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SECONDARY SCHOOL - KEY STAGE 4 (14-16yrs)

GCSE (KEY STAGE 4) - YEARS 10 & 11 (Ages 14-16 Years)

Why choose online Key Stage 4?

Flexible learning anywhere globally

Real time lessons taught live by experienced and expert teachers

Learn more about our engaging GCSE/IGCSE Upper Secondary curriculum for ages 14-16, or our range of Additional Humanities subjects for ages 14-16.

Key Stage 4 GCSE Students

At Key Stage 4, students prepare for specific subjects at GCSE level.  We prepare students for all Exam Boards, and some students can opt for  (IGCSE’s) or the International GCSE, which is an internationally recognised equivalent of UK based GCSE.  Both IGCSEs and GCSEs are academic qualifications which are studied and examined at the same point in the UK education system.    Both are designed to give students a world-class education to equip them with the skills needed for further study or employment.   Most subjects offer a choice between the core curriculum and extended curriculum. This gives students of all ability levels the freedom to choose subjects that are right for them and the opportunity to score good grades.  IGCSE’s are the most popular international qualifications globally for 14 to 16 year olds.  The benefits to having them is wide-ranging, such as: passing language tests for emigrating or studying in another country, getting a place at university, getting better career opportunities, or developing skills that helps you to lead a more successful life.

Key Stage 4 (YEARS 10 • YEAR 11)

Key Stage 4 at Phoenix Secondary School marks a crucial stage in students’ academic journey. With a strong focus on academic excellence and personal growth, the school provides programmes that are comprehensive and supportive, to maximise students’ potential.

How to Choose Your Subjects

At Phoenix Secondary School, our Key Stage 4 students may choose from the following:

Key Stage 4 core subjects:

  • Core GCSE English Language
  • IGCSE English Language
  • Core GCSE English Literature
  • Core Mathematics
  • Core Science
Additional Subjects at Key Stage 4 are optional, and are not included the fees.
  • Drama & Performance
  • Leadership Skills Training
  • Writing Skills for undergraduates
  • International Relations: Globalisation & Cultures
IMPORTANT NOTE: Courses and subjects are subject to availability and demand and are strictly allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. It is also your responsibility to select subjects that are needed to further your studies at A Level and/or university.

Key Stage 4 GCSE Core Subjects

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have identified a local centre (for those outside of the UK), that accepts entries from private candidates for your course, before registering to study. Please note that the courses and subjects are subject to availability and demand, and are strictly allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Business Studies

GCSE Business Studies –  Exam Board: Edexcel CODE: 1BS0

Have you got some great ideas for new products or services? Or maybe you want to work for a large company in marketing or management?

GCSE Business Studies – Edexcel Single Award

The Business Industry is fast paced and ever changing. GCSE Business will give you a taste of what it might be like in industry and develop the necessary skills to be successful. Business Studies combines academic study with an understanding of the real commercial world. This course will enable you to see business from the point of view of the owners, managers, customers and employees. You will learn about the problems and decisions facing small and large businesses and identify what makes businesses a success or failure. You will understand how business people meet the challenges of the environment and identify what makes a successful entrepreneur.

Students will complete two external exams for their final grade. There is no controlled assessment. Excellent written English skills are vital to succeed in this course. Students are required to have excellent literacy skills due to the high examined content of this course, and that both exams include long essay answers.

 What will I study and how will I be assessed?

The subject content for GCSE Business Studies is set out to try to match how the real business world operates. It will cover two core areas of theory:

  1. Investigating Small Businesses: introducing students to entrepreneurship and the issues concerned with the setting up and operation of a business. The unit will be assessed by an external written examination of 90 marks and will be 1 hour and 45 minutes in length. It is worth 50% of the overall GCSE grade. 
  2. Building a Business: focuses on the growth of businesses and the issues that arise with expansion. The unit will, again, be assessed by an external written examination of 90 marks which is 1 hour and 45 minutes in length. It is worth 50% of the overall GCSE grade.

Through these two units of theory students will learn about different types of Business Organisation, Marketing, Business Finance, People in Business, Operations Management and Customer Service.

