TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE SENIOR SCHOOL
Clifton High Senior School's curriculum provides a comprehensive and diverse education that embeds critical thinking, problem-solving, practical skills and curiosity into teaching methods. This allows all our pupils to grow a true love of learning.
Mr Andrew Hillman - Assistant Head: Director of Studies
Clifton High School is an academically selective day school with a well-respected, holistic approach to learning. Our pupil body is intelligent, capable and creative learners who learn the art of working collaboratively and independently to achieve excellent results at GCSE level. Lessons incorporate contemporary issues, current affairs and the effective use of technology, complemented by the 4Cs of collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. Our focus is to ignite a lifelong passion for learning, so pupils feel a natural sense of progression as they transition through our Senior School. They develop into confident learners and critical thinkers, empowered to realise their own individual brilliance and discover their path in a rapidly changing world.
Small class sizes (no more than 20) are led by dedicated teachers who encourage an exceptional level of support and are the basis for an individualised educational experience that enhances our stimulating curriculum. This is further strengthened through dedicated Health and Wellbeing lessons, which help pupils manage their academic workloads effectively while supporting their mental health and wellbeing.
Additional learning opportunities such as national and international trips, excellent teacher resources and individually allocated iPads collectively add value inside and outside the classroom.
The Diamond Edge Model
On joining Year 7, pupils embark on a new educational chapter, discovering new possibilities through extensive enrichment options. The Diamond Edge Model of Education is a valued learning approach used before GCSE studies, in which pupils are taught in single-sex groups for Mathematics, English, and the Sciences. Beyond these subjects, they benefit from a co-educational structure in all other lessons and social settings. Since the model was introduced, pupils have achieved more equally, and this success is clearly reflected in our excellent academic outcomes.
Value-Added
We believe that the true indicator of our pupils’ success lies in our value-added: the measure of a pupil’s progress since they joined Clifton High School. With this, we pride ourselves on the consistently high academic progress that every pupil enjoys, with a focus on meeting and exceeding baseline grade predictions in every subject.
The 4Cs: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication and Collaboration
The 4Cs are developed throughout a pupil’s learning journey at Clifton High School and are embedded across many subjects rather than confined to one area of the curriculum.
Whether a pupil is conducting scientific research, debating an issue, designing a creative project or exploring digital innovation, they are encouraged to question, imagine, express and communicate with each other. By applying these skills in our Skills for Tomorrow programme. pupils develop the adaptability, independence and resilience required for a lifelong love of learning.
At Clifton High School, we understand that technology continues to transform the world, but we believe that human qualities remain at the heart of our successful education. We place emphasis on learning with consciousness, social and emotional intelligence, empathy and wellbeing, all whilst encouraging pupils to understand their own strengths and individual brilliance.
Pupils are navigating an increasingly interconnected world. They are developing the ability to understand and communicate with people from different backgrounds, cultures, traditions and heritages. It is through projects included in the Skills for Tomorrow programme that they learn to consider multiple perspectives, discuss real-world scenarios and communicate with empathy and respect, with an open-minded approach to being responsible members of a global society.
Homework
Homework is designed to support independent study and reinforce classroom learning. Pupils are expected to access a range of resources through our School’s learning platforms and library resources from home. As pupils progress into the Senior School and further into Sixth Form, there is an increasing focus on research, revision and independent learning skills.
GCSE Examinations
As Year 10 and 11 pupils study towards their GCSE examinations, they are afforded greater responsibility for their own learning and encouraged to take ownership of their individual choices. Pupils are recommended to select nine GCSE subjects, as well as take advantage of our extensive Enrichment Programme, which enhances our offering of a well-balanced education.
In 2026, 24% of all grades awarded were the top Grade 9, with 43% at Grades 9-8 and 63% at Grades 9-7. An impressive 97% of pupils achieved Grades 9-4, significantly exceeding the national average pass rate of 67%.
GCSE Subjects:
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Further details on GCSE Options can be found in the booklet below.
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Additional Learning Support
At Clifton High School, we recognise that every pupil learns differently and that, at times, additional support can make a significant difference to confidence, progress and achievement. Our Enhanced Learning Department (ELD) provides expert, personalised support through one-to-one and small-group teaching for pupils with additional learning needs, including dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia, as well as for pupils who are developing their English as an Additional Language (EAL).
Led by the Head of Enhanced Learning and supported by a team of specialist teachers, including specialist-trained Dyslexia and Dyscalculia teachers, an EAL Teaching and Learning Coordinator and an EAL Tutor, the ELD works closely with pupils, teachers and families to understand individual needs and provide appropriate strategies and interventions. For pupils requiring additional support with English, an initial assessment helps identify their specific needs, after which tailored weekly or twice-weekly lessons may be provided. These sessions develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, alongside relevant curriculum content, and progress is carefully monitored over time.
English as an Additional Language
We celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity that our pupils bring to Clifton High, encouraging them to value their home languages while developing the confidence and fluency they need to thrive academically and socially. Through responsive, specialist support, the ELD helps every pupil access the curriculum, recognise their strengths and become an increasingly confident and independent learner.
Skills For Tomorrow
At Clifton High School, our education prepares pupils not only for opportunities of today, but for the possibilities of tomorrow. Alongside academic knowledge with a focus on achievement, we equip our pupils with the skills, confidence and understanding they need to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. We recognise that future success will depend on what pupils know, how they think, communicate, collaborate, adapt and apply knowledge.
Our innovative Skills for Tomorrow programme brings together knowledge and skills from across the curriculum to support pupils in their understanding of how to respond to the world around them. Developed by our Head of Transformation and AI, with co-development from the University of Glasgow, the programme draws upon extensive interdisciplinary research and has been presented at both the Council of Europe Digital Citizenship Conference and UNESCO Headquarters.
Through the Skills for Tomorrow programme, pupils explore the defining opportunities and challenges of their generation, from artificial intelligence (AI) and digital citizenship to sustainability, globalisation, wellbeing and social responsibility.
AI is already transforming the way we learn, work and communicate. At Clifton High School, pupils develop an informed and responsible understanding of AI, exploring how technology works, what it can do and how it is implicated by ethical, social and environmental issues.
From Years 7 to 12, pupils and students consider topics including AI literacy, prompt engineering, data ownership, privacy, AI ethics, safety and the future of digital tools in the workplace. They are encouraged to question, evaluate and make informed decisions to develop digital confidence, judge analytically and engage responsibly with emerging technologies.
The challenges of the future rarely fit within the boundaries of a single subject. Yet, at Clifton High School, pupils may explore real-world issues within the Skills for Tomorrow programme. They work across disciplines to investigate authentic problems and develop practical solutions using design and critical thinking as well as creative problem-solving skills. It is important for them to understand how their learning can have a real-world impact.
Our Head of Higher Education and Careers provides individual pupil guidance throughout their Senior School journey, and our annual Careers Fair helps every pupil identify and pursue the pathway that is right for them.
