EntrySeptember2015

IntroductiontoGCSEs

NOTTINGHAM GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOLExperts in educating girls from 4-18 yearsLeading. Learning. Loving it.

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Contents

Introduction 4

ArtandDesign 7

IGCSEBiology 9

IGCSEChemistry 10

ComputerScience 12

DesignandTechnology:FoodTechnology 13

DesignandTechnology:ProductDesign 14

Drama 16

Economics 17

English:LanguageandLiterature 18

Geography 19

History 20

Latin 21

Mathematics 22

ModernForeignLanguages 23

Music 25

IGCSEPhysics 26

ReligiousStudies 27

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Introduction

AtthisstageinYear9,weinviteyoutochoosethesubjectsyouwouldliketostudyinYears10and11.

Thisislikelytobethefirstopportunityyouhavehadtoinfluencethedirectionofyoureducation.Someofyoumayalreadyhaveaclearideaofsubjectsyou’dliketotake-andothersyou’dliketodrop-butmanyofyouprobablyfeellesscertain.Pleasedon’tworry-theoptionsprocessisdesignedtoprovideaframeworkwithinwhichyoucanpreserveabalancedbaseforthefutureandmakechoicessafely.Wewantyoutoplaytoyourstrengthsandstudywhatyouenjoy!

Wehopeyou’llreadthroughthisbookletwithyourparents-anddiscussitwiththem.Forfurtherguidanceaboutplanningawell-balancedGCSEprogramme,adviceaboutparticularsubjectchoices,orgeneralqueriesabouttheoptionsprocess,we’reallheretohelp,includingyourFormTutor,ourCareersAdvisorandyoursubjectteachers.

Thenexttwoyearswillbegintoshapeyourfutureandwehopeyou’llenjoymakingsomedecisionsaboutthedirectionyou’dliketotake.

Yourcourses

COMMON CORE OF SIX SUBJECTS STUDIED BY ALL• EnglishLanguage

• EnglishLiterature

• Mathematics

• Biology

• Chemistry

• Physics

AT LEAST ONE MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE• French

• German

• Spanish

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YouwillalsocontinuewithlessonsinPEandPSHE.

TWO FURTHER SUBJECTS (AND A RESERVE SUBJECT)Furtherchoicesuptoafinaltotalofthree(thefinaloneofwhichisareservechoice)from:

• Asecondmodernlanguage(French,German,Spanish)

• Oneormoreadditionalhumanities(Economics,Geography,History,ReligiousStudies)

• ArtandDesign

• ComputerScience

• DesignandTechnology:ProductDesign

• DesignandTechnology:FoodTechnology

• Drama

• Economics

• Latin

• Music

• PhysicalEducation

AT LEAST ONE HUMANITYchosenfrom:

• Geography

• History

• ReligiousStudies

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YourChoicesWedoourutmosttoensurethatyouareabletotakethesubjectsyouwant,andouroptionblocksarebuiltaroundyourchoices.

Wedo,however,askyoutolistyouroptionsinorderofpreferenceandtospecifyanadditional‘reserve’choiceofsubject.Weareunlikelytohavetouseit-andwouldneverdosowithouttalkingtoyoufirst-butif,forexample,numbersforaparticularsubjectchoiceareverylow,itmaynotbeviabletorunthecourse.

ThetimetablingoftechnologylessonsmeansthatitmaynotbepossibleforyoutostudymorethanonesubjectfromFoodTechnologyandProductDesign.Ifyouwouldliketooptfortwo,thenitismorelikelythatwemayhavetouseyourreservesubjectchoice.

Dothinkaboutwhatsubjectsyouwanttotake,notwhatyourfriendsaretaking,anddon’thesitatetoaskforadviceifyouneedit.

IfyouareintendingtotakeanadditionalGCSE,wewouldstronglyrecommendthatyoucontactourexaminationsofficebeforecommittingtoacourseofstudyoutsideschool.ItisnotalwayspossibleforustoaccommodateadditionalGCSEsbecauseofexaminationboardregulations.

CareersAdviceInordertokeepasmanycareeropportunitiesaspossibleopentoyouatthisstage,ouroptionssystemhelpstoensurethatyoustudyabroadandbalancedrangeofsubjects.However,ifyouwouldliketodiscussyourcareeraspirationsorhaveanyconcernsabouttheimplicationsofyourchoices,MrsHansford,ourCareersAdvisor,willbehappytohelp.

LookingAheadYourGCSEyearsmarkthebeginningofajourneywhichwillofferyouthefoundationsforyourfuturelife.Academicsuccessisimportant-andwe’reproudofourresults-butwebelieveit’salsoimportanttoprepareyoufortheworldoutsideschool.Wehopeyou’lltakeadvantageofthemanyenrichmentopportunitiestoextendyourlearningbeyondtheclassroom-andaimhigh!

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CourseoverviewArtisaformofcommunication-ameansofexpressingideasandfeelings.Itisverydifferentfromothersubjectsandwillenableyoutodevelopawiderangeofskillsandunderstanding.TheGCSEArtandDesigncourseencouragesnewwaysofthinkingcreativelyandhelpsextendyourproblem-solvingskills.Thismeansthatitcomplementsyourliterary,mathematicalandfactuallybasedsubjects,providingyouwithaveryrichanddiverseeducationalexperience.

TheGCSEportfolioisproducedoutoftheday-to-daycontentofyourlessonsratherthaninadditiontoit.Sustainedcommitmentandenthusiasmforthe

ArtandDesign AQA

subjectisneededthroughoutthecourse.However,inreturnitwillofferyouopportunitiesforintellectualandcreativedevelopmentandwillprovideyouwithanareaofyourstudieswheretheimportantqualitiesofinitiative,independenceofthoughtandaninnovativeandexperimentalapproachareactivelyencouraged.