Both examinations will take place at the end of Year 11. Both exams are allocated one hour and 45 minutes per paper.

In Year 10, GCSE students work on the theory for the first exam. Students will be given clear advice on how to approach exam questions and will sit a mock exam at the end of Year 10.

In Year 11, students will work on the theory for the second exam. They will sit mock exams in the winter and the spring of Year 11 to prepare them for their final exams.

Students are graded 9 -1 on successful completion of the course.

Additional Information

Key speakers may be invited to speak to students about their experiences and opportunities available.

Course Entry Requirements

Students must have completed the Year 9 Business Studies course to be eligible for this qualification.

Due to the high examined content of this course, students must have achieved a grade 5H in their Year 9 Business Studies exam. They should have also completed all homework tasks in the Year 9 Business module. If students do not meet these criteria, we will suggest the Enterprise course instead of the GCSE option.

Required Materials

Revision Guide

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - English Language & Literature

SPECIFICATIONS: English Language, English Literature                AQA  (8700/8702)

During Key Stage 4 all students are required to study GCSEs in both English Language and English Literature.

The GCSE programme in English aims to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word.  The curriculum will prepare them for the challenges of their GCSE examinations in both English Language and English Literature.

Assessment for the final GCSE in both English Language and English Literature consists of a total of four terminal examinations. Speaking and Listening no longer contributes to the final GCSE grade, however, a grade (Pass/Merit/Distinction) for spoken language does appear separately on the GCSE certificate.

 Content

 Reading:

  • Non-fiction texts (e.g. articles, leaflets, web-based texts, autobiography, travel writing, magazine and newspaper articles)
  • Shakespeare
  • Text(s) from the English Literary Heritage
  • Modern Drama
  • Poetry

 Writing:

  • Writing for a range of audiences and purposes. Fiction and non-fiction.

 Speaking & Listening:

  • Speaking and Listening in a range of contexts
  • Spoken Language assessment (GCSE) consisting of a speech and questions

 Skills that are developed

 Students are taught to:

  • Demonstrate skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing necessary to communicate with others confidently, effectively, precisely, and appropriately
  • Express themselves creatively and imaginatively
  • Select and adapt speech and writing to different situations and audiences
  • Become critical readers of a range of texts
  • Use reading to gain access to knowledge and to develop their own skills as writers
  • Understand that texts from the English, Welsh and Irish Literary Heritage have been influential and significant over time and explore the meaning of these today
  • Understand how literature from other cultures is influential
  • Connect ideas, themes, and issues, drawing on a range of texts

ASSESSMENT

 English Language GCSE

The scheme of assessment is linear and concludes with two written examinations.

 Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (Fiction)

1 hour 45 minutes  80 marks                   50% of the GCSE

Section A: Unseen Literature from the 20th or 21st century. Candidates will answer four questions.

Section B: Creative writing (e.g. a description or narrative)

 Paper 2: Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives (Non-Fiction)

1 hour 45 minutes  80 marks                   50% of the GCSE

Section A: Unseen Literature from the 20th or 21st century. Candidates will answer four questions.

Section B: Creative writing (e.g. a broadsheet article or speech)

 AND

 English Literature GCSE

The scheme of assessment is linear and concludes with two written examinations.

 Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel

1 hour 45 minutes

Candidates will study the two texts within the course and answer a question on each in the examination. The exam is closed book and therefore students will not have access to the text during the examination.

 Paper 2:  Modern Texts and Poetry

2 hours 15 minutes

Candidates will study a play, text, and 15 poems from a pre-released anthology. This examination is also closed book and therefore students will not have access to the text during the examination.

Web address for specification: www.aqa.org.uk 

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Geography

AQA 8035

 General

The course is based on the AQA 8035 Geography syllabus. It is a challenging and contemporary course with emphasis on the changing nature of the world and the challenges faced. It focuses upon enquiry-based learning, investigation, decision making, problem solving and reflective thinking.

