At Winchester College, academic expectations are high, and success is achieved through a genuine curiosity and love for learning. A Winchester education therefore combines cultural studies in Div with a conventional curriculum of examined subjects. Examined courses are taught by highly qualified subject specialists.

GCSE

The majority of pupils complete a minimum of nine GCSEs and IGCSEs (all graded 9-1).  

In addition to Div, pupils begin at Winchester in Year 9 studying Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French and/or German, Geography, History, Latin, Computer Science and Religious Studies. They also study one of the following: Ancient Greek, Spanish or Russian, and choose two subjects from Art, Design & Technology, and Music. 

Towards the end of Year 9, pupils express their preferences for iGCSE/GCSE study. The compulsory subjects (in addition to Div) are English Language, Mathematics, French or German, and two or three Sciences. Pupils also choose from among the following: Latin, History, Geography, Ancient Greek, Art, Design & Technology, Music, Computer Science, Religious Studies, French, German, Spanish, and Russian. 

A-Level

Pupils ordinarily study three A-level subjects and, to foster independence and responsibility, an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside Div.

Linear A-levels are complemented by the flexibility of the EPQ where pupils are able more deeply to explore their cross-curricular research interests. The EPQ encourages pupils to develop first-class research skills, to synthesise information from variety of differing sources, and to become accustomed to the demands of independent study.

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Extension studies

In addition to Div, there are opportunities for extension study which include:  

Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry Olympiad programmes, in which we have a distinguished history of representatives on national teams. Pupils regularly achieve a very high number of gold, silver and bronze medals.  

In Modern Languages, our pupils compete annually both in the UK Linguistics Olympiad, and in the European Commission’s Juvenes Translatores competition, for which Winchester has produced two winners in the last four years against opposition from some 80 UK schools.  

The school’s full calendar of society meetings, in which intellectuals and public figures come to Winchester to share their knowledge and interests with our pupils.  

Studium is an annual day for 40+ distinguished speakers to come and talk to us on a wide range of topics.  

The Winchester Symposium programme, a series of Sunday study days held throughout the year, when other schools are invited to join Winchester pupils to hear lectures from university teachers and to engage in symposium discussions.  

Learning support

The Learning Support team provides personalised, one-to-one, study skills support for a wide range of pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs. It is an important principle that any pupil in the school is able to access support, and therefore the team works with a very wide range of pupils, including those who seek advice on increasing their chances of being accepted by the most prestigious universities. The team also administers specialist teacher assessment reports, which can diagnose specific learning difficulties, and provide recommendations for appropriate access arrangements during examinations. The team works with Div dons to provide advice on general study skills and promote pupil mental health, through mindfulness and other techniques.

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Biology  
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Classics  
Computer Science  
Design & Technology  
Economics  
English  
French  
Geography  
German  
History  
Maths  
Music  
Philosophy and Theology  
Physics  
Russian  
Spanish  

Music

Sport

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