Student Pathways

At Spalding Grammar School we understand that each student is an individual with their own particular strengths, interests and career ambitions. Therefore, our aim is to ensure that each student has a personalised programme of study that supports them to meet their aspirations by offering a balanced and broad range of twenty-four A Level subjects that prepares students for further study and the world of work.

Students in our Sixth Form are required to study three subjects at A-Level as universities (including the Russell Group and Oxbridge universities) are making their offers based on three subjects at A-Level, with a preference for top grades.

Students beginning subjects in Year 12 are committed to them for two years and that is why a three-subject (plus Enrichment option) route will be followed by the majority. However, as an academic school, we allow our most able students to continue with as broad a curriculum as possible.

As a result, students who have a number of high GCSE grades (at least six subjects at grade 7 or higher) are permitted to study four A Levels, according to prescribed pathways, as follows:

• Students who opt for Further Mathematics, as they may study two A Levels alongside Mathematics and Further Mathematics
• Students wishing to study Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics

Students wishing to study other combinations of four subjects will be considered, provided there is overlap in the skills required (for example, Humanities and Social Sciences). A place on a fourth A Level course will only be confirmed once GCSE results are known.

In order to create a bespoke curriculum for each student, we organise the subjects into blocks only after choices are made. So that we may provide maximum flexibility, we would like students to indicate their preferences in order of priority.