Upper Secondary (Classes 10-11)

In Upper Secondary, students are progressively guided towards the IGCSE examinations, blending a strong academic focus with a balanced, enriching curriculum. As they move through Class 10 and into Class 11, they deepen their studies in Maths, English, Science, Humanities, and Modern Languages, preparing for up to 6 IGCSE qualifications by Class 11. These internationally recognised exams reflect a high standard of academic achievement, opening doors to higher education and global career opportunities.

While academic rigour intensifies, we uphold a well-rounded approach that includes regular engagement in Sports, Arts, PSHE, and hands-on subjects like Baking. This balanced experience ensures students can pursue creative and personal interests alongside their academic commitments. Independent study sessions, co-curricular activities, and school trips are embedded into the timetable, providing the opportunity for students to take ownership of their learning and experience real-world applications of their studies.

Technology is integral to the Upper Secondary curriculum as well, with students required to have laptops, tablets, or Chromebooks for coursework and assignments in Google Classroom, as well as for simulations and other digital tools that enhance learning.

Through these years, students hone skills in research, critical thinking, extended writing, and problem-solving—preparing them not only for exams but also for a confident transition into adulthood. With guidance from dedicated mentors, they embody the Cambridge Learner Profile's values: confidence, responsibility, reflection, innovation, and engagement, joining a global community of learners equipped for a lifetime of growth and success.

Maths

We organise the Cambridge Secondary Mathematics curriculum in six content areas or ‘strands’:

Number
Algebra
Geometry
Measure
Handling data
Problem solving

The first five content areas are underpinned by the sixth: problem solving, which provides a structure for applying mathematical skills. Mental strategies are also a key part of the Number content. This curriculum framework focuses on principles, patterns, systems, functions and relationships so that learners can apply their mathematical knowledge and develop a holistic understanding of the subject.

The Cambridge Lower Secondary Mathematics curriculum framework provides a solid foundation for Cambridge IGCSE.

An essential subject for all learners, Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics encourages the development of mathematical knowledge as a key life skill, and as a strong basis for more advanced study. The syllabus aims to build learners’ confidence by helping them develop competency and fluency with mathematical concepts, methods and skills, as well as a feel for numbers, patterns and relationships. The syllabus also places a strong emphasis on solving problems and presenting and interpreting results. Learners also gain an understanding of how to communicate and reason using mathematical concepts.

English

We have designed our course to allow students to take either English as a First Language IGCSE or English as a Second Language IGCSE depending on circumstance.

The course enables learners to:

develop the ability to communicate clearly, accurately and effectively when speaking and writing
use a wide range of vocabulary, and the correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
develop a personal style and awareness of the audience being addressed

Learners are also encouraged to read widely, both for their own enjoyment and to further their awareness of the ways in which English can be used. The Cambridge curriculum also develops general analytical and communicative skills such as inference and prediction, the ability to order facts and present opinions effectively.

The study of English offers students the opportunity to respond to a rich array of reading texts during the course. Students use these texts to inform and inspire their own writing, using a range of genres for different purposes and audiences. Students develop skills in speaking, listening, delivering presentations and responding to questions.

Prowess in English encourages appreciative and critical readers, writers, speakers and listeners.

Our aims are to enable students to:

read a wide range of texts, fluently and with good understanding, while enjoying and appreciating a variety of language
read critically and use knowledge gained from their reading to inform and improve their own writing
write accurately and effectively, using Standard English appropriately
work with information and with ideas in language by developing skills of evaluation, analysis, use and inference
listen to, understand and use spoken language effectively
acquire and apply a wide vocabulary alongside knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology and linguistic conventions

Science

Children are naturally curious and Science supports the development of a child’s curiosity, helping them to investigate problems, learn more about the world around them and understand and use scientific explanations for a wide range of phenomena.

Scientific enquiry is about considering ideas, evaluating evidence, planning investigative work and recording and analysing data. Scientific enquiry objectives underpin Biology, Chemistry and Physics, which are focused on developing confidence and interest in scientific knowledge, including environmental awareness and the history of science.

Students develop research, collaborative and creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. The course supports progression to a wide range of science subjects at Cambridge Upper Secondary.

