Deputy Head Academic: Dr Chris Greenhalgh cdg@sevenoaksschool.org
Our Aims
The academic aims of the school are:
- To inspire pupils and instil in them a love of learning
- To establish a coherent curriculum with a clear set of values
- To equip students with the relevant knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure they fulfil their academic potential
- To ensure depth through subject-specialism and breadth through student choice
- To ensure that assessment is rigorous and consistent
- To forge a genuine continuum from the Lower School to the Sixth Form IB diploma
- To develop the life of the mind in ways that are exciting, challenging, academically ambitious, as well as fun
Our Values
The core set of values, principles and skills we seek to promote include:
- Enquiry
- Creativity
- Independent learning
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Team work
- International awareness
Our Curriculum
The International Baccalaureate (IB) remains the gold standard of world education, and everything we do in the Lower School and Middle School is designed to prepare our students for the Sixth Form and beyond.
With its learner profile, the IB diploma programme encourages a holistic approach to education. The flexibility of choice at Higher and Standard Level allows students to play to their strengths. The Extended Essay enshrines the principle of independent learning, while Theory of Knowledge (ToK) fosters an appetite for critical thinking and intellectual enquiry. International-mindedness and the explicit values of tolerance and compassion are central to the ethic of the diploma programme.
We recommend the whole Sevenoaks curriculum for its rigour, its breadth, depth and coherence, for its spirit of intellectual engagement, and for the confident, cultured and outward-looking students it produces.
For further details regarding the curriculum visit the Academic Department pages or download booklets explaining the curriculum from our downloads page.
Success in Higher Education
Virtually all our students go on to the university of their choice, including Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League. Around 90% of the leavers who apply to UK universities meet the conditions of entry to their first choice university. The vast majority of courses applied to are very competitive, including those at Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, LSE and other leading universities. Interest in US universities continues to grow amongst our Sixth Formers. We prepare students for SATs almost as soon as they enter the Sixth Form, and have established closer ties with leading US colleges and universities.
Our careers guidance begins in the Middle School and outstanding (I)GCSE results help students on their way.
Examination Results
Sevenoaks School regularly achieves outstanding results in the International Baccalaureate diploma and at GCSE and IGCSE.