CoursestructureWithinthecoursewepayparticularattentiontoextendingandimprovingtheskillswhichmakeupthelanguagewithwhichyouwillwork.Basicobservationdrawingisimportantbutthereisconsiderablescopeforpersonal,creativedevelopmentofideaswithinthestructuredapproachtocourseworkandexaminationprojects.Youwillbeabletoinvestigateabroadselectionofmediaandprocessesalongsidetheimportantartanddesignappreciationcontentofthecourse.Thisdevelopstheawarenessandsensitivitywhichwillenrichandextendyourownworkandhelpyoutoestablishfurtherunderstandingofthediverse,visualworldinwhichyoulive.

TheAQAArtandDesignGCSErequiresyoutosubmitaportfolioofworkfollowedbyacontrolledassessment.Alloftheseunitsconsistofprojectswhicharedevelopedthroughseveralweeksofpreparationworktoafinalpiece,the‘controlledtest’finalpiecebeingcompletedunderexaminationconditions.Theportfolioandthecontrolledassessmentrepresent60%and40%oftheArtGCSEmarks,respectively.

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ItmustbeemphasisedthattheroutethroughtoalmostalldesignandartcareersstartswithGCSEArt,goesonwithAlevelArt,anArtFoundationcourseandfromthistoadegreespecialisation.Thisincludessomedegreecoursesinareassuchasgraphics,industrialdesignandarchitecture.

Studentcomments“It’sgoodtohaveasubjectwhereyoucantrythingsout,experiment,sometimestakerisks.”

“It’sinterestingtolookatotherartists’anddesigners’work;ithelpsmedevelopmyideasinwaysIwouldn’tnecessarilyhavethoughtof.”

“It’sverydifferentfrommyothersubjects;itmakesyouthinkinaverydifferentway.”

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IntroductionThestudentswillstudyfivedifferentareasofBiologywithafocusoninvestigativeskills.StudentsstartiGCSEScienceinYear9.

CourseoverviewSection 1: The nature and variety of different organismsTherearearound1.74millionlivingspeciesthathavebeenidentifiedonEarth,notincludingbacteria.Inthissection,youwillstudythecharacteristicsoflivingorganismsandthetypesoflivingorganisms.

Section 2: Structures and functions in living organismsThisisthelargestofthesectionsandcoversadiverserangeoftopics;levelsoforganisation,cellstructure,biologicalmolecules,nutritionandotherphysiologicalprocessesinbothplantsandanimals.

Section 3: Reproduction and inheritanceTherehasbeenlifeonearthforover3500millionyears.Itbeganintheformofsimplebacteriathatreproduced.Inthissectionwelookatreproductionofplantsandanimalsandfollowthisupbystudyinggenetics.

Section 4: Ecology and the environmentThehumanspecieshasdevelopedtechnology,thistechnologynowrisksdamagingtheenvironmentforhumansaswellasforalltheotherlivingorganisms.InSection4westudyEcology,feedingrelationshipsand

IGCSEBiology PearsonEdexcel

humaninfluencesontheenvironment.

Section 5: Uses of biological resourcesAsthehumanpopulationcontinuestogrow,weneedevenmorefood.Manypeoplehopethatthenewtechniquesofgeneticengineeringandcloningwillhelpimprovecropplantsandfarmanimalssothatwecancontinuetoproduceenoughfoodforeveryone.InSection5welookatfoodproductionandgeneticmodifications.

“We are embedded in a biological world and related to the organisms around us.”

WalterGilbert

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IntroductionWeexperiencechemicalreactionsallofthetime:frombreathingtobakingacake,drivingacarorlisteningtoanMP3player.Chemistryisconcernedwiththematerialsthatmakeuptheuniverseandalloflife.Youwilllookatthephysicalandchemicalpropertiesofatomsandmolecules,theirsynthesisanduseinthe21stcentury.Whereverpossible,practicalandinvestigativeworkisusedtoillustrateandenhancethetheorieswestudy.StudentsstartiGCSEScienceinYear9.

CourseoverviewPrinciples of ChemistryThissectionprovidesthefoundationsthattherestofthecourseisbuiltupon.Youwillstudythestructureoftheatom,thedifferentwaysthatatomsjointogetherandhowthisdeterminesthepropertiesofthesubstanceformed.Youwilldevelopyourskillsinwritingwordandsymbolequationsforreactionsandlearntocalculatehowmuchofaproductcanbemadeinachemicalreaction.

Chemistry of the ElementsThissectionconcentratesoninorganicchemistry,focusingonthechemicalelementsandhowtheyarearrangedinthePeriodicTable.Youwillinvestigateagroupofmetalsandagroupofnon-metals,followedbythetwokeyelements,oxygenandhydrogen.Thereactivityseriesandanalyticaltestsforelementsandcompoundsarealsostudied.

IGCSEChemistry PearsonEdexcel

Organic ChemistryThissectionfocusesalmostentirelyonthechemistryofcovalentlybondedcarbonmolecules.Youwillbeintroducedtoafewofthe‘families’orseriesoforganiccompoundsandstudyaspectsofthechemistryoflifeprocesses,plastics,petrochemicals,drugsandpaints.

