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Our curriculum

One Oratory in three stages
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Our Curriculum

The Junior House

In order to provide an outstanding quality of liturgy to the spiritual life of the school, the Junior House was opened in 1996, offering a specialist music education to boys aged 7-10 with a focus on choral liturgical music.  Pupils are selected on the basis of musical aptitude, and they are required to take part in musical and choral activities arranged outside normal school hours, including weekends and holidays, and to learn at least one musical instrument.

J1 Curriculum Overview
J2 Curriculum Overview
J3 Curriculum Overview
J4 Curriculum Overview

The Senior School

Open to boys  aged 11 to 16, this is the core of the school, numbering over 850 pupils. From its earliest days in the 19th Century, it has always drawn pupils from all social backgrounds and a wide catchment area, now stretching throughout Greater London and beyond. It provides a well-structured, disciplined environment that offers boys affirmation and encouragement, while demanding high expectations in behaviour and tolerance towards each other, as they learn to acquire the virtues which equip them to contribute to society in a spirit of generosity.

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Curriculum overview

Art

This exciting course will enhance a pupil’s ability to make an observed response to a theme, through drawing and photography, and then to develop the theme in an imaginative and personal way using some or all of the above practices.

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Course Details
Biology

Biology provides a fascinating insight into nature, in addition to offering an apprenticeship in the rigours of the scientific method.

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Chemistry

Chemistry explores the deepest structures that go to make up existence. As such, it is a rigorous, exact science, which looks at the crystalline beauty of order, at the micro level, deep within the structure of matter.

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Classics

What did the Romans – and for that matter, the Greeks, ever do for us? Well, apart from enduring political and architectural structures and the thinking that lies at the base of Europe, they also shaped the mind of Europe through their philosophy, literature, art and culture.

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Computing

The Computing course at The London Oratory takes pupils all the way from basic processing skills up to and including more sophisticated programming techniques.

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Design & Technology

The core elements of Design Technology at KS3 are creativity, imagination and innovation. As student’s progress through KS3, they will be given the opportunity to solve genuine, relevant problems within different contexts while considering their own and other’s needs, wants and values.

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English

The English Department seeks to inspire in its pupils not only a deep love of literature, but also an apprenticeship in the science of language, opening pupils to others' worlds and enabling better personal insight into themselves.

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Geography

Dramatic landscapes and seascapes, the science of ‘what lies beneath’ and the vast forces that shape and are shaped by human existence all go to make up the stuff of Geography.

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History

 in History, we aim to develop in pupils a life-long interest in the past by helping them to understand what has happened and inspiring them with the stories of real people who lived before them.

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MFL

At The London Oratory we study French, German and Spanish, all to GCSE. Learning a foreign language opens minds to understanding other people. It leads to encounters with people from many backgrounds and the experience of new cultures.

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Mathematics

Throughout their time at The London Oratory School, pupils will study an intensive course of Mathematics. Teaching focuses on both the underpinning conceptual principles of Mathematics – the ‘why’, of Mathematics, if you like – and the more process driven and applied approaches – the ‘how’ of Mathematics.

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Music

Here, pupils explore music within the western classical tradition, and all are encouraged to take up an instrument and to contribute to one of the many opportunities for performance, from the low key to the high register.

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PE

Physical Education at The London Oratory School balances out the needs of wider participation and sport for all, with elite performance, and the needs of a diversified programme with plenty of scope for specialisation.

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Personal Development

At The London Oratory there is no tension between a rigorous and stretching academic education on the one hand and outstanding wider personal development on the other. Indeed, these and other aspects of the school’s work all contribute to forming well-educated and rounded young adults ready to take their place in the world.

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Physics

Waves and light, forces and motion, electricity and magnetism: all of these and much more go to make up the fascinating study of the material world that is Physics.

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RE

As befits an unapologetically Catholic school, the RE Department at The London Oratory School is situated at ‘the heart of the heart’ and the core of the curriculum.

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The Sixth Form

In the Sixth Form, the school opens its doors to welcome other boys and girls who want to complete their education by profiting from the distinctive formation which our school provides, and who are happy to embrace the traditional culture which they find with us.

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Curriculum overview

Ancient History

Ancient History gives pupils the opportunity to study the glories of Ancient Greece and the rise of the Roman Empire, including some of the defining moments in western history.

