Senior School

Curriculum 

Our differentiated curriculum is tailored to meet the diverse learning needs of each student, ensuring that every girl reaches her full academic potential by accommodating their unique strengths, interests, and learning styles. We emphasise critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy within our teaching practices to prepare students for the demands of the modern world. Alongside traditional academic subjects, we focus on developing essential skills such as financial literacy, time management, and effective study techniques, fostering a love of learning and lifelong curiosity.

In a rapidly evolving world, we prioritise 21st-century skills, including collaboration, creativity, and digital competence, through project-based learning where students work in teams to solve real-world problems. This approach promotes innovation, teamwork, and effective communication. 

Our senior curriculum prepares students for secondary school. Throughout the year, emphasis is placed on strong habit-forming, study skills, time management, work ethic, and assessment tasks.

Beyond core subjects, we include our STEAM programme, Christian Education, and languages: French, English, Chinese, Te Reo, and Spanish as both semester-long and full-year courses. 

Year 8 girls can participate in student leadership as Head Girl, Deputy Head Girl, Chapel, School Council, Academic, Sport, Arts and House Prefects.  Year 7 girls, too, can pursue leadership and monitoring responsibilities.

Our dynamic programmes encourage performance across academic, practical, physical, and cultural pursuits. 

Fostering Creativity

Our purpose-built facilities provide students with fully equipped art studios where they can explore various mediums, from painting to pencil, pastel, and clay sculpture. We also have a kiln for firing clay, allowing students to create three-dimensional artwork. 

Specialist teachers focus on practical knowledge, idea development and execution, rationale development, and communicating and interpreting meaning through art. We want our girls to find the joy of creativity and understand how it can strengthen their sense of self and individuality. 

Igniting the Performing Arts 

Our performing arts programme is a perfect platform for girls to express their creative talents. Whether through music, dance, speech or drama, students have countless opportunities to develop their performing skills and confidence.  

Every student benefits from music as part of our curriculum. Orchestral tuition is available in both small-group and individual lessons, and we have a school orchestra that students can audition for. Our school choir, The Highland Belles, offers a fantastic avenue for those passionate about singing.  

Drama, dance, and speech tuition are perfect for exceptional communicators. Poetry and speech competitions as well as our annual dramatic productions add a little glamour to studies and offer incredible personal growth opportunities.

Growing Tomorrow's Athletes

A wide array of sports caters to our girls' various interests and talents, including athletics, ball skills, cricket, cross country, football, gymnastics, hockey, netball, swimming, tennis, touch and tag rugby, water polo, sailing, dance and Pilates.

Our heated outdoor swimming pool provides students with the perfect environment to develop their swimming and water safety skills. We encourage active participation with events often structured around House competitions, fostering a strong sense of community and camaraderie. 

We encourage all girls to find a sports activity they love. The correlation between mental wellbeing, positive self-image, and regular physical exercise is well documented. 

Developing Courage and Confidence through Education Outside The Classroom – EOTC 

Extending learning beyond classroom walls is an opportunity to transform lessons from the conceptual to the actual, offering students the ability to make vital connections based on hands-on experience.  

We include thoughtfully designed field trips, cross-curricular excursions, and annual camps, creating opportunities for girls to acquire knowledge, develop independence, and discover self-confidence. 

Camps present a unique chance for our students to participate in a curated series of outdoor and cultural activities, enhancing their skill set and providing fresh personal challenges. These shared experiences foster lasting friendships, create memorable moments, and offer the thrill of experiencing something new. 

Enhanced Learning

We appreciate that our student body is diverse, with varying educational needs. Beyond our small class sizes, we offer a well-established support system for high-ability learners.  

High-functioning students have various ways of receiving support: in-class assistance, individual tuition, or external support if required. Our desires for these students remain constant: to understand and experience the value of persistence and hard work and to know the delight of achieving a personal best.