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Battle Abbey School Key Stage 4 Curriculum Options

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Contents PageIntroduction Page 1The offered curriculum Page 2Society Page 3Sport and Culture Page 4Personal Development Page 6Summary Page 7

‘According to former US Secretary of Education Richard Riley – the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004’

‘We are currently preparing students for jobs that do not even exist yet, using technologies that haven’t been invented in order to solve

problems we don’t even know are problems yet’ - Microsoft

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Battle Abbey School Key Stage 4 C

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IntroductionIt is the intention that all students at Key Stage 4 have a curriculum that is:

• Stretching• Engaging• Exciting• Energising• Equips students with the necessary skills and qualifications to excel in life• Balanced

The subtle change in the Key Stage 4 curriculum will allow a range of qualifications that balances the traditionally high academic standard of the curriculum offered with skills and experiences that will enhance a student’s prospects in future life.

It is exciting to present a curriculum that is so rich in variety, exceeds the requirements of the top universities such as Cambridge and Oxford, whilst still developing the whole child by equipping them with the skills required to perform at the highest academic, practical and cultural level.

The range of qualifications offered will allow students to gain the quantity and quality of qualifications that is appropriate for each individual child and will stretch the most gifted and talented, improve confidence and match the needs of the fast-moving, globalised society in which we live.

Once a student has completed all aspects of the curriculum, they will be awarded the Battle Abbey Certificate in a celebration assembly.

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1. Core curriculum

All students pursue GCSEs in Maths, English Literature, English Language and Dual Science Award.Additionally, students select four additional GCSEs. It is expected that these will include at least one Modern Foreign Language (currently French, German or Spanish) and at least one Humanity (Geography or History).

This provides a minimum of nine GCSEs. However, some options (such as GCSE ICT) provide the opportunity for a double award (two GCSEs) for the most able. Additionally, there is the opportunity for further accreditation throughout the additional curriculum to obtain further GCSEs, GCSE-equivalent qualifications and qualifications beyond GCSE. Therefore, the curriculum offered actually offers greater depth, range, appropriateness and potentially quantity of qualifications than previously offered.

2. Additional curriculum

All students will have three periods of P.E. per week; this is also when fixtures will take place.

The Offered Curriculum

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a. SocietyAll students will study Politics, Philosophy and Economic Awareness. This will enable students to develop a better understanding of the world in which they live. This will also help students’ ability to reason, debate and present their ideas in a coherent manner. These are all skills that will help them in any university interviews, academic subjects and future careers. This unit is two periods per week, studied on a rota (one half term each).

• Politics will cover: o Political institutions o Political systems o Key political issues (domestic & international)

• Philosophy will cover: o Ethical issues o Religion

• Economic awareness will cover: o Key current economic issues o Personal finance o Business related skills and issues

Please note it will be possible that LDD & EAL lessons will run in parallel to this unit.• Health/Sex/Drugs Education

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b. Sports & culture

Calligraphy Improve your handwriting skills

Lettering Its creative uses in Graphic design

Graffiti Letter styles, meaning and contextBook making Including paper engineering/pop-up designIllustration Designing images and characters to

illustrate textPhotography Its uses in the development of ideas

Performing Arts

This course will be very practical, as students will develop their skills in drama. Much work will concentrate on developing skills in drama with reference to key styles in the history of theatre. Students will learn about:

• How the skills relate to particular activities• Relevant theory• Relevant health and safety issues and practices• The use and understanding of technical vocabulary• The different styles and use of skills at key points in theatre history

Students opt for one of Sport, Applied Art or Performing Arts.

This unit will be three periods per week.

One of the most exciting aspects of this course is the possibility at the end of the first year (Year 10) of continuing to study the selected subject for a second year in Year 11, or opt to study the first year of a different option. This is to encourage those students who want a broader curriculum, yet provide opportunity for the Gifted & Talented to further pursue areas of strength and interest. For example, a student may take the opportunity to select the Sport option, accumulate the Coaching and Sports Leadership qualifications and then either continue to the second year to complete the more advanced courses, or swap to study the first year of the Applied Art course. Applied Art

The purpose of his course is to provide learners with the opportunity to gain an understanding of the skills, which all artists, craftspeople and designers need to develop ideas. Together with the way in which Art and Design contributes to a greater awareness of other cultures and lifestyles. To have an understanding and awareness of the uses of Applied Art in the 21st Century, from Graphic Design, Illustration and Popular Culture.