 The aims of this specification are for students to:

  • Make sense of the fast-changing world in which they live.
  • Develop, enhance and apply a wide range of subject specific skills which will serve them purposefully in future years.
  • Undertake fieldwork and use a range of secondary sources including new technologies to collect contemporary geographical information.
  • Acquire knowledge and understanding of a range of environments and places at a local, national, international and global scale, and the processes that create them.
  • Develop a framework of spatial awareness in which to appreciate the importance, interconnectedness and interdependence that exists between different places and environments.
  • Appreciate similarities and differences between people’s views of the world, contrasting environments, societies and cultures.
  • Understand the significance of values and attitudes to the development and resolution of issues.
  • Develop students’ responsibilities as global citizens and encourage them to recognise how they can contribute to a sustainable and inclusive future.

 SUBJECT CONTENT

 Living with the physical environment

  • Section A: The challenge of natural hazards
  • Section B: Physical landscapes in the UK
  • Section C: The living world
     

Challenges in the human environment

  • Section A: Urban issues and challenges
  • Section B: The changing economic world
  • Section C: The challenge of resource management
     

Geographical applications

  • Section A: Issue evaluation
  • Section B: Fieldwork
     

Geographical skills

  • Geographical skills

 ASSESSMENT

 Paper 1 – Living with the Physical Environment

The challenge of natural hazards, physical landscapes in the UK, the living world, geographical skills.

How it’s assessed:

Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes

88 marks (including 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology)

35% of GCSE

 Paper 2 – Challenges in the Human Environment

Urban issues and challenges, the changing economic world, the challenge of resource management, geographical skills.

How it’s assessed:

Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes

88 marks (including 3 marks for SPG)

35% of GCSE.

 Paper 3 – Geographical Applications

Issue evaluation, fieldwork, geographical skills.

How it’s assessed:

Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes

76 marks (including 6 marks for SPGST)

30% of GCSE

Pre-release resources made available from mid-March in the year of the exam.

 It is expected that all students will participate in the GCSE Geography field trip during Year 10. This is an integral part of the course and forms the basis for the focus of the fieldwork section of Paper 3. The field trip will most likely be to Bournemouth, to conduct studies into coastal management (physical geography) and fieldwork in the town centre (human geography). 

We also strongly recommend that students buy an AQA Revision Guide at the beginning of the course, as these will be used consistently in class and for home learning activities. 

Students who take Geography at GCSE must have completed their foundation year in Geography in Year 9, due to the essential skills and content that are covered in Year 9.

More info:  http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035/specification-at-a-glance

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - History

History (Schools History Project B)

OCR J411

 At GCSE the course is called the ‘Schools History Project’ which inspires students’ enthusiasm for history. It is one of the most popular GCSE History syllabuses in English schools. Students develop their understanding of the present by studying significant periods and themes from the past at a local, national and global level, engaging with a range of contemporary sources and later interpretations. The course has five equally weighted sections amounting to 20% of the total GCSE, which include:

  • The People’s Health, c.1250 to present day. In this section students are taught to gain a better understanding of the whole span of human development. They have to learn how Medicine has changed in Britain between the Medieval Period and the present day. This thematic study enables study of change and continuity across time periods and within each one.
  • The Norman Conquest, 1065-1087. This depth study enables students to understand how and why different interpretations of Norman England have been constructed. In particular they look at what lies behind the myth of ‘the Norman Yoke’ and should consider how much of this is myth and how much is reality.
  • History Around Us. Students are given an insight into the techniques of the local historian. They research the enormous changes that have taken place in the local area over the past 100 years, through a study of Portchester Castle over time. They must demonstrate understanding of how its role has altered from Roman times.
  • The Making of America, 1789-1900. This period study follows the unfolding narrative of the making of America from the inauguration of the first president in 1789 to the end of the 19th Century when the USA was set to become the world’s most dominant power. Students will need to understand how and why American territory expanded during these years and the relationship between this expansion and the cultures of indigenous Americans, African Americans and white Americans.
  • Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945. This world depth study should enable learners to understand the impact of the Nazi dictatorship on people’s lives both within Germany and across allied Europe. It explores the interplay of political, economic, social, racial and cultural forces at work in these societies.

