- Year 10 students prepare for the upper-intermediate Cambridge English: First (also known as the First Certificate in English)
- Year 11 students prepare for the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) examination
In both courses you will develop your knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar and improve your reading, listening, writing and speaking skills.
In addition, every effort is made to develop an interest in the language and to provide a set of learning skills and a familiarity with useful, authoritative reference materials. This provides you with the tools and the desire to continue your language learning independently beyond these two years.
A textbook for each course is provided free of charge. This is supplemented with topical reading texts and listening and viewing materials. Students give presentations, take part in role play exercises, discuss a wide range of issues and write in a variety of different genres. Feedback is detailed and extensive, and students are expected to act upon this.
Year 10: The upper-intermediate Cambridge English: First qualification is taken in May or June.
- 3 hours and 30 minutes of tests in reading and use of English (grammar and vocabulary), writing, listening and speaking.
- In a 15-minute speaking examination, students undertake a number of tasks with a fellow candidate.
Year 11: Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) examination
- 3 hours of written papers in reading and use of English and writing
- 40-minute listening test
- 15-minute speaking examination, taken in pairs.
Cambridge English scores
Cambridge Assessment now gives scores in terms of both a letter and a number on the Cambridge English scale (which makes it possible to compare them with IELTS scores), and universities now quote their requirements in this way. For instance, Oxford University and the Medical Faculty of Imperial College require 185 with a minimum of 176 in each paper; for Law, LSE requires 185 and a minimum of 185 points in each paper.