Physical ChemistryThissectionfocusesonchemicalprocessesatthe‘macro-scale’-wherepropertiescanbeobserved-ratherthanthe‘micro-scale’ofindividualatoms,moleculesandions.Youwillstudythereactionsofacidsandalkalis,explorethepotentialforchemicalreactionstogenerateandabsorbenergyandthespeedorrateofchemicalreactionswillalsobeinvestigated.Finallyyouwilllearnaboutreactionsthatarereversible.

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Chemistry in SocietyTheabilitytoapplychemicalknowledgeandunderstandingtofindsolutionstoeverydayissuesisafundamentalreasonforstudyingthesubject.Inthissectionthereisastrongemphasisontheapplicationsofchemistryandtheimpactthesehaveonoureverydaylives.Youwillstudyindustrialprocessessuchasmetalextraction,petrochemicalsandthemanufactureofammoniaandusetheknowledgeandyouhaveacquiredfromtheotherfoursectionstounderstandthemfully.

Studentcomments“Chemistryisanentertainingandpracticalsubjectinvolvingadiverserangeofskills.”

“GCSEChemistryisafantasticscience.Itmakesyouthink,butonceyouunderstand,it’sextremelyrewarding.”

“GCSEChemistryisfun,especiallywhenwedopracticals.”

“It’srelevanttoeverydaylifeandit’sfun.”

“Itfitswithalotofothersubjects.”

“Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.”

LinusPauling,NobelLaureatein Chemistry 1954

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ComputerScience AQA

IntroductionTheGCSEComputerSciencecoursegetsstudentsworkingwithreal-world,practicalprogrammingtechniquesthatgivethemagoodunderstandingofwhatmakestechnologywork.

Developedcorroborativelywithteachers,industryandthewidercomputersciencecommunity,we’vemadesurethatourGCSEhasbuilt-inprogressiontofurtherstudiesandisrecognisedasdevelopingtheskillsthatemployer’svalue.

Whatwillyoustudy?Component 1 - Practical programmingApproximately50hoursofcontrolledassessment(2tasksof25hourseach)

60%ofthemarks

• Internallyassessed,externallymoderated.

• DifferenttaskswillbeprovidedbyAQAeachyear.

• Eachstudentshouldcompletetwotasksfromachoiceoffour.

• Workingindependentlystudentsdemonstratetheirabilitytocodeasolutiontoagivenproblem.Thetaskswillbesetinengagingandrelevantcontexts,e.g.gaming,web,mobilephoneapplications.

• Tasksmaybecompletedandsubmittedonpaperorelectronically(savedtoCDandpostedtothemoderator).

Component 2 - Computing fundamentals1hour30minutes

40%ofthemarks

• Externallyassessed.Schools/collegescanchoosetoenterstudentsforeitherapaper-basedoron-screenversion.

• Allquestionswillbecompulsoryandwillbetakenfromacrossthesubjectcontent.

• Thiscomponentwillincludearangeoftypesofquestionsfromveryshorttoextendedanswer.

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IntroductionFoodisasubjectwhichisrarelyoutofthenewsthesedays.Obesity,highlevelsofsaltinourfood,thedangersoftransfatsinreadymeals,youngchildreneatingtoomuchjunkfood,thewideuseofchemicaladditivesandworriesaboutgeneticmodificationarejustsomeofthetopicswhichhittheheadlines.IfyouwanttoknowmoreabouttheseandotheraspectsoffoodtechnologyandwouldalsoliketoexpandandimproveyourfoodpreparationskillsthenthisistheGCSEforyou!

WhystudyFoodTechnology?Thiscourseisapreparationforliving-areallifeskill.Youwillachievethisthroughavarietyofpracticalactivitiesandcourseworktopics.

Theareasofstudyare:• Dietandnutrition• Functionofingredients• Foodpreparationandcooking

methods• Deteriorationandsafetyoffood• Industrialproductionoffood• Sustainabledesignoffoodproducts

Studentquotes“Ienjoydoingapracticalandcreativesubjecttobalancemystudies.ItalsoshowsIhaveawiderangeofskills.”

“Ilikethesecurityof60%coursework.Youhavetokeepworkingatitbutyoufeelincontrol.”

DesignandTechnology:FoodTechnology OCR

‘Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn - I love it!’

JamieOliver

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IntroductionTheworkofaproductdesignerisvastandvaried;fromthedesignoftextilegarmentsforfuturetrends,tothedesignofthelatestI-Podsandmobilephones.Doyouenjoystudyingthenewfashionsinproductdesign?Areyouinterestedinthemarketingofproductsthroughtheuseofnewtechnologiesanddigitalpresentations?DoyouenjoyResistantMaterials,TextilesorGraphics?Areyoucreative,innovative,practical,andgoodatsolvingproblems?Ifso,thisnewandexcitingProductDesignGCSEcoursecouldbeforyou.

WhystudyProductDesign?Ifyouenjoypracticalandcreativeworkthenthiscoursewillgiveyouimmenseopportunitiestodeveloptheseskills,thecourseevenincludesapracticalexamination.ThecoursedoesnothaveaparticularmaterialbiassoyouareabletochooseyourspecialismfromTextiles,ResistantMaterials,orGraphics.Youcouldevencombineallofthesematerialsinwhatyoudo.Thiscoursewillhelpyoutounderstandandappreciatethedesignandmanufactureofeverydayitems.Youwilllearnabouttheimpactofmassmediaandadvertising,andlearnhowtomarketyourowndesignedproducts.Youwilldesignusingcomputers,andlearnhowtoexploreandexpressyourdesignideasusingarangeoftechniques.Youwilllearninacreative,experimental,challengingandpracticalway.This

DesignandTechnology:ProductDesign OCR

coursecombinesthebestofTextiles,ResistantMaterialsandGraphics.

Youwill:

• learnhowproductsaremarketedandproduceyourownmarketingpresentationsusingICTandnewtechnologies

• improveyourproblemsolvingskillsandindependentlearning

• learnhowtoworkindependentlyandasateam

• havetheopportunitytoexpandyourICTskillsusingCADandCAM,tomakerealisticprototypes

• developyourawarenessofconsumerrequirementsofaproduct

• analyseproductsandprocessesusedtomanufacturethem

• workpracticallywithallorsomeof:textiles,plastics,woods,metals,paper,andcard

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InYear10youwillcoverawiderangeofskillsthroughprojectsandsmalltasks,designingandmakinginarangeofmaterials.YouwillalsoworkonshortproblemsolvingtasksinordertoprepareyoufortheYear11InnovationChallengeexamination.

BeyondGCSETheProductDesignGCSEcourseisanexcellentfoundationfortheProductDesignA2course.

Studentquotes“ProductDesigngivesyouthesatisfactionofthinkinglikeadesignerandseeingaprojectthroughfromanideatothemakingoftheproduct.”

“Yougetthechancetoworkandthinklikearealdesigner.”

“It’smorehands-onthanyourothersubjects.”

“A design education frequently leads to careers outside the creative industries, as the skills of creativity and innovation which design courses help to develop are highly transferable.”

TheDesignCouncil2006

“Design and technology is about providing opportunities for students to develop their capability, combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to create quality products”The Design and Technology Association 2014

“Design and technology is a practical and valuable subject. It enables children and young people to actively contribute to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of themselves, their community and their nation. It teaches how to take risks and so become more resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable. Students develop a critical understanding of the impact of design and technology on daily life and the wider world. Additionally, it provides excellent opportunities for students to develop and apply value judgment of an aesthetic, economic, moral, social, and technical nature both in their own designing and when evaluating the work of others.”The Design and Technology Association 2014

“Great design can change lives, communities and organisations for the better. It can create better places to live, and bring communities together.”The Design Council 2014

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IntroductionTostudythissubjectatGCSEyouneednotonlytobegoodatandcommittedtodramabutalsowillingtoundertakeaconsiderablebodyofbackgroundresearchandtheoreticalstudy.

PracticalcomponentTherearetwodifferentpracticaloptionswhichyoucanundertake:scriptedperformanceanddevisedperformance.Togethertheseprovide60%oftheavailablemarks.

Theseneedtobepreparedasifforpresentationtoanaudience(andindeedareperformedinfrontofanaudience)andlastatleastfifteenminutes.Girlsaredividedintogroupstopreparethesepresentations;groupworkandcommitmenttothegroupareveryimportant.Thechoiceofscriptsneedstogiveatleastfiveminutes’performancetimetoeachperformerandforallmembersofagrouptohaveequalopportunityforperformance.A“group”doesnotremainafixedentity;dependingonchoiceofscript,choiceofscenestopresent,requiredcharactersorthekindofdevisedperformance,groupsmaychangesizeandpersonnelforeachpresentation.

Assessmentsarecompletedduringthecourse.Preparationforperformance(yourresearch,selection,contributiontorehearsalandownnotes)countsforasmuchastheperformanceitself.Morethanoneassessmentforeachoptionwillbemadeduring

Drama AQA

thecourse,butonlythebestmarkforeachoptionwillbesubmittedtowardsthefinalGCSEmark.However,themarksforwardedmustbeforacompleteoptioni.e.preparationandperformanceofthesamepieceofwork.

WrittenpaperTwoareaswillbestudiedforexamination:

• Astudiedsettextandhowitmightbestaged.

• Evaluationofyourownperformance

Thisisasubjectwhichmanygirlsfeelwillbelivelyandinteresting;theyareright,butitalsoinvolvescommitmentandhardwork-forexample,tolearnscriptsandmaintainself-disciplinetokeepadetailedandconstantrecordofyourowninvolvementandperformance.

Studentcomments“It’smorethanjustDrama.”

“It’sthelessonyoulookforwardto.”

“Youcanbeyourtrueself.”

“Theclassismorelikeafamily.”

“Without discipline there can be no theatre art”

ConstantinStanislavski

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Introduction• Whyisitimportantformetosave

formyfuture?• Whydopeoplework?• Shouldtherebeataxonjunk

food?• Whatisglobalisation?Doall

countriesbenefitfromit?• Towhatextentisglobalwarming

aneconomicproblem?• Whydoprofessionalfootballers

earnmorethannurses?• Howhasthegrowthofthe

ChineseeconomyaffectedtheUK?• Whatisa‘recession’?• WhyisTescocheaperthanlocal

shops?

Theseareafewofthemanyeconomicissueswhicharediscussedregularlyinnewspapersandontelevision.Economicsispartofoureverydaylives;weallexperiencetheeffectsofeconomicdecisionsasconsumers,taxpayersandemployees.TheroleoftheEconomististoconsiderhowwecanmakethebestpossibleuseofourresourcesinordertoimproveeveryone’slivingstandards.Wewillconsidereconomicproblemssuchasunemployment,povertyandinflationandassesshowthegovernmentcanaddresstheseandotherissues.Someofthesetopicsarequitecontroversialandtheremaynotalwaysbearightorwronganswer.Youwillalsolookathowindividualsmanagetheirpersonalfinances,makingtherightdecisionsregardingourspending,savingandborrowing.

