The school follows the National Curriculum for England and delivers externally assessed (I)GCSE and A-level programmes.
The National Curriculum divides learning into Foundation – Early Years and five Key Stages, according to the ages of students:
| Stage | Year | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Stage (FS) | FS1/FS2 | 3-5 |
| Key Stage 1 | Year 1-2 | 5-7 |
| Key Stage 2 | Year 3-6 | 7+ |
| Key Stage 3 | Year 7-9 | 11+ |
| Key Stage 4 | Year 10-11 ((I)GCSE) | 14+ |
| Key Stage 5 | Year 12-13 (A Levels) | 16+ |
Class and Programme Overview
Class sizes typically comprise 15 – 24 pupils and each class in Foundation Stage 1 and 2, Year 1 and Year 2 has a full time teaching assistant (TA) to work alongside the teacher. The Foundation Stage 1 (Rainbows) is housed in a specialist area and three members of staff supervise students. The Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 programme are child-centred, with the needs of very young children at the forefront of the curriculum.
Typically, Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and 2 perform annual productions and a full musical program feeds into concerts staged during the school year. In the Senior School, students have the option to audition and participate in performances.
Across all school phases, BSD provides specialist teaching and resources including Physical Education, Music, Design Technology, Computing, French, Science, Arabic, Art, Economics, as well as Business Studies and the range of A-levels and (I)GCSE specialist subjects. Physical resources are excellent in all classrooms and specialist areas.