Senior School

Key Stage 3 is a period of progression and development, physically, socially, pastorally and academically.

In Key Stage 3, your child will learn the fundamentals to succeed in the Senior School whilst enjoying a wide range of subjects, so they are fully prepared for whichever educational pathway they wish to take as they move through the school.

Year 7, in particular, is a time of enormous transition where your child will learn to be more independent, more organised and more resourceful as they face the challenges of moving from Primary to Senior.

Year 8 is your child’s opportunity to begin to become the person they want to be. Familiar and well-settled into the Senior School, students should take the opportunities offered by the extensive extra-curricular activities programme, the wide range of school trips, as well as opportunities to gain leadership responsibilities within the school to build on their skills and develop their interests.

Year 9 students at BSM lead the way as the eldest year group and set the example for younger students of the school. They are polite, courteous, organised and diligent. Year 9 is one of the most exciting and challenging times in a student’s life, with choices of which subjects to pursue further and the opportunity to explore Oman with the International Award.

Throughout their time in Key Stage 3, we work hard to support students with all elements of their lives, not just academic but social and pastoral too. We look forward to guiding students as they grow to become independent, confident, informed young people before moving onto Key Stage 4.

View our Key Stage 3 Curriculum Overviews

The GCSE years can be a bit of a shock to the system! It can be a rollercoaster at times, juggling coursework, controlled assessments, homework, class work, lessons, revision, mock exams all before the real exams begin during May and June.

However, it is not all work and no play. There will be many enjoyable experiences to get involved with; plays, concerts, dance shows, celebratory dinners, International Award trips, clubs, sports days, art exhibitions, trips abroad, to name but a few.

In all areas of school life, students are supported by an excellent group of professionals; teachers, form tutors, heads of year, mentors and inclusion assistants. Staff are caring and dedicated, they will guide and lead through both times of success and uncertainty. Academically, you can expect students to be challenged in all areas of the curriculum with extension or reinforcement work where appropriate.

Every student’s progress is tracked and monitored closely throughout the GCSE courses. A variety of intervention strategies will be used in order to allow students to succeed in all areas of the curriculum. A calm, purposeful and caring environment is created through mutually respectful relationships between staff and students.

View our GCSE Curriculum Overview

Sixth form is the bridge between School and Adulthood. Our core purpose as a sixth form is to provide a wide range of opportunities for our students to develop the soft and hard skills to be successful in an ever changing and unwritten future.

Sixth Form study is a time for students to push the boundaries intellectually, to pursue new and independent studies and to refine and develop their interests. Our Sixth Form programme is set in a university-standard environment. The facilities and resources that we provide are truly first-class, matched only by the zeal of the teaching staff for delivering stimulating and intellectually challenging lessons.

Our Sixth Form is a supportive and warm community, with an open and purposeful culture of achievement, strong personalised monitoring and deep pastoral care, held together by very high expectations. Our students are proactive in grasping opportunities, taking risks, working hard, and being resilient. They should also be mindful of getting balance in their lives and developing a well-informed, clear plan for their future to drive their motivation and strive for excellence.

I very much look forward to your son or daughter thriving in our sixth form, making a huge difference to our school and the local community and thoroughly enjoying their time here.

View our Sixth Form / Post-16 Curriculum Overview

British education curricula are the most popular in the international market, with A levels used by 34% of schools and IB by 26% of schools in 2021 (ISC Research). BSM offers A Levels, but you may be wondering what the key differences are between A Levels and the IB Diploma. Please read some of the key differences between the two on our IB or A Levels page.