Lower School

From the very start of their Academy journey, our students are asked to work on explicit projects and challenges to support deep and broad knowledge, and to connect and reflect on the big ideas they have been learning about. Our curriculum is designed to develop interdisciplinary thinking by staff and students from day one.

Outlined below is the list of subjects offered to students during the first phase of their Academy career before they go on to choose GCSE and A Levels.

Subjects Offered

Year 7 (Ages 11-12)

In Year 7, students adapt to the unique learning environment of the Academy and prepare themselves to take responsibility for developing their programme of study in the years ahead. All students develop their literacy and numeracy skills, and there is emphasis on the Academy STEAM specialism (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) as well as Spanish and German.

Please note, Mandarin is only available for current Year 8-11 students and those who join one of these years mid-year. These students will study the language until they have completed their GCSE exam. However, students joining the Academy in Year 7 this year can study Mandarin as part of the SDL (Self-Directed Learning) programme.

Year 8 (Ages 12-13)

After successfully completing Year 7, Year 8 students experience an even more challenging curriculum, with increased emphasis on independence, learner choice, and language teaching. Our Learning Platform (uclacademylearningplatform.co.uk) encourages students to access a broader range of online learning opportunities.

Year 9 (Ages 13-14)

After successfully completing Year 8, students move into Year 9. A real focus on GCSE readiness runs throughout the year, with students beginning to make their Year 10 options by December and starting some courses during the Summer Term.