Senior Curriculum

Learning and Teaching: Senior School

Heriot's aim is to provide a good, sound, academic education within a structured and disciplined framework.  We also want our pupils to be happy at school and to enjoy their time here and to participate in some of the many sporting, social and cultural extra-curricular activities outwith the normal school day.  We aim in both the formal and the informal curriculum to encourage each pupil to develop his or her own personality through intellectual, moral, aesthetic, social and physical activities. 

In S1, pupils study sixteen subjects. English, Mathematics, a Modern Language, Physical Education, Games, Computing, Philosophy and Religion and Citizenship are taught throughout the session. Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Design and Technology, Drama, Food and Textile Technology, Music, History, Geography, and Art and Design are studied on a rota basis. This lessens the number of subjects a pupil studies at any given time and the number of teachers who teach each pupil. We believe that greater exposure to subjects over a period will improve the pupils' learning experience and that there will be more time for reinforcement of material to enable effective learning to take place. In S2, Modern Studies replaces Food and Textile Technology in the curriculum.

In S3 and S4 most of our pupils study a balanced curriculum of eight subjects, including English Mathematics and a Modern Language. In addition, they have Physical Education, Games, Citizenship and private study. The subjects from which they can choose include all the subjects they have studied in S1 and S2, with the addition of Accounting and Finance, Business Management, Economics, Italian, Latin, Chinese (Mandarin), Philosophy and Product Design.

Subjects follow SQA Intermediate 2 or Standard Grade courses in S3 and S4 at the discretion of the Head of Department. In addition, a small number of pupils are presented for Intermediate 1 Mathematics.We encourage pupils to view S5 and S6 as a coherent programme of study, with a wider range of options supplementing academic study in S6. In S5, most pupils study five subjects,, including English, with special provision being made for a number of pupils who choose to study six subjects. Most subjects can be chosen as ‘fresh start' Highers if they have not been studied in S3 and S4, and Information Systems, Microsoft Office Specialist, Practical Craft Skills and Hospitality are added to the range of subjects available.

In S6, our flexible curriculum enables students to study a wide range of subjects at a variety of levels. We strongly encourage all students to attempt at least one subject at Advanced Higher, with the majority of students doing two or three. In addition, a very wide range of subjects is available as certificated or non-certificated Interest courses, and there is an expectation that every student will participate in Voluntary Service. For further details on S6, please visit the relevant section of the website.