The GST Curriculum

The Griffin Schools Trust (GST) is a family of primary and secondary schools in the Midlands and the South East of England. We are committed to providing an outstanding independent-style education for all students, predicated on breadth and excellence. All schools provide a rich programme of free extra-curricular activities, create an involving and stimulating physical environment and build a staff team of interesting people who are motivated to advance their own knowledge and skills as well as their pupils’ achievement.

 GST schools do not teach young people to know their place, but rather to discover their talents and passions and to take their places in society, making a difference through leadership and service wherever their futures may take them.

The Year 8 Curriculum at Nicholas Chamberlaine School

As a proud member of Griffin Schools Trust, Nicholas Chamberlaine School enables students in Year 8 to build on the firm foundations of the Year 7 curriculum. Year 8 students are supported to think as a writer, a mathematician, a scientist; they are encouraged to become wider readers, researchers and explorers as they extend their understanding of the concepts underpinning each academic subject discipline. The focus remains achieving high levels of literacy, numeracy and scientific understanding and application and a large proportion of students’ weekly allocation is devoted to excelling in the core subjects – they will study maths and English every day of the week and science four times a week. Students will of course continue to develop their talents in the equally valued practical and creative subjects such as Drama, Design & Technology and Physical Education. It is important that during Year 8 students develop the key higher level thinking skills that are vital to underpinning their success in Year 9 next year, and beyond.

Subjects

Each week students in year 8 study the following subjects:

• Art
• Computer Science
• Design Technology, Cuisine and Graphics (on rotation)
• Drama
• English
• French
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Music
• Physical Education
• Religious Studies
• Science

Students in Year 8 also have a fortnightly Accelerated Reading session.

Curriculum Maps