Academic
The standard of education is high and Barnard Castle produces a safe and secure environment where all can learn without anxiety.
Mr and Mrs N Hardy
Academic success is our core business. From entrance in Year 7 to exit in the Upper Sixth – the object is to produce the very best from the wide spectrum of ability which comes through our doors.
In the early years we set separately in Maths, English, the Sciences, Language and Humanities. This simply recognises that some children are better at Maths than English and vice versa. Common-sense really. We baseline test in Year 7 and in Lower Sixth with CEM (they’re more informative than SATS) so we know up to GCSE and then to A2 what is a minimum expectation, but push beyond it. In many subjects, notably Maths and Sciences, we achieve “added value” of one whole grade above the baseline prediction. We are proud of our claim to be in the top 50 “value added” schools in the country.
Termtime assessments happen every 4 or 5 weeks. We rate effort most highly and reward it. Attainment is based objectively on set average in years 7-9 and on public exam grades in the higher years. Tutors know their tutees well enough to set realistic targets, and parents are in the loop through the termtime assessment papers and reports every term-end. Sanctions are restorative rather than punitive.
The entrance requirement (subject to annual review) to our sixth form is 7 passes at GCSE with at least Bs (Maths requires an A) in the 4 chosen subjects at AS level. Predominantly a GCSE and A level school, some departments use their considerable autonomy to offer iGCSE and pre-U so long as they firmly reject soft options and cohere with central policy to maintain separate sciences, support MFL and nurture intellectual respect. Whatever else we offer – academic success remains our core business.
Stephen Ridley, Deputy Head, Academic
