Years 9-11

Our Offering

Since its inception as a Montessori Nursery school, Dolphin has existed to offer parents a meaningful alternative in an increasingly homogenous educational landscape. Nowhere is this more needful than at Key Stages 3 and 4 (Years 7-11). Schools across the country, whether mixed, single-sex, indepedent or state, have their academic horizons clipped by the nature of a bloated GCSE curriculum that sees children embarking on these content-heavy courses earlier and earlier. Whilst they may seek to differentiate themselves through sports halls, music practice rooms or computer suites, the reality is that the content of their courses is dictated by an external provider.

The impetus behind a full Dolphin secondary education is the desire to give teenagers the same style of holistic, experiential and learner-centred education that younger children already enjoy at the school. For many years, parents have been asking us: "What is the natural progression for my child after Dolphin?" and, for many, there is no real answer. In the context of rising test anxiety, concerns about the validity of the content and even over grade inflation, it is obvious to us that GCSEs will not provide a suitable academic framework for this project, and we are excited choose a different path: the world-renowned International Baccalaureate's Middle Years Programme. 

This programme emphasises the development of real-life skills and competencies, enabling staff to design lessons that respond to their own areas of expertise, student interests, and current events. The flexibility of the MYP also allows us to continue to intergrate rich experiential and interdisciplinary learning in our signature day and residential trips programme. These experiences, which are so central to a Dolphin education, promote resilience, flexibility and independence, whilst also fostering those neural connections between abstract concepts and lived experience that helps to actualise learning.

*ADVENTURE TRIP PROGRAMME OVERVIEW COMING SOON*

If you are interested in finding out more about an inspirational pathway for your child in Years 7-11, please call the school on 01189 341277 or fill out an Enquiry Form.