16+ Prospectus 2021 3
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16+ PROSPECTUS 2021 3 Head Master’s welcome 3 A Westminster education 4 Our unique location 5 Boarding and day 6 Our co-educational community 7 Welcome A day at Westminster 8 A place of wellbeing 10 Dear Parents, Guardians and Pupils, Academic life 11 The Sixth Form curriculum 12 I hope that you will find this 16+ Prospectus informative and Before you decide 13 that you will feel both inspired and encouraged to proceed Beyond the subject choices 16 with an application to Westminster School. The broader curriculum 18 Adventures and Expeditions 19 The co-educational Sixth Form at In recent years, we have opened a Once you have read this prospectus Music 20 Westminster offers a safe, stimulating House for girl boarders and day boys, and explored the website, I warmly The Art School 21 and challenging environment for learning. and an indoor sports centre adjacent encourage you to join us at an Open Day Drama 22 The School’s reputation as one of the to the School’s playing fields at Vincent before the formal process of interviews Sport for life – and to win 23 foremost centres of academic excellence Square. Both have significantly enhanced and assessments gets under way. It is Westminster and the community 24 in the country is due not only to our the facilities for pupils joining us in the always best to gain a first-hand glimpse pupils’ superb examination results and Sixth Form. In September 2017, girls were of what lies ahead, to put some faces After Westminster 25 admission to some of the world’s top elected as Queen’s Scholars for the first to names and experience the buzz and The admissions procedure 26 universities, but even more importantly time, and a new series of classrooms and energy of the School for yourselves. Scholarships and Bursaries 28 to their genuine enjoyment of academic an observatory have recently opened in I look forward to meeting you in person, Frequently asked questions 29 enquiry, rigorous debate and search for our refurbished Science building. showing you the School and introducing Information for explanation and meaning well beyond you to the heads of the academic overseas candidates 30 any examination syllabus. Westminster pupils follow specifications departments, who will be able to answer Choosing your in A Levels and the Cambridge Pre-U any questions you may have. Sixth Form subjects 31 Westminster pupils enhance their examinations, depending on the intellectual, personal and social subjects studied. These qualifications I know that applying to a new school development by taking full advantage allow for the deep specialisation on can sometimes seem daunting for pupils Course information section of the many opportunities in sport, music, which Westminster pupils really thrive, (and, often, their parents); but I hope Art 34 drama, community service and other while the principle of choice fits well that, in applying for Westminster, feelings Art History 35 forms of civic engagement. Together, with the School’s liberal academic of excitement will outweigh any natural Classics: Latin and Ancient Greek 36 these opportunities help our pupils to tradition of drawing out and nurturing anxiety. Our hope is that by providing as Economics 37 prepare themselves for a life well lived as individual talents. much information about the School as English Literature 38 informed and committed global citizens. possible at this stage, and seeking as Pupils study four subjects that provide much information as possible about you, Geography 39 You will read about all of this and much both breadth and depth throughout the the decisions that we eventually make History 40 more in the following pages. two years of the Sixth Form (Years 12 will be the right ones. One thing I can Mathematics 41 and 13). We find that the sheer intellectual say with certainty: the new pupils who Modern Languages Historically, Westminster has been enjoyment that this bespoke, individual join us in the Sixth Form each year settle and Linguistics 42 a boarding school in the heart of approach brings to learning ensures in quickly and happily and make a great French 43 London and approximately one quarter that our pupils go on to win places at success of their time here. Chinese 44 of Sixth Form pupils board. Some come some of the world’s best universities. German 45 from far afield, but most are Londoners Academic departments are free to follow Our most recent ISI inspection report who prefer to avoid the daily grind the specification they feel will enable describes the School as engendering Russian 46 of commuting. Thanks in part to this pupils most effectively to realise their “…a pupil body liberated from dogma, Spanish 47 boarding tradition, Westminster is very academic potential, evidenced in part by prejudice or unthinking conformity...” A BRIEF HISTORY Music 48 different from a conventional school for examination results: in 2019 Westminster We cherish this distinctiveness. If it our day pupils too. Many remain on-site pupils achieved more than 50% of their strikes a chord with you, then we are Westminster is a long-established school Philosophy and Theology 49 long after the teaching day has finished, A-level and Pre-U grades at A* or D1 / D2. the right school to be applying to for on an ancient site. Its origins can be traced Sciences 50 perhaps to work in the library, take part your sixth form studies. Good luck with back to 1179, when the Benedictine monks Biology 51 in extra sport, rehearse for a play or A by-product of its long-standing all that lies ahead. of Westminster Abbey were asked by Pope Chemistry 52 concert, or attend a lecture or debate. commitment to intellectual rigour Alexander III to provide a small charity Physics 53 There is never a dull moment and always and enquiry, Westminster is the Dr Gary Savage – Head Master school. The School’s continuous existence Electronics AS Level 54 plenty to get involved with, whatever the only school to have achieved this is certain from the early 14th century. Drama and Theatre Studies 55 individual pupil’s interests. outstanding feat every year since Following the dissolution of the monasteries the A* grade was introduced. in 1540, Henry VIII personally ensured the School’s survival by statute and Elizabeth I How to find your way around 56 con firmed royal patronage in 1560. Timeline 58 4 5 A Westminster education Central to Westminster’s ethos is the rapport between teachers and their pupils. This inspires passion for the subject, While academic and cultural encourages confidence in learning, attainments are highly prized, the conveys knowledge and develops skills School is fully committed to nurture of rational, independent thought. Our each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional pupils’ academic success comes from and physical wellbeing. We seek their enjoyment of intellectual enquiry, to develop individual talent wherever debate and search for explanation, it lies – and to prepare young people reaching well beyond published syllabi. for fulfilled private and public lives. They delight in a huge range of opportunities to develop initiatives and to discuss their ideas. We are a happy, “Pupils express delight busy and purposeful community. A ‘halfway-house’ between in how the School school and university The broader ethos of the School has encouraged them resides in the enduring values reflected The Westminster Sixth Form is to explore beyond the in the 1560 Charter of Westminster’s often regarded as a ‘halfway-house’ Some of our buildings date back Situated between Parliament, boundaries of what Elizabethan foundation, where it is between school and university. to the 11th century and, while the The Supreme Court and Westminster stated that: ‘the youth which is growing As such, it aims to provide a safe, Our community comprises pupils Abbey, the School’s inspirational they might have thought to manhood, as tender shoots in the stable and enriching community, in and teachers of many different location has always been of significant they could do.” wood of our state, shall be liberally which pupils are encouraged to learn unique faiths, we retain close links with influence. Politics and the law are instructed in good books to the greater about the world around them in order Westminster Abbey: the Dean of abiding interests among the pupil ISI Report November 2016 honour of the state.’ to engage actively with it and lead Westminster is the Chairman of body and the importance of spiritual a fulfilling life beyond Westminster. location the Governing Body and the Abbey and moral reflection is also deeply With an enviable programme of is the School’s chapel. embedded. Minutes away is the best outside speakers and an ever-increasing of everything metropolitan: museums, range of academic, artistic, sporting When other Westminster School now extends galleries, concert halls, theatres and cultural expeditions, Westminster’s schools moved to beyond Dean’s Yard and into the and the energy of a great city – global dimension provides pupils surrounding quiet streets, having, in all of which enrich our curricular with every opportunity to develop the suburbs in the recent years, expanded to include: and co-curricular programmes. their cultural capital and understanding. late 19th century, Alongside this, the School coordinates • the Weston Building a popular and thriving civic engagement Westminster School for the Humanities; programme, which encourages remained on its • state-of-the-art laboratories Sixth Form pupils to engage with the and an observatory in the newly local community in a meaningful way, original site at the refurbished Robert Hooke thus developing social understanding very heart of London. Science Centre; and responsibility. • the Sports Centre near Vincent Square; • the Manoukian Music Centre; • an inspiring new location for Purcell’s boarding house • the Millicent Fawcett Hall Theatre; • the recently opened Sir Adrian Boult Building, a new events space.