Hurtwood House School

Although the main thrust of the school is very much its A-Level programme, it nevertheless does offer a limited number of GCSE subjects which may serve as a one-year foundation course for overseas students or as a one-year ‘rescue’ programme for students who perhaps have been forced to miss a year because of illness or accident. The school also offers re-takes in core subjects such as English and Maths which can be taken in conjunction with a student’s A Level programme.

Depending on the level of intensity of their English Language Course, overseas students can follow a maximum four* GCSE subjects in addition to their English studies.  There is a core programme which all students will follow.  The only subjects available are: Mathematics, Science, Additional Science and Business Studies.

*A modern foreign language such as Spanish, French or Italian could be made available on request.

The one-year ‘foundation’ GCSE course is designed for overseas students who have not obtained the required academic qualifications in their own country or the required standard of English to enable them to begin A-Level courses. (See also courses offered at Hurtwood under English for Speakers of Other Languages – ESOL). Depending on the level of intensity of their English language course, overseas students can have up to five GCSE subjects added to their English programme on an individual ‘tailor-made’ basis. Typically students would choose five subjects – English Language, Mathematics, Science, Additional Science, and Business Studies.  A modern foreign language may be available on request.

Class sizes are usually very small with only about five or six students in a group, but in core re-take subjects such as Mathematics or English the numbers can grow to around 12 per class.  A minimum of four-and-a-half hours teaching is provided in each subject each week.

The national GCSE programme is designed to be taken by students over a two-year period in years 10 and 11. Hurtwood offers a compressed one-year course limited to just five or six subjects for students whose education has been interrupted through illness or accident, or who are changing educational systems. Typically, students would choose five or six subjects from Mathematics, English Language, Science, Business Studies, Art, French or Spanish.

Class sizes are usually very small with only about five or six students in a group, but in core re-take subjects such as Mathematics or English the numbers can grow to around 12 per class.  A minimum of four-and-a- half hours teaching is provided in each subject each week.

The only ‘re-take’ courses we offer are in the vital core subjects of GCSE English and Mathematics. Students who are doing a re-take would usually be restricted to three rather than four AS subjects. Re-takes can be scheduled for either November or June.

Class sizes vary according to demand each year but are usually around 10 or 12 students per class. Lessons are fitted in around the A-Level programme and there are usually three double sessions per week per subject.

There is no special needs department at Hurtwood but if you have mild dyslexia you will find that you do get considerable support from the Hurtwood system with its emphasis on individual attention, small classes, and regular evaluation of work and study skills. We can arrange testing by an Educational Psychologist and if we do identify a serious learning difficulty when you are here we can outsource appropriate professional help.