Cambridge IGCSE Combined Sciences gives learners the opportunity to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics; each is covered in a separate syllabus. It is a single award qualification, where learners gain an understanding of the basic principles of each subject through a mix of theoretical and practical studies, while also developing an understanding of the scientific skills essential for further study.

They learn how science is studied and practised and thus become aware that the results of scientific research can have both good and bad effects on individuals, communities and the environment. As well as focusing on the individual sciences, the syllabus helps learners to understand the technological world in which they live and take an informed interest in science and scientific developments.

Biology

Characteristics of living organisms
Cells
Biological molecules
Enzymes
Plant nutrition
Animal nutrition
Transport
Gas exchange and respiration
Coordination and response
Reproduction
Organisms and their environment
Human influences on ecosystems

Chemistry

The particulate nature of matter
Experimental techniques
Atoms, elements and compounds
Stoichiometry
Electricity and chemistry
Energy changes in chemical reactions
Chemical reactions
Acids, bases and salts
The Periodic Table
Metals
Air and water
Organic chemistry

Physics

Motion
Work, energy and power
Thermal physics
Properties of waves, including light and sound
Electrical quantities
Electric circuits

Spanish

This course is designed for students who are learning Spanish as a foreign language. The aim is to develop an ability to use the language effectively for practical communication. The course is based on the linked language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and these are built on as learners progress through their studies.

Our Spanish curriculum also aims to offer insights into the culture of countries where Spanish is spoken, thus encouraging positive attitudes towards language learning and towards speakers of other languages.

The subject content is organised in five broad topic areas. These provide contexts for the acquisition of vocabulary and the study of grammar and structures. The study of these topic areas enables students to gain an insight into countries and communities where Spanish is spoken. The five topic areas are:

Everyday activities
Personal and social life
The world around us
The world of work
The international world

The syllabus gives students opportunities to develop and apply a wide range of foreign language skills. Students will be expected to read and understand a variety of written and spoken texts on familiar topics as well as demonstrate understanding of the main ideas, opinions and attitudes, select and extract relevant details and deduce the meaning of occasional unknown words from context. They will also have opportunities to write in Spanish on familiar, everyday topics, and to speak the language by taking part in everyday conversations.

Global Perspectives

Global Perspectives is a stimulating course that stretches across traditional subject boundaries and develops transferable skills. It is both cross-curricular and skills-based and taps into the way 21st century students enjoy learning, including teamwork, presentations, projects and working with other learners around the world. The emphasis is on developing the ability to think critically about a range of global issues where there is always more than one point of view.

Art

Art & Design gives learners a platform to express themselves, sparking imagination, creativity and developing transferable skills. Students explore and push boundaries to become reflective, critical and decisive thinkers. They learn how to articulate personal responses to their experiences.

Students develop creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. They will:

learn to see themselves as artists and become increasingly reflective and independent
develop the skills needed to express creative ideas and to communicate visually
understand their place and the place of others in a creative, innovative and interconnected world.

This course supports progression to many other creative subjects in Classe 10 and 11.

The Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design syllabus aims to encourage a personal response by stimulating imagination, sensitivity, conceptual thinking, powers of observation and analytical ability. Learners gain confidence and enthusiasm as they develop technical skills in two and three dimensional form and composition, and are able to identify and solve problems in visual and tactile forms. They also learn how to develop ideas from initial attempts to final solutions. An ideal foundation for further study, Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design also develops a greater awareness of the role played by the visual arts in society and in history, broadening cultural horizons and individual experience.

Personal Project

A key vision at River House Academy is that all Secondary students undertake a personal project. This is a year-long piece of significant work, based around a topic chosen by the student, to develop and manage responsibility for their own learning.

The project is assessed at its natural conclusion through a demonstration and presentation to staff and peers. Students need to think carefully about the topic that they choose; it should be something that they are personally interested in and passionate about. Topics therefore vary widely and can be drawn from almost any area of interest.

Personal Project supports our students to become curious, confident, responsible, innovative, reflective and resilient learners. We believe that this is a desirable set of skills which will serve them well in the workplace and in life generally.

CO-CURRICULUM

Food and nutrition
Gardening
Physical Education
Humanities
Music
Drama
Dance
Creative arts and crafts
Technology
Media Studies
Personal Social Health and Careers Education