Curriculum
The College has a long and strong academic tradition of which students and staff are justifiably proud. Our contemporary curriculum is designed to provide academic challenge within a stimulating and exciting environment. The learning based approach enables students to make significant academic progress resulting in outstanding examination success as well as providing them with an opportunity to develop a range of crucial personal, learning and thinking skills. Our students leave us fully equipped to meet the challenges of the ever more complex and demanding ‘real world’ of the 21st century.
The Lower School curriculum (Years 7 to 9) is common to all students. Those students joining DC from other British system schools should face little difficulty in their transfer as we use, as a baseline for the lower school curriculum, a slightly adapted English National Curriculum. English, Mathematics, Science, French/Spanish and Arabic form a key part of the weekly timetable, which is supplemented by Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Geography, History, Information Technology, Music and Physical Education. Study Skills is taught in Year 7 and Muslim students have Islamic Studies lessons.
Form Tutors provide a Personal, Social and Health Education programme in the Lower School covering issues relevant to young people growing up in today’s society.
Across all subjects, students are encouraged to take the initiative in their learning by participating fully in the process, adopting creative solutions to problems, investigating issues thoroughly, reflecting on their own progress, improving self management techniques and developing team building strategies.
The Middle School curriculum (Years 10 and 11) maintains a focus on the development of learning strategies as well as providing an opportunity to study a wide range of GCSE subjects. The core GCSE curriculum is made up of English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and Science and Additional Science (two subjects) or three seperate Science subjects (i.e. Biology, Chemistry and Physics). To encourage a balanced curriculum students also opt for a modern language, a humanities subject, and a creative subject as well as selecting an additional subject from a wide selection. GCSE subjects on offer include Arabic, Art and Design, Business Studies, Design and Technology, Drama, Economics, French, Geography, History, ICT, Music, Physical Education and Spanish. A Personal, Social and Health Education programme supplements and supports the GCSE curriculum.
The Sixth Form curriculum (Years 12 and 13) embeds the learning and life skills taught throughout the school to prepare students for the challenge of university and life beyond academia. In Year 12 most students study four subjects at AS level and may continue all four through to A2 in Yr13 or discontinue one of their options. A level subjects include: Art, Biology, Chemistry, Design and Technology, Drama, English Literature, Economics, French, Geography, History, Information Technology, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics and Music Technology (AS only).
