Bradfield College
Bradfield College
In the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire, there is a public school (an independent day and boarding school for students aged 11 to 18 called Bradfield College, formerly St. Andrew's College, Bradfield). It is renowned for its outdoor amphitheater and for performing plays in ancient Greek.
The institution is a part of the Rugby Group, which also consists of Charterhouse, Rugby, Harrow, and Shrewsbury.
Thomas Stevens created Bradfield College in 1850. It includes about 320 female students and 490 male students.
Programs in Bradfield College
The Lower School curriculum at Bradfield is created to expose students to a variety of disciplines and help them acquire the abilities necessary for success in later years.
The curriculum for The Faulkner (Year 9) is very extensive and exposes Bradfield College students to a wide range of courses. English, math, science, two modern languages (choosing from French, German, and Spanish), art, design, and technology, physical education, ICT, wellbeing (the PSHE course), and performing arts are all taught to all students. Traditional languages are not required. Most students take between eight and 10 topics at the GCSE level. Each student is required to complete a core curriculum that covers math, science, literature in English, language arts, and a modern language. Courses in physical education and wellbeing are not evaluated. Students might choose to take Combined Science or the three individual sciences. Three more options are available to those choosing the three distinct sciences, while four more options are available to those choosing the Combined Science course. Students at Bradfield College have a wide selection of alternatives outside of the basic curriculum. GCSE Grade 6 in a minimum of six courses will be required for automatic entry into the sixth form, and many A Level/IB subjects will in reality require a grade of at least 7 or higher.
The Sixth Form curriculum seeks to give students an exceptional all-around education to equip them for success in a rapidly changing global environment.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) and the Extended Project Qualification, both of which are formally assessed at the conclusion of the Upper Sixth, are both offered by Bradfield College.
The Extended Project Qualification and three subjects (Further Mathematics serves as a fourth for those choosing the A Level route) are required (EPQ).
Bradfield College strives to offer all of the mentioned disciplines, although certain combinations might be limited due to demand, staffing, and scheduling issues. In the event that there are not enough students to support a set, a topic may be dropped.
The EPQ is a primarily self-directed and self-motivated personal research project. The project might look like:
- a research-based written report
- a production (e.g. charity event, fashion show or sports event)
- an artefact (e.g. piece of art, a computer game or realized design).
The EPQ earns UCAS points, which is a significant boost to a university application.
With the EPQ, students have a significant opportunity to perform real academic research just like they would at a university and to hone transferable skills like time management, independence, public speaking, as well as crucial interpersonal abilities (e.g. through conducting interviews).
Students must complete six topics for the IBDP, three at the higher level and three at the standard level, in addition to the fundamental components of Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS).
Since higher level courses are harder than standard level courses, students will spend more time on them. Each subject is worth 7 points, and the Core adds 3 more for a total of 45 points. Students must earn at least 24 points in order to pass the diploma.
The Bradfield College Minerva Programme is a series of lectures and seminars that covers the range of academic disciplines that Bradfield offers for its pupils.
The Program was developed in collaboration with academic departments and is included in the co-curriculum in addition to completing classroom instruction. The Athena Lectures, Bradfield College's other lecture-based enrichment program, are open to all students, unlike Minerva.
The Athena Lecture series invites guests to offer talks on subjects not included in the curriculum, many of whom are Old Bradfieldians. This has recently included, to name just a few, jobs in politics and sport, as well as exotic travel.
The Support and Study Skills Department has a group of specialized teachers that are certified to work with students who have particular learning characteristics.
Prior knowledge of a student's demands will guarantee that suggestions are taken into consideration at the start of the academic year. Because of this, communication with schools before admission is crucial, and parents should submit to the department a copy of any educational assessments (such as reports from educational psychologists or medical exams) before their child arrives.
There is a continuous screening procedure in place at Bradfield College. The Support and Study Skills Department will look into and further address any abnormalities found during this procedure. Comprehensive collaboration on a student's progress is ensured by close communication between the Department, Director of Teaching and Learning, House staff, and subject departments.
Students who are non-native English speakers are evaluated when they enroll at Bradfield College in regards to their proficiency in using English for Academic Purposes. The findings are diagnostic and used to guide the instruction of English as a Second Language.
In formal timetabled lessons at Bradfield College, EAL can be studied to IGCSE level in place of a second Modern Foreign Language. The department will monitor student progress across the curriculum and intervene to provide support as needed if a student's level of English is such that they do not require formal EAL teaching of this kind.
In cases where an exam is offered, students may take the GCSE or IGCSE in their native tongue. This can be advantageous because it involves more than just a test of proficiency in one's mother tongue; students can pick up important skills that aren't taught in other subjects. Students must put in the same amount of effort as they would in any other subject and not assume that an A* grade is a given.
For non-native English speakers who need EAL as part of the core curriculum, Bradfield College's Sixth Form offers two courses per week. Most British colleges need non-native speakers to pass the internationally recognized IELTS qualification, which the course helps students prepare for. Depending on their abilities and development, students take the test in June of their Lower Sixth year or December of their Upper Sixth year. If it is determined that students do not require formal EAL instruction, the department provides any required individualized support and tutoring.
School Life in Bradfield College
A variety of trips, both co-curricular and subject-based, are encouraged by Bradfield College and happen often throughout the year.
Students have visited a number of areas in the UK and overseas as part of their biology and geography field trips, which are essential components of both programmes. Regular field trips are offered by many subjects, including business studies, film studies, art, history of art, economics, politics, classics, history, and modern languages. Some of these trips are specialized and targeted at specific year groups, while others are accessible to students of all ages. South Africa, the USA, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have all been visited.
In the past, Bradfield College has consistently supported charities and raised significant sums of money for local, as well as national and international, causes.
Recent fundraisers for Bradfield College have included color runs, art exhibits, and music performances, in addition to smaller boarding house activities or projects carried out by student clubs or individuals.
Both the International Baccalaureate and the Bradfield Diploma include a strong emphasis on charity and community service, and both require students to choose a specific charitable cause, organize a fundraising effort, and then carry out the collection personally.
As part of the Pang River Management Project, CSP students maintain the River Pang.
At the Lenten Lunch, Bradfield College regularly donates to the Send a Cow organization. The catering staff at Bradfield College offers a cheap lunch of soup and bread; the money saved from the usual mealtime offerings is donated to fight poverty and hunger in Africa.
Future Prospects after study in Bradfield College
Every student can receive assistance from the College's Careers Department, Bradfield Horizons, no matter which path they select, and Bradfield College is dedicated to continuing this level of support. Bradfield College takes seriously its responsibility to prepare students for life after graduation and starts exposing them to career-related topics in their first year of study at Faulkner's. Through both a formal Careers Program and the indirect careers education and skills training they receive as part of their regular academic and extracurricular activities, this process evolves naturally while they are at Bradfield. Additionally, Bradfield Horizons maintains a well-stocked library and an ever-expanding electronic information database that students are regularly urged to use. Although the majority of students who graduate from Bradfield College continue their education in higher education, either immediately or after a year off, there is growing interest in vocational paths, such as apprenticeships, as well as studying abroad, particularly in North America.
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