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Art & Design

Art and Design builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired at GCSE level, providing ample opportunities for pupils to explore areas of personal interest, experiment with a range of methods and approaches and to develop their own artistic style.

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Biology

The AS and A Level Biology course have been designed to engage and inspire pupils by showing how an understanding of many contemporary issues requires a grasp of fundamental biological ideas.

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Business

Business offers pupils the opportunity to explore the world of work before entering into it fully, And equips pupils with an understanding of how to start a business, how larger businesses operate, and what decisions businesses make and why.

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Chemistry

The Chemistry A Level course is designed to expand and build on the basics learnt at GCSE level, focusing on those topics that explain many aspects of the environment around us in terms of the material world.

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Classical Greek

Classical Greek at AS and A2 gives pupils the chance to build on their knowledge of the Greek language by studying a more authentic style of texts written by a wider range of authors.

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Design & Technology

A level Product Design is a rigorous and demanding course which provides pupils with the skills and knowledge to respond to real world problems.

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Economics

Economics is a very accessible subject, drawing on scientific and mathematical understanding, in an applied way, whilst offering an opportunity for debate and discussion in the more subjective areas of the course.

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English Literature

English Literature A level builds on the skills developed at GCSE, giving pupils the opportunity to develop their interest in and enjoyment of literature.

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French

French A level builds on the skills developed at GCSE, giving pupils the ability to understand spoken and written French at a high level whilst also providing pupils with the tools to communicate confidently in written and spoken form.

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Further Mathematics

As well as being a highly regarded subject in its own right, Mathematics is an excellent partner for many other subjects, especially Sciences, Geography and Economics.

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Geography

Geography A level is a relevant and engaging course which balances physical and human geography.

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German

German A level builds on the skills developed at GCSE, giving pupils the ability to understand spoken and written German at a high level whilst also providing pupils with the tools to communicate confidently in written and spoken form.

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History

History builds upon the skills developed at GCSE and allows pupils to understand History at a higher level. Through a range of papers pupils are introduced to a variety of ways of studying history.

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Latin

Latin at AS and at A level gives pupils the opportunity to build on their knowledge of the Latin language acquired at GCSE by studying a more authentic style of texts written by a wider range of authors.

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Mathematics

Pure Maths pupils will develop and extend skills in algebra and trigonometry, as well as meeting new topics such as differentiation and integration (calculus), logarithms, functions, vectors and mathematical proof.

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Music

Music A Level is a stimulating and enriching choice. The course builds on previously acquired skills at GCSE as it expects pupils to experience the three main musical disciplines of performing, composing, and appraising.

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Physical Education

Pupils who have studied GCSE Physical Education (PE) or those who have a particular interest in factors affecting performance in sport would be suitably qualified to consider this thoroughly engaging and theoretical course.

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Physics

A Level Physics is concerned with observing natural phenomena in the world modelling them and predicting future outcomes in new and unknown situations.

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Politics

Politics is a new subject for pupils at AS and A Level, but builds upon skills from subjects such as History or English. The AS units link well to each other and allow pupils to study a range of issues in the contemporary government and politics of the United Kingdom.

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RSE & PHSE

Young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. The PHSE & RSE subject content will give them the knowledge and capability to be safe and healthy, and enable them to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.

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Spanish

Spanish A level builds on the skills developed at GCSE, giving pupils the ability to understand spoken and written Spanish at a high level whilst also providing pupils with the tools to communicate confidently in written and spoken form.

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Theology

Theology invites pupils to engage with key themes in Philosophy of Religion, Ethics and Christian Thought from their origins in the Hebrew Scriptures through their encounter with Greek philosophy and development in Christianity.

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Reading & The St Philip Neri Library

Reading is at the heart of intellectual life at our school, which has been designed so that all the classrooms flow outwards from St Philip’s Library, which is at the centre of the academic block. As reading opens up access to the curriculum, teaching focuses on mediating the reading of complex texts from science textbooks to classical literature. Through a programme in Form period, work done in lessons, and use of the St Philip Library, pupils are exposed to a range of challenging texts that broaden their intellectual and cultural experiences.

Reading lists

Reading at The London Oratory School

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Reading Lists J1 & J2

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Reading Lists J3 & J4

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Compilation Reading List | Classics, Arts, Sciences

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Reading Lists First & Second Form

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Form time reading spine

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Reading List Third Form

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Reading Lists Fourth & Fifth Form

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Reading List Sixth Form

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History companion

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