Headmaster's Introduction

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Headmaster's Introduction

The move from Lower School to Middle School marks the end of one stage of education and the beginning of the next. GCSEs are our boys’ first experience of national examinations, and one of our aims at this stage is to encourage them to take more responsibility for their own development and learning. We regularly monitor pupils’ progress, supporting and encouraging them to aim high and achieve their goals.

We also expect all of the boys to play a full role in the co-curricular life of the school, whether it be on the sports pitch, in the concert hall or on the stage. There are so many wonderful opportunities on offer at Merchant Taylors’ and experience shows that those boys who continue to throw themselves into the life of the school are those who derive the most benefit.

This booklet provides an introduction to the Middle School curriculum at Merchant Taylors’. It covers the main subjects studied along with information about the core curriculum.

Classes are taught by subject specialists and class sizes are usually around 20, although in some subjects they may be smaller.

The core GCSE curriculum comprises:

- English, English Literature, Mathematics and Science - A language (modern foreign language or classical) and a humanities subject - PSHE, Games and activities – our enrichment programme

In addition, boys choose further options from the other subjects that are outlined in this booklet. This means that most of the weekly timetable is devised using the pupil’s own subject choices, whereas in the past most of a pupil’s weekly timetable has been prescribed.

This is part of the process of boys taking more responsibility for their own learning. At the same time, through our option choices, we have maintained some academic breadth, which we feel remains important at this stage of a pupil’s career.

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I would offer a few brief words of advice on how to choose subjects. The most important thing is to choose a subject which one likes (and not because one likes a specific teacher). It is also crucial to choose subjects in which one feels one has ability. Without doubt, these are the two most important things.

Each of our Heads of Department and subject teachers will be happy to discuss the content of GCSE courses in more detail at any point.

You may also wish to speak with Mrs Mee, our Head of Careers, especially if you are already considering a certain career path, to make sure that the subjects taken at GCSE will facilitate this. It is important to note, however, that if this involves taking subjects you don’t enjoy, then you may wish to reconsider your career choice!

As I listen to CEOs of major companies talking about what they want from employees of the future, one of the key messages that emerges is the need for creativity. Accordingly, I would urge all boys to consider taking at least one subject which may be deemed “creative”, as it will stand them well in the future.

I hope that you find the information contained in this booklet of great help; however, there is no substitute for talking. Please do spend time talking at home about the options available as well as spending time talking to teachers. A final word on the matter: it is important for the pupil to take ownership of his subject choices, so he should be at the heart of this.

We would ask that option choices for GCSE are made by Friday 5 March, so please ensure that you read this prospectus carefully. Our academic staff will be very happy to advise further, either by email or via Teams. Please use the option choices form, located on Firefly, to indicate your preferences.

The academic Parents’ Evening, scheduled this year for Tuesday 2 March, will offer an opportunity to fine-tune your thinking on choices after discussion with subject tutors. Subsequent to this, in some instances, boys will be further advised by senior members of staff, prior to final submission, regarding the GCSE diet best suited to them.

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Pastoral Care and Academic Progress –The Head of Middle School Perspective

I look forward to welcoming you to the Middle School at Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School. I am Head of Middle School, working in tandem with a strong team of Form Tutors; together we take an integrated approach to pastoral and academic care, through which we provide scaffolded support so that we can create an overview of your academic and personal development. We want to empower you to mature and grow in independence while also ensuring that we offer a healthy framework to support you during your GCSEs.

Your Form Tutor is the linchpin and should be the first point of contact for you and / or your parents in the event of enquiries or issues arising. I oversee the Form Tutor team and I am, in turn, responsible to Mr Williams, Deputy Headmaster (Pastoral) and Mr Wickes (Headmaster).

Self-motivation and resilience are important aspects of learning at GCSE level. At the start of Year 10, an afternoon session with a prominent revision and study skills specialist organisation will begin to emphasise the importance of independent learning in the quest for excellence at GCSE. We understand the benefits of self-motivation and so you will be asked to undertake further reflection about your expectations and ways in which you can set some realistic goals.

Setting the goals is the easy part; putting a system in place to support you in those is where our experienced tutor team steps in. Form Tutors will closely monitor achievement and effort and offer strategies to support you in getting the most out of the education you are offered at Merchant Taylors’. You will be able to discuss our expectations of you and your reflection, with me and with senior academic staff.

We will guide you in terms of study skills and support you to ensure that you put in maximum effort. You are welcome to attend all clinics and work sessions and are reminded that the Library is also open until 5.30pm every evening; this is a quiet space, conducive to work and staffed at all times.

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will need to approach the course; students can no longer ‘chunk learn’ . You will now face the pressure that arises from sitting terminal examinations – in other words, you will be assessed at the end of the two-year course rather than in modular units along the way. The impact of this is huge and means that your ability to be driven and be organised is crucial.

Rest assured, as in Lower School, your academic progress is recorded and reported on by subject teachers; in the Middle School, you will receive Anticipated Attainment Grades half-termly from the end of the Winter Term in Year 10. These attainments grades will be presented in terms of GCSE grading (9-1 for most subjects). As an indication of how you are working and of the learning habits you are developing, you will continue to receive Attitude to Learning grades on the half-termly grade card. This system enables effective monitoring of academic standards in order that intervention strategies can be adopted when we notice issues arising. This can be stressful, but it is the purpose of the Middle School team to ensure that you feel supported through a potentially stressful period in your education.

A full mock programme is offered in the Spring Term of Year 11 which replicates the situation you will find during public examinations. Comprehensive feedback is provided by subject teachers and your overall profile is analysed by me – follow up meetings take place in the week after half term, where necessary. It is our aim to enable you to achieve the best grades you are capable of and we are experienced in identifying areas of weakness and supporting you through that.

There continues to be a strong focus on PHSE; the topics are relevant to young men in the 21st Century and include the dangers of substance abuse, the perils of social media and study skills for linear examinations.

Above all, we want you to feel comfortable approaching us with any issues you may have and we are also keen to celebrate your successes, academic or otherwise. Please do let us know of extra-curricular achievements that we may not otherwise be aware of.

We do have expectations of our Middle School pupils and we expect adherence to our code of conduct, which is found in the pupil handbook, but we also understand that this is a challenging time in your lives and we want you to feel safe to approach us with anything you wish to discuss. I look forward to getting to know you all and wish you a fulfilling and fruitful time in Middle School.