Academic Subjects

Academic Subjects and Departments

John Lyon’s curriculum is rightly at the heart of every working day at our Northwest London school – our academic subjects and departments are at the very core of all we seek to achieve as a leading place of learning.

English, Mathematics, the sciences, humanities, creative arts, languages and digital learning form a curriculum designed to educate and inspire, giving both knowledge and a desire to want to know more.

Each academic subject is crafted to offer the most to pupils, with specialist teachers creating a bespoke programme of learning designed to build towards important GCSE and A-Level public examinations.

In each link below, you will find information about each academic subject’s programmes of learning from Year 7 to Sixth Form, including entry requirements for option subjects and the examination boards we currently use for that subject.

Each academic subject page also has an enquiry form, so you can submit a question directly to teachers in that department, that will be quickly responded to.


The Core

English

Fluent literacy and an ability to express clearly what is thought and felt is essential to academic success, and fulfilment of career ambitions,

VISIT ENGLISH

Mathematics

Mathematics' popularity among pupils means it is consistently one of the most popular subject choices.

VISIT MATHEMATICS

The Sciences

Biology

Alongside developing scientific knowledge, the range of transferable skills developed by studying Biology includes analysis, teamwork, manual dexterity, mathematics and independent and logical thinking skills.

VISIT BIOLOGY

Chemistry

Chemistry offers students the opportunity to increase their understanding of the physical world around them and gain insight into the importance of this vital science in our everyday lives.

VISIT CHEMISTRY

Physics

Physics is an exciting and intellectually stimulating natural science. It is the most basic science and underpins other sciences and engineering.

VISIT PHYSICS

STEAM

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics

STEAM lessons focus on applying the skills and knowledge acquired in all of these disciplines to design and build solutions to real-life problems. The subject is more widely known as STEM, but it is increasingly clear that the Arts are essential

VISIT STEAM

Digital Learning

Computer Science and ICT

Computer Science is a practical subject where students can apply the academic principles learned in the classroom to real-world systems.

VISIT COMPUTER SCIENCE

The Arts

Art

Studying Art leads to a better understanding of the visual world, allows students to develop their own visual language and gives them the capacity to make informed, critical judgements.

VISIT ART

Drama and Theatre Studies

Through studying Drama, pupils gain a greater sense of self-confidence and an increased capacity to express their opinions and beliefs to others.

VISIT DRAMA

Music

Music is a hugely important part of both life in general and the well-rounded education that John Lyon offers.

VISIT MUSIC

Music Technology

Music Technology offers the chance to explore alternative job roles within the music industry, from sound or recording engineer to music arranger or composer.

VISIT MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

Modern Languages

French

French is a major language of international communication. It is the second most widely learned language after English and the sixth most widely spoken language in the world.

VISIT FRENCH

Spanish

Spanish has the second highest number of native speakers of any language in the world. Outside Spain, it is widely spoken across South America.

VISIT SPANISH

Humanities and Social Sciences

Business

Business is a fantastic subject that helps to develop students into ‘career-ready’ young adults.

VISIT BUSINESS

Economics

Economics is the study of production and allocation of resources. It’s about how society copes with the ‘economic problem’ – the existence of unlimited wants and scarce resources.

VISIT ECONOMICS

Geography

Geography is the study of our world and all that resides in it, often seen as the ‘bridge’ between the sciences and humanities it is this label that gives geography its strengths.

VISIT GEOGRAPHY

History

History is an academically rigorous subject which equips students with a strong knowledge of the past, as well as many transferable skills which are vital to complement their other academic studies.

VISIT HISTORY

Politics

Politics will appeal to students who have an active interest in politics and current affairs, in the way in which Britain is governed, and in how our democracy works.

VISIT POLITICS

Psychology

Psychology is an interesting subject that provides us with a broad understanding of human and animal behaviour, looking at the external and internal processes associated with it.

VISIT PSYCHOLOGY

Religious Studies and Philosophy

Religious Studies and Philosophy (RSP) is an exploration of some the most important questions of human existence.

VISIT RSP

Classics

Classical Civilisation

Classical Civilisation is the ultimate multidisciplinary subject with a unique blend of archaeology, art, art history, architecture, history, politics and literature.

VISIT CLASSICAL CIVILISATION

Classical Greek

Classical Greek is the language of democracy and the language in which the first epic was written.

VISIT CLASSICAL GREEK

Latin

Latin explores the world of Ancient Rome without losing any of the nuance of language through translation.

VISIT LATIN