Students will study how meaning is created and communicated through creative experimentation with media and materials. To develop ways of working that emphasizes practical independence, self-directed learning and how to improve practice over time. Develop practical Applied Art and Design skills, techniques and processes through working on design briefs.

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Students will:

• Record their initial skills level in a skills audit• Identify skills which they need to develop• Keep a portfolio of their progress explaining how they are developing their skills• Have the opportunity to attend professional performances

Sport

The year 1 sports accredited course offers all pupils the opportunity to develop their leadership / coaching skills through a broad and balanced variety of practical sports. This option will provide the pupils with a unique skills set and selection of recognised qualifications that will develop them as an individual in addition to embellishing their C.V.

Students will cover the following areas within the year long course:

• Half term 1 - Undertake a preparatory umpiring & officiating course, which aims to develop their presence as a developing official / umpire / referee through the use of voice, positioning, signalling and reading of any game.• Half term 2 - Complete either a Rugby Youth umpire Award/Netball Youth Umpire Award. • Half term 3 / 4 – Pupils will undertake either their Bronze medallion life guard qualification or their rookie lifeguard qualification dependant on their swimming ability.• Half term 5 / 6 – Pupils will acquire their Junior Sports Leaders Award (JSLA) a recognised qualification offered by sports leaders UK, which culminates in the group holding an afternoon festival of sports for our prep school children.

Please note the certification of some of these awards will require a small registration fee.

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c. Personal DevelopmentAdditional ICT and Computing During this course, students will learn and develop both their practical ICT skills and project management skills. Students will have the opportunity to learn to touch type, create images using the most up to date graphic and imaging software and develop their multimedia skills in a creative learning environment. As well as trying out computer programming using Raspberry Pi software. At the end of the first year of study, students will be proficient in a range of useful ICT skills. Stu-dents that continue in to the second year of study will then move on to build upon those skills further and learn new skills such as audio and video editing. Exceptional students may have the opportunity to complete courses for certification.

Outdoor Education with the opportunity to pursue a Duke of Edinburgh Award The internationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh Award offers students the opportunity to show how they have developed themselves in a range of ways including volunteering, skills development, physical development and expeditions. Students will complete the Bronze Award at the end of Year 1 and the Silver Award at the end of the Year 2. By its very nature, there is an expectation that some of the activities, such as some of the expeditions and the volunteering aspects, will be undertaken outside of school. Please note there will be some additional charges incurred to pay for participation in expeditions and some basic kit will need to be purchased.

Martial ArtsThere is the opportunity to follow a Martial Arts programme led by World Cham-pion Sensei Zofia Malewicz. This enables students to develop transferable skills : The martial arts programme will endeavour to provide students with self-aware-ness, spirit, respect, dedication in reaching a goal, sport and an ability to look after one’s self. Martial arts follow a holistic approach catering for the mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing of its students. This disciplined approach to learning and teaching creates a solid foundation for students in their everyday lives.

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Summary

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AREA LEVEL NOTES

CORE CURRICULUM

English LanguageEnglish LiteratureMathematicsDual Science

GCSE Compulsory6 periods each week (7 for English)

ArtArt TextilesDanceDramaFrenchGeographyGermanHistoryAdditional ICT and ComputingMusicP.ER.SSpanishTriple Award Science

GCSE Select four4 periods each week

SOCIETY PoliticsPhilosophyEconomic AwarenessHealth/Sex/Drugs Ed

Non-examinable On a rota2 periods each week

SPORTS & CULTURE Applied ArtPerforming ArtsSport

Some certification for most able & progres-sion in Sport option

Choose one, oppor-tunity to swap at the end of Year 13 periods each week

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Health/Sex/Drugs EdPlanning & thinking skills

Non-examinable 1 period each/weekEAL/LDD lessons may happen here

Additional ICT and ComputingAsset LanguagesOutdoor Education

Certifiable at Year 1 and Year 2

Choose one, oppor-tunity to swap at the end of Year 1Asset Languages compulsory if a GCSE language is not selected2 periods each week

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Non-examinable 3 periods each week

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Battle Abbey SchoolBattle,East Sussex,TN33 0AD.email: registrar@battleabbeyschool.comTelephone: 01424 772385 Fax: 01424 773573

www.battleabbeyschool.com

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