Compulsory Secondary Education covers pupils from the age of 12 to 16. During this time, pupils acquire the knowledge, habits and skills which will enable them to continue their education up to Bachillerato and beyond. In addition to preparing our pupils academically, we also encourage them to be independent and self-critical and to have a responsible attitude towards their work. We want our pupils to know the value of hard work and to appreciate the satisfaction to be gained from achieving good results.

In ESO, over 40% of the subjects are taught in English and the remaining percentage is divided between Catalan and Spanish. French is also introduced at this stage as a 4th language. French, like English, is taught through immersion by teachers who are native speakers. Pupils also take external exams in French.

Pupils take the following external examinations of the University of Cambridge in the English language:

• Preliminary English Test in 1 ESO
• First Certificate in English in 2 ESO
• Certificate of Advanced English 4 ESO
• Proficiency in English 2 Bachillerato

The ESO curriculum aims to provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the world of today. To achieve this, pupils are grouped in small numbers wherever possible and particular attention is paid to individual needs.

The ability to speak in public is an increasingly important skill in today’s society. At St. Paul’s, our programme of Public Speaking Skills which includes subjects such as Drama, Media Studies, Speech and Debate and World Affairs, aims to develop this skill. Additionally, each year our pupils undertake a project, ‘credito de sintesis’, which requires them to give oral presentations to a panel of assessors made up of teachers at the school.

Citizenship, which follows the guidelines laid down by the European Union, is a subject taken in 3 ESO, where our objective is to prepare our pupils to be responsible citizens who are aware of their rights and obligations within a democratic framework.

We would like to highlight the following aspects of ESO in St. Paul’s:

• Small class sizes for specific subjects.
• Robotics workshop and web design credit.
• Careers advice.
• Public Speaking Skills Programme (1 to 4 ESO).
• Pastoral care.
• Trips abroad: United States, Canada, Wales.
• Lunchtime workshops and activities.
• Science Club: practical laboratory work which stimulates a spirit of scientific enquiry and team work.
• Chess Club: learning the rules of the game and how to use strategies to stimulate thought.
• Ski and Cultural trips: both activities take place during the second term.
• ‘Pruebas Cangur’ and ‘Fem Matemáticas’: Mathematics competitions on a national scale.
• Mathematics Department photography competitions.
• Participation in literary competitions and visits from authors.
• Visits from professional drama companies.
• Voluntary work.