believe that the wide range of opportunities will allow him to thrive and develop in a rounded manner.

Think of the Fourth Form as your son’s foundation year for the GCSE courses which follow.

The academic programme is broad-based; it is intended to give him a thorough grounding in the fundamental areas of each subject, further develop study skills, and bring out his talents. It embraces, and goes well beyond, the National Curriculum.

Your son will take the following subjects:

• English
• Mathematics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• History
• Geography
• Computing
• At least two modern foreign languages
• Art, Design & Technology
• Electronics
• Music
• Religious Studies
• Physical Education, including Swimming.

Latin, Classical Civilisation and Classical Greek, are also available. Full details are available in the Fourth Form curriculum booklet.

During the course of the year, your son will be asked to make some important decisions about which 9 subjects he wishes to study over the next 2 years for his GCSE courses. These decisions can have implications for his Sixth Form, university, and career plans, so we will give him plenty of help when the time comes so that he makes the right  choices.

On completing the broad foundation of the Fourth Form your son will move into the Shell to start a 2-year course of studies leading to his first set of public examinations, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) or the International GCSE.

Selecting GCSE subjects is the most important decision your son will yet have been asked to make, but it’s an important part of the education process. It can be daunting, particularly if he is trying to balance interest and abilities across a range of subjects, and wants to keep options open for future study and career paths. That’s why we help by providing a clear idea of what is involved in each subject in terms of content, structure, and approach.

Why does he have to choose?

The demanding, in-depth programme of academic study at GCSE precludes your son from continuing with all of his current subjects to this level. Since everyone has individual academic strengths and interests: it is sensible to build on these by studying preferred subjects in greater detail than has been possible so far.

Keeping options open

Since few pupils know at this age what career path they are going to follow in later life, we advise following as broad a range of subjects to GCSE as possible. This makes for a good base for further specialisation in the Sixth Form.

The curriculum at Merchiston is designed to help your son keep his options open. The National Curriculum has a set of compulsory, core subjects at GCSE level; we have extended this core at Merchiston to: 

• English Language
• English Literature (or English as an Additional Language (EAL))
• Mathematics 
• At least 2 Sciences
• At least 1 Modern Foreign Language (unless Support for Learning is required) 
• Physical Education (non-examined) 
• Religious Studies (non-examined) 
• Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE)

At Merchiston, we are in the fortunate position of being able to offer to our Sixth Form pupils three types of globally-recognised, ‘gold standard’ qualifications: English A Levels, BTECs and Scottish Highers. 

Whilst we remain committed to providing the academic rigour offered by A-Level study, our bespoke Curriculum affords us the opportunity to capitalise on the advantages of both English and Scottish systems by offering uniquely tailored combinations of qualifications, with outstanding outcomes for our pupils across the board. 

All Merchiston pupils take (at least) four subjects in the Lower Sixth year and the majority will follow the traditional ‘three A Levels route’ to university. However, in an increasing number of cases, such as those in which it is the pupil’s intention or desire to keep his options open and study a wider variety of subject disciplines, it can be advantageous to pursue a combination of A Level, BTEC and Higher qualifications in the Upper Sixth year.

Further details are available in the Sixth Form Curriculum Handbook which is available upon request from our Academic Leadership Team and via our Parent Portal for current parents. 

University applications and careers guidance

In his Lower Sixth year, your son will have many opportunities to find out about careers and university/college courses through mechanisms such as:

• Sixth Form societies
• Careers Café
• Links with Industry scheme.

Much care and time is given to careers guidance and to the choice of university or college courses and the application procedure through UCAS. You and your son will also have an individual consultation about university and college applications. This usually takes place in January / early February of the Upper Sixth to coincide with the UCAS process.