Economics AQA

CourseaimsTheoverallaimofthecourseistohelpyoutodevelopyourfinancialandeconomicunderstanding;toencourageyoutothinkandactlikeEconomists,andtoensureyouareabletomaketherightdecisionsintermsofyourownuseofmoney.Essentialeconomicconceptsandtheoriesarefullyexplainedinsimpleterms,andtheseexplanationsaresupportedbyawiderangeoftopicalillustrations.YouwillbeencouragedtoreadnewspapersandwatchtopicalprogrammesonTVandonlinetoassistyourunderstandingofthesubjectsstudied.

AssessmentisbyexaminationattheendofYear11.Theexaminationcomprisestwomodulesandstudentsareassessedthroughdataresponsequestionsandanextendedcasestudy.

YouwillstillbeabletoselectEconomicsasanALevelsubjectintheSixthForm,evenifyouhavenotstudiedthesubjectatGCSElevel.

Studentcomments“IhaveenjoyedGCSEEconomicsbecauseitisliterallyeverywhere!Economicsaffectseveryaspectofourlives.”

“GCSEEconomicshelpsyoutoappreciatereallifeissuesandIactuallyunderstandthethingsIreadinthenewspaper!”

“Wehavesomeinterestingdebatesaboutquestionswhichhavenodefiniteanswers.”

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AspartoftheGCSEreforms,GCSEEnglishLanguageandGCSEEnglishLiteraturewillbegradedaccordingtoanewandmoredemandinggradingscalefrom1to9.(Itisintendedthatapproximately3%nationallywouldachieveagrade9).ThiswillreplacethecurrentGtoA*system.

EnglishLanguageThiscourseaimstodevelopyourabilitytoreadawiderangeofnon-fictionandfictiontextsovertimeandanalysethemeffectively.Youwillalsohavetheopportunitytowritecreatively.

InEnglishLanguageassessmentisbyexaminationattheendofatwo-yearcourse.Therearetwoequally-balancedpapers,relatingreadingsourcestothetopicandthemeofwritingtasks;thereadingsourcesaresupportiveinthattheyactasthestimulusforwritingtasks,providingstudentswithaclearroutethrougheachpaper.Paper1,ExplorationsinCreativeReadingandWriting,looksathowwritersusenarrativeanddescriptivetechniquestoengagetheinterestofreaders.Paper2,Writers’ViewpointsandPerspectives,looksathowdifferentwriterspresentasimilartopicovertime.

Theapproachtospokenlanguage(previouslyspeakingandlistening)isnotpartoftheGCSEgradebutisaseparateendorsementthatwillrequireskillsinpresentingideas.

English:LanguageandLiterature AQA

EnglishLiteratureThiscourseaimstoenableyoutoreadandanalyseavarietyoftextsofdifferentformandgenre,fromShakespearetothemodernnovelandpoetryacrossdifferenttimes.

Assessedattheendofatwo-yearcourse,inEnglishLiteraturetherearetwoexaminations.Worth40%,Paper1,Shakespeareandthe19thcenturynovel,willincludethewhole-textstudyofMuchAdoAboutNothinganda19thcenturynovel.Worth60%,Paper2,Moderntextsandpoetry,includesthedetailedstudyofapost-1914textofprosefictionordrama.Itwillalsoincludestudiedpoemsfromananthologyandincludeunseenpoetry.Bothexaminationsencouragecandidatestodemonstratetheirreadingcomprehensionandcriticalinsight,evaluatingandcomparingwriters’choicesanddifferentresponsestotexts.

“Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.”

EzraPound

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Introduction• Howdovolcanoes,earthquakes

andtsunamisaffectpeople?

• Whatarethedistinctivelandformsfoundatthecoast?

• Howcanwemanagefragileenvironments?

• Whataretheissuesandopportunitiesofachangingpopulation?

• Howdothelivesoftherichandpoorvaryinurbanareas?

• Whyistourismsoimportanttosomanyplaces?

Geographyisahugelybroadanddiversesubjectwhichattemptstomakesenseofourchangingworld.Itintertwinesthenaturalenvironmentandthelivesofpeopleacrosstheglobeatdifferentstagesofdevelopment,andanalysesandtriestomanagetheimpactsthephysicalandhumansphereshaveoneachother.Geographersareencouragedtodevelopasenseofplaceandanappreciationfortheenvironment.

Geographerswilllearninavarietyofwaysandwillusearangeofdifferentresourcestoinformtheirthinking.Theywillkeepacloseeyeoncurrentworldeventsandregularlydiscussnewsworthystories.

AtGCSEstudentswilllearnabouttherestlessearthandhowithasshapedthelandscape,andthreatenedhumanlives.Theywillalsostudydifferentbiomesandtheimpacthumanactivity

ishaving.Thecoastalzoneisalsoinvestigated,alongwiththeimpactoftourismondestinations,andhowpopulationchangesareinfluencinggovernmentpolicy.

Geographyteachesawiderangeofskillsandstudentswillbecomeproficientinmapreading,analysinggraphs,identifyingopposingviewpointsanddecisionmaking.Fieldworkisacompulsoryelementofthecourseandprovidestheopportunityfordatacollectionwhichisthenanalysedandevaluatedincontrolledconditions.Fieldworkwillplaceatthebeginningofthespringtermandrespondstothetitlesreleasedannuallyfromtheexamboard.InthepastthishasbeentotheHoldernesscoast,touristhoneypotssuchasCastletoninDerbyshireorSkegness,andcitycentres.

Geographyisanexcellentbridgingsubjectbetweenthesciencesandthearts,andthetransferableskillsarerecognisedbybothemployersandhighereducationestablishments.Previousgeographershavegoneontopursueavarietyofcoursesandcareers,includingbutnotlimitedto;filmandmedia,banking,environmentalsciences,lawandeducation.

Studentcomments“Thereissomethinginitforeverybody.”

“Geography is the key to the future.”MichaelPalin

Geography AQA

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IntroductionDear Teacher

I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness. Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and buried by high school and college graduates.

So I am suspicious of education. My request is: help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmans. Reading, writing and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human.

ThisletterisgiventonewteachersbyaprincipalatanAmericanschooltoconveytheimportanceofteachinghistory-weneedtolearnfromthepast.However,thefollowingquestionsarefrequentlyaskedinschoolandatparents’evenings:

• IlikeHistory,butwhatuseisit?• Whatjobscanyougetwitha

Historyqualification?• Whatisthepointofstudying

History?

ThosefamiliarwiththejobmarketandthosewhohavegainedqualificationsinHistorywilltellyouthat,infact,Historyisawell-respectedsubjectamongstemployerswhovaluetheskillsitdevelops.Inadditiontogainingabroaderworldview,Historystudentsareabletodeveloptheirskillsof

History OCR

analysis,amethodicalapproachtoproblemsolvingandtheabilitytopresentareasonedargument.GCSEHistoryteachesyoutocommunicateclearlyandtodescribe,explain,analyseandinterpretinformationdrawnfromawiderangeofsources.Astheseareaddedtoahostofotherskillsandanincreasedunderstandingofotherpeopleandculturesitbecomeseasytounderstandhowawiderangeofopportunitiescanbeopenedupthroughthestudyofhistory.Indeed,thisisborneoutbythemostpopularcareerchoicesofHistorygraduates,listedhereinorderofpopularity:administrationandmanagement,teaching,buying,selling,advertising,bankingandlaw.

CourseoverviewExaminedtopics:• Medicinethroughtime• Germany1919-1945• Controlledconditionscoursework-

NorthernIreland

Studentcomments“Historyisamazingbecause,notonlyisitreallyinteresting,itmeansyouunderstandmoreabouteventsgoingontoday.”

“Historyisanimportantsubjectintoday’sworld,andthelessonsarealwaysenjoyable.”

“To be ignorant of the past is to remain forever a child.”

Cicero

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IntroductionLatinisallaroundyou.50%ofourownlanguageisderivedfromLatin.

DoyouevereataMagnumoruseNivea?Doyoueversayetcetera,viceversa,e.g.orA.D.?DoyoulistentoDido?HaveyouheardofStatusQuo?DoyouknowanyonecalledMark,Victoria,MilesorAmanda?IsyourstarsignAquarius,PiscesorVirgo?

AllofthesewordsandmanymorearebasedonLatin.LatinwillalsoprovideyouwithakeytounderstandingmanyEuropeanlanguagesincludingEnglish,French,Spanish,PortugueseandItalian.

BystudyingLatinyoushoulddevelopthefollowingskills:• Clear,logicalthinking• Thecommunicationofideas• Problemsolving• Independenceofthoughtandstudy• ThepreciseuseofEnglish• Theappreciationandinterpretation

ofliterature• Analyticalskillsinbothlanguage

andliterature• Aninsightintoadifferentculture

CourseoverviewYouwillcontinuetousetheCambridgeLatinCourse,followingtheadventuresofQuintusinBritainandmovingontotheintriguesoftheimperialcourtinRome.MostofthegrammarrequiredforGCSEwillbecoveredinYear10.InYear11youwillreadtheproseandverseauthorssetforexamination.Bytheendofthecourseyouwill

Latin OCR

bereadingoriginalLatintextswithconfidenceandenjoyment.AspartofthecourseyouwillhavethechancetovisittheRomanbathsatBathandtheRomanFortatChester,experiencesomeclassicaldrama,attendlecturesgivenbyuniversityprofessorsandtakepartinclassicaltripsabroad.

ExaminationTherearetwolanguagepapers,includingpassagesfortranslationandcomprehension,withamythologicalorhistoricaltheme.Thereisaprescribedvocabularylistof450words.Therearealsotwoliteraturepapers.TheseincludeextractsfromPliny’sletterabouttheeruptionofMountVesuvius,andthestoryofNisusandEuryalusfromVirgil’sAeneid.

HowisLatinviewedbyuniversitiesandemployers?StudentsofLatinarehighlyregardedbymanyuniversitydepartmentsandsomeprospectiveemployerswhoappreciateitsrigourandtheprecisionrequiredinthestudyofthelanguage.

Studentcomments“Latinopensupawholenewworld.”“Itischallengingandfun.”“Latinhelpsmetothinklogically.”“Ilikelookingatthederivationofwords.”“TranslatingLatinissatisfying-itislikeapuzzle.”“LatinenhancesmyEnglishvocabulary.”“Latinhelpsyouwithyourothersubjects.”

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“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.”

WhystudyMathematics?• Itisinterestinginitself.• Itaffectseveryaspectofmodern

life.Withoutworkdoneusingmathematicsyouwouldnotbeabletotravelbycaroraeroplane,listentoanMP3playerorbenefitfromtheinformationgeneratedbyabodyscanner,forexample.

• Itdevelopsskillsforanalysingandsolvingproblems.

• Itencouragesthedevelopmentofalogicalandenquiringmind.

• Ithasbeenstudiedformillenniabutitremainsafascinating,developingsubjectandisstillstudiedacrosstheworld.

CourseoverviewHereatNGHS,wedoPearsonEdexcel’sGCSE.TherearetwotiersofentryforMathematicsandyouwillbeenteredforthehighertier.Therearetwoexaminationpapers,whicharetakenattheendofYear11.

CourseaimsThiscourseaimstoencourageyouto:• Developapositiveattitudeto

Mathematics• Consolidatebasicskillsandmeet

appropriatelychallengingwork• Applymathematicalknowledgeand

understandingtosolveproblems• Thinkandcommunicate

mathematically-precisely,logicallyandcreatively

GCSEMathematics PearsonEdexcel

• AppreciatetheplaceanduseofMathematicsinsociety

• Applymathematicalconceptstosituationsarisinginyourownlives

• UnderstandtheinterdependenceofdifferentbranchesofMathematics

• Acquiretheskillsneededtousetechnologysuchascalculatorsandcomputerseffectively

• Workcooperatively,independentlyandpractically

• Acquireafirmfoundationforfurtherstudy

Studentcomments“Mathsisareallyfunsubject.”

“IfoundMathsreallyhelpfulwiththesciences.Itisalsoaverysatisfyingsubjectthatreallytestsyourlogic.”

“Mathsisrelevantineverydaylifenomatterwhatyoudo.IreallyenjoyeditatGCSEanddecidedtodoitforAlevel.

“The study of mathematics cannot be replaced by any other activity that will train and develop (students’) purely logical faculties to the same level of rationality.”

COOakley

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Thecourses: AQAFrench AQAGerman AQASpanish

IntroductionLanguagesarebecomingmoreandmoreimportantintheworldofwork,inallsortsofcareers.StudytoatleastGCSElevelgivesyouaheadstartintravel,workandeducationalopportunities.

Aspartofthecorecurriculum,youwillcontinuewithoneofyourmodernforeignlanguages.Thedepartmentencouragesyoutoconsiderfurtherlanguages.Tofindoutmoreaboutlanguagesatwork,visitthewebsiteatwww.languageswork.org.uk.

ModernForeignLanguages AQA

WhatisinvolvedinthestudyofalanguageatGCSE?• Thefourskillsoflistening,speaking,

readingandwritingareequallyimportant.

• Weaimtodevelopyourabilitytocommunicateandexpressyourideas,listenandreadcarefullyandaccurately.

• Youwillsitareadingandlisteningexamandcontrolledassessmentsinspeakingandwritingwillbeconductedinschoolbyyourlanguageteacher.

• Year11languagelessonsarecomplementedwithtimetabledspeakingsessionswithnativespeakerassistants.Wearefortunatetohaveourownassistantswhohavewideexperienceofworkingwithourstudents.

• Thereareopportunitiesfortraveltomakepracticaluseofyourchosenlanguages.

23

Whystudylanguages?• Manyuniversitiesactively

encouragetheirstudentstocontinuelanguagestudyalongsidetheirdegreecourse.

• Opportunitiestocommunicateinternationallyhaveneverbeengreater.Itislikelythat,infutureyears,monolingualismwillbeconsideredahandicaptopersonalandcareerdevelopment.

• Makingfriends,learningaboutandinvolvingyourselfinotherculturesismucheasier.

• Learningsomeoneelse’slanguage,youalsolearnaboutyourown.

• Languagestudyissomucheasierwhenyouareyoung.Doitnow;buildontheopportunitiesyouhavebeengiven.

Studentcomments“Frenchisgreatfun,uptodateandinteresting.I’mreallypleasedthatIchosethisasoneofmyoptions.”

“Germanisagreatlanguagetolearn!It’sreallyrewardingwhenyoufinallygraspanotherrule!”

“Wearereallyluckytohavethechancetostudysomanylanguages.IamgladthatIchoseSpanishandFrench.”

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

Nelson Mandela

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IntroductionTheMusiccourseatGCSEisfullofvarietyandwillallowyoutoexploreopportunitiesinbothcompositionandperformance.Youwillalsolearnaboutmusicinawidersenseandfurtherdevelopyourlisteningskills.Thewholecourseisdesignedtogiveyouthebestpossiblemusicalexperience.

CourseoverviewCourseworkaccountsforthemajorityofyourfinalmarkandthiscomprisescomposingandperforming.Therearenomodulestositwhichmeansthatyouhavethefulltwoyearstoperfectyourtechniques,ensuringthatyoureachyourfullpotentialinbothareas.Duringthecourse,youwillworkontwocompositions(eachonelinkedtoadifferentareaofstudy)andtwoperformances(onesoloandoneensemble).Allcourseworkisassessedinternallyandtheperformancesarerecordedatschool.Fortheperformanceelement,itisrecommendedthatyouareworkingataboutgrade3standard.

Thereisalsoalisteningpaper,whichaccountsfortheremainderofthefinalmark,andwhichyouwillsitinthesummertermofYear11.Throughoutthecourseyouwilllearnaboutawidevarietyofdifferentstylesofmusic-frombaroqueorchestralmusictoworldmusicandtheblues.Lessonsareinformativeandinterestingandwillallowyoutoputwhatyouhavelearnedintopractice,throughinformalcompositionsandperformances.

Music PearsonEdexcel

OuraimintheMusicdepartmentistomakeyourstudiesenjoyableandeverythingachievable.

Studentcomments“MusicGCSEgivesyoutheopportunitytobecreative.”

“There’slotsofvarietyinthecourse.”

“Youlearnaboutdifferentmusicalstylesandculturesthroughlistening,performingandcomposing.”

“Thereislotsofhelpinallareaswhichmakesthecourseenjoyableandeverythingachievable.”

“Youlearntoappreciatemusicproperly.”

“If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it…”

TwelfthNight,Shakespeare

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IntroductionTheIGCSEPhysicscourseisdesignedtobeahands-onintroductiontotherulesthatapplytoeverythingintheuniversefromthesub-atomictotheuniverse-wide.Thecourseiscentredonlearningthrougheverydayexamples,soyouwillseehowthescienceappliestoaspectsofeverydaylife.IfyouhaveeverwonderedhowapieceoftechnologyworksoraskedyourselfamorefundamentalquestionabouttheEarthandstars,thentheIGCSEPhysicscoursecanofferanswerstothesequestionsandadeeperunderstandingoftherulesfoundinnature.StudentsstartiGCSEScienceinYear9.

CourseoverviewForces and motion Howdoforcesaffectmotion?Howdowetrackmovingobjectsandwhatdoesthattellusaboutthem?

ElectricityHowiselectricitygenerated?Howcanwemeasureandcontrolelectricity?

WavesHowdoweusewavesineverydaycommunication?Whatcanwelearnaboutwavesinordertousethemmosteffectively?

Energy resources and energy transferHowcanwemakeefficientuseofournaturalenergyresources?Howdoesthestudyofenergytransferleadtolowerenergybills?

IGCSEPhysics PearsonEdexcel

Solids, liquids and gasesHowcanthestudyofkinetictheoryexplainhowclothesdry?Howcanweexplainevaporationandcondensation?

Magnetism and electromagnetismHowdoesaspeakerusemagnetismtocreatesound?Howdomotorswork?

Radioactivity and particlesIsradioactivityalwaysdangerous?Howcanwedetectradioactivityandhowcanweidentifythedifferenttypes?

“If you want to learn about nature, to appreciate nature, it is necessary to understand the language that she speaks in.”

R.Feynman(1965)

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IntroductionGCSEPhysicalEducationwillinspire,challengeandencouragedecisionmakinganddevelopmentofpracticalskillsthroughtheoryandpracticalperformance.Itwillhelpyoubecomeincreasinglyphysicallycompetentthroughbeingactivelyengagedinarangeofphysicalactivities.Itcanhelpyoutobecomeeffectiveasaplayer,leaderandofficialaspartofahealthy,activelifestyle.

CourseOverviewTheTheoryofPhysicalEducation

Healthy,activelifestyles:youwillunderstandtherelationshipbetweenexercise,diet,workandrest,andhow,together,theycontributetoabalancedhealthylifestyle.Therelationshipbetweenhealth,fitnessandexerciseandtheeffectsofexerciseonparticipationwillalsobeexploredwiththeunderstandingthat‘fitness’doesnotalwaysmeangoodhealth

Yourhealthy,activebody:youwillfocusonthewaysinwhichbodysystemsinter-relateduringphysicalactivityandhowahealthy,activelifestylecontributestothegrowthanddevelopmentofbodysystems,structuresandgeneralwellbeing

PhysicalEducation PearsonEdexcel

PerformanceinPhysicalEducationPracticalperformance:youwillberequiredtoofferfourperformancesinapracticalcontext,intheroleofeitherplayer/participant,officialorleader,andatleasttwoofthefourmustbeasaplayer/participant.Performancesmustbetakenfromtwodifferentactivitygroups;outwittingopponents(e.g.games),accuratereplicationofactions(e.g.gymnastics),exploringandcommunicatingideas(e.g.dance),performingtoyourmaximumlevelinrelationtospeed,height,distance,accuracy(e.g.athletics,archery),adventurousactivities(e.g.climbing),exercisingsafelyandeffectively(e.g.yoga)

Analysisofperformance:thismustbebasedononeofyouractivitiesasaplayer/participantandwillinclude:

• rulesregulationsandterminology

• observationandanalysisofperformance

• evaluationofperformance

• planningstrategies,tacticsandpractices

• planningapersonalexerciseprogramme(PEP)

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IntroductionIfyoulikeachallengeandenjoydebatingethicalandphilosophicalideasthenReligiousStudiesisforyou

CourseoverviewTheGCSEcourseismadeupoftwomodules,PhilosophyofReligionandEthics:Christianity

TheEthics:ChristianitymoduleisintendedtoencourageyoutoreflectuponChristianbeliefsandhowtheyapplytoethicaldecisionmaking.Thiscourseincludesenvironmentalissues,prejudice,therighttolife,warandpeace,personalandsocialresponsibility,andmedicalethics

ThePhilosophyofReligionmoduleencouragesyoutoreflectuponultimatequestionsaboutthemeaningandpurposeoflife,andtodevelopyourownreasonedresponsetothosequestions.ThismoduleallowsyoutouseexamplesfromoneormoreofthesixmajorworldreligionsofBuddhism,Christianity,Hinduism,Islam,JudaismandSikhism.TopicsincludetheexistenceofGod,revelation,theproblemsofevilandsuffering,immortality,miracles,scienceandreligion.

BothareexaminedattheendofYear11.Intheexaminationyouwillbeexpectedtoillustrateyouranswersbyreferencetoactualexamplesinrelationtotheissuesraisedandtomakeappropriatereferencestothereligiousstoriesandphilosophicalteachingswhichyouhavestudied.

ReligiousStudies AQA(SyllabusB)

Studentcomments“ReligiousStudieshasimprovedmycommunicationskillsandtaughtmetoarguelogically.”

“Ihavestudiedtopicsthatreallymatterintoday’sworld.”

“...In all of life there is nothing more important to determine than what is right”

C.S.Lewis

“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”

AlbertEinstein

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