Led by our own faculty staff, familiar both with the principles that underpin our approach to learning and the common challenges students come up against during their secondary school education, the Preparatory Courses furnish participants with some of the key knowledge and academic skills necessary to embark on successful academic careers. These courses are exclusively designed for students not currently studying and Akademeia High School and represent the ideal opportunity to experience our outstanding teaching provision, and state of the art facilities, for the first time.
The Prep Courses will run over two sessions:
Session One: 6 October 2025 – 9 December 2025
Session Two: 12 January 2026 – 19 March 2026 (8 weeks)
Registration for Session Two will open in November. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss whether the Prep Courses will be beneficial for your child please do not hesitate to contact us: [email protected]
The English Language Course is an ideal way to experience Akademeia’s world-class approach to learning for the first time. This exclusively designed course is geared towards students between the ages of 12-14 considering applying to our school, who would benefit from additional support.
Key elements of the English language, combining both structural and lexical focusses, will provide students with the foundations necessary to successfully complete many of the same assignments required of our term-time students, such as: developing research skills, academic writing, presentation delivery, and interacting with a variety of texts. This course will help equip learners with the necessary academic skills and strategies to succeed in their secondary school studies in an English-speaking environment.
The Mathematics Course is intended to provide a necessary foundation for learners to succeed in an academic Mathematics pathway. The course is primarily designed for participants currently attending Years 8 and 9 (Grade 7 and 8 respectively in the Polish and American systems).
Students will be provided with the opportunity to learn a variety of mathematical processes, including problem solving, communicating, and mathematical reasoning. They will be taught how to make connections between the subject and its applications, become mathematically literate, and to appreciate and value mathematics while making informed decisions as contributors to wider society in the area responsible for so many of civilisation’s most prized achievements.
A strong foundation in these areas of mathematics is necessary for success in future mathematics pathways, and this course will help students further understand, appreciate and enjoy maths so they are in a prime position to both succeed in a secondary school setting and develop a life-long affinity with the subject.
Critical thinking is at the core of our curriculum and school philosophy, nurturing dialogue and agency, and following an interdisciplinary approach to inspire a life-long passion for learning. In a fast-changing word, in which truth has never been more valuable, our prep course provides learners with an introduction to the essential range of skills they will require in their academic and professional careers. On this course participants will learn to analyse information, acquire meaningful knowledge, express well-justified opinions, and comment on important public issues. To achieve this, we will touch on the following categories:
Information skills: perspectives, research, analysis, synthesis, planning, questioning.
Critical thinking skills: reasoning, evidence, claims, drawing conclusions, bias and vested interest, statements of argument (fact, opinion, prediction and value judgement), problem-solving, empathy.
Communication skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking
This course provides the ideal preparation to develop the key transferrable academic skills valued by our school and so necessary to succeed in demanding educational contexts.
This course is for students who want to build a repertoire of strategies and creative writing techniques through class prompts, guided exercises, and feedback. Class activities will hone creative writing skills and aid students in shaping a personal voice across a variety of genres such as fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry. Additionally, we will make connections across the reading and writing processes to observe and imitate successful writing and to learn about style.
The writing skills built on in this course will help students build technique, voice, and to access their imaginations. This will serve them across different kinds of writing including academic writing and future competitions. By the end of the course, students can expect to have a small portfolio of writing completed that they can build on to strengthen writing technique or to transform their work into a larger piece if they desire. This course is the ideal choice for all learners who wish to pursue their skills and unlock the power of words and narratives.
The Introduction to Natural Sciences course offers students a broad and integrated understanding of the fundamental principles that underpin the natural world. This course introduces the core ideas and methods shared across the natural sciences, emphasizing the scientific method, experimental design, and the development of scientific reasoning. Students will explore how scientific knowledge is constructed, tested, and communicated, gaining insight into the processes that drive discovery and innovation. Through inquiry-based learning and hands-on activities, the course encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the interconnectedness of scientific disciplines.
A particular emphasis will be placed on the foundational concepts of biology and chemistry, providing students with a solid grounding in the study of living systems and the molecular and atomic structures that compose them. Topics such as cell biology, genetics, chemical bonding, and reactions will serve as focal points for understanding broader scientific phenomena. In addition to theoretical knowledge, students will practice essential laboratory and presentation skills, learning how to collect, analyze, and communicate data effectively. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with both the conceptual framework and practical tools necessary for further study in the sciences and for applying scientific thinking in everyday contexts.
The Introduction to Humanities and Social Sciences course invites students on an intellectual journey through the many ways we study and understand human life. It introduces the major disciplines within each branch-history, geography, philosophy, sociology, economics, and beyond-revealing how each offers a distinct lens for examining who we are and how we live together.
Students will discover how the humanities explore culture, values, ethics, and human creativity, while the social sciences investigate the forces, systems, and behaviours that shape societies. Through lively discussion, critical inquiry, and encounters with great thinkers from across time, students will begin to see how these diverse perspectives weave together into a richer, more complex understanding of what it means to be human.