The course encourages students to become curious, to develop their own opinions based on a respect for evidence and to build a wide knowledge of significant historical events. Historical enquiry continues to be the approach that is needed to make sense of the content in each of the studies. Students will also continue to develop a set of second-order concepts for history which include ’cause and consequence’, ‘change and continuity’, ‘similarity and difference’, and ‘historical significance’ to shape the enquiry questions asked in a topic and organise the subject knowledge. Students who take History at GCSE should have completed their foundation year in History in Year 9 in order to have the skills in place for the course.

History B (SHP) consists of three component groups. All components are externally assessed.

  • Component 1 – 40% The People’s Health, c.1250 to present and the Norman Conquest, 1065-1087. 1 hr 45 mins paper – 40 marks each (80 marks total).
  • Component 2 – 20% Candidates have to complete a source based local study exam. 1hr paper – 40 marks + 10 SPaG
  • Component 3 – 40% The Making of America, 1789-1900 and Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945. 1 hr 45 mins paper – 40 marks each (80 marks total)

We encourage students to buy a Revision Guide, which covers all of the units. Web address for specification: www.ocr.org.uk

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Languages - GCSE French/German/Spanish (Edexcel)

Course Description

At Phoenix, our objective is to enable students of all abilities to develop their foreign language skills to their full potential, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to confidently communicate with others in both speaking and writing. We are passionate about the benefits that learning a language can bring and as such, we strongly believe in languages as a skill for life and something students should enjoy and find rewarding.

Therefore, at GCSE, students will be expanding their cultural knowledge, tolerance, and awareness, whilst developing their language skills in a variety of contexts to build a solid base of vocabulary and grammar. The vocabulary learnt in this qualification builds upon learning in KS3 and enables students to communicate both in speaking and writing across a range of engaging and relatable topics which are relevant to their current and future needs.

Although all four GCSE exams are at the end of the course, every student will be assessed on a termly basis in the four skills of Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading. These assessments will allow the students to experience what the “real” GCSE exams are like and allow them and their teachers to know what their strengths and weaknesses are, so that together they can design a thorough revision and intervention plan.

 Assessment Weighting

Terminal Examinations: 

Speaking 25%

Writing 25%

Listening 25%

Reading 25%

 Programme of Study

The course is broken into 6 themes which cover the vocabulary and grammar requirements of the specification. Depending on the language studied, students may study these themes in a different order to the one listed below.

  • My personal world
  • Lifestyle and wellbeing
  • My neighbourhood
  • Media and technology
  • Studying and my future
  • Travel and tourism

These 6 themes are then broken down into these sub-topics, the content of which builds directly on the foundations that have been built though students’ studies in years 7, 8 and 9.

Essential Resources and Equipment

  • Pencil case including green pens, a set of highlighters and a glue stick
  • A4 exercise book
  • **GCSE Reading and Listening practice workbook (purchased in September of Year 10)
  • **GCSE Writing and Grammar practise workbook (purchased in September of Year 10)

Recommended Resources

  • Bilingual dictionary – preferably containing a grammar section.

 Home Learning

  • Students will be set weekly homework which should last approximately 45 minutes. Homework will develop the wide variety of skills needed to pass the course.
  • Vocabulary learning (approximately 15 to 20 words) will also be set every fortnight and will be tested in class to make sure students are keeping on top of their learning and are able to access the highest grades.

 Careers and Further Educational Opportunities

Given the current political climate in the UK, there has never been a time in recent history when the ability to speak a foreign language has been more important. This is reflected in the number of people taking up the learning of a foreign language. Contrary to popular belief, languages do not limit students to careers in translating, interpreting, education or tourism industries. 

  • Finance: banks, insurance companies and accountancy firms operate internationally.
  • Imports/Exports: sourcing products from around the world and negotiating with suppliers.
  • Law: many of the commercial firms in London have offices in other European capitals.
  • Sales and Marketing: global companies and organisations such as the UN, EU, Greenpeace, Doctors without Borