2007-2008 Program of Study

The content and standard of courses at Portsmouth Abbey School prepare students for the academic work of colleges and universities by providing them with a broad and liberal education in the Benedictine tradition.  In addition to traditional secondary disciplines, Portsmouth offers a number of electives to broaden the student's preparation for college, including offerings in the fine arts and advanced work in classical and modern languages.  Portsmouth offers a wide range of honors, accelerated and Advanced Placement courses.  The academic year is divided into three terms:  Fall, Winter and Spring.  Each term ends with a formal examination period, which determines 25 percent of the term grade.  At the end of each term, grades and detailed comments from the student's teachers, houseparent, and athletic coach are reported to parents.

The Form III course of study is a coordinated program focused on understanding the roots of western civilization.  All Form III students study Christian Doctrine, English, Latin, Ancient History and Mathematics.  (Students with previous experience in Latin may elect to take Latin 2 or fulfill the Latin requirement by successfully completing a Latin 1 placement test.) The study of Latin is intended to foster greater fluency in written language by providing students with an understanding of grammar and syntax, and by giving them a better sense of the composition of ideas into a coherent sentence.  Ancient History is intended to lay a foundation for an historical sense by recognizing what is common in the beliefs, language, thought and institutions of other cultures and of our own.  In addition to the core described above, students choose one or two more courses from the areas of Modern Languages, Conceptual Physics and the Arts.  Portsmouth Abbey believes that its Form III curriculum is an excellent way for a student to begin a secondary school career. The core curriculum provides students with a strong foundation in our language and culture, as well as developing the skills and techniques necessary for future study.

Students in Form IV fulfill their CD, English and European History requirements by taking an integrated course in Humanities (see page 5 of the Guide).  In addition to Humanities (counts as two courses), Form IV students take foreign language (classical or modern) and mathematics.  Also, Form IV students elect one or two courses (normally two) from Conceptual Physics, Chemistry, the Arts or a second foreign language.  In fact, the "three-for-two" nature of Humanities presents an excellent opportunity for Form IV students to continue their study of both classical and modern foreign languages or to pursue an interest in the Arts.

Students in Forms V & VI normally carry a course load of CD, English and four other courses.  A wide range of elective courses is available to students in Forms V and VI, including advanced work in English, foreign language, history, mathematics, science, and the arts.  Advanced Placement courses are available to qualified students in many different areas of study.  Students in Form VI are encouraged to pursue independent study in place of a traditional course or take on a Sixth Form Project.

The Portsmouth Abbey School curriculum is not built around the Admissions Testing Programs of the College Board, but we do recognize the importance of SAT tests in the college placement process. Students are encouraged to take SAT II Subject Tests at points in their careers where their academic preparation warrants such testing.  Almost all students take Mathematics Level IC and all students take Writing.  All students take the PSAT in the Fall of Forms IV and V and the SAT I during Form V.  Almost all students repeat the SAT I and SAT II in the Fall of Form VI.

Graduation Requirements

To fulfill the graduation requirements, a student must complete 20 units from the following courses:

Christian Doctrine
1 course in each year of attendance

English
1 course in each year of attendance

Humanities
1 course in the Fourth Form

Mathematics
3 years (almost all students take math during each year of attendance)

Laboratory Science
2 years (almost all students take at least the core of Physics, Chemistry and Biology)

Classical or Foreign Language
3 years of one or two years of two languages; students with native fluency may be exempted from this requirement

History
1 year of European or Humanities and 1 year of U.S. History

Arts
1 full credit course or an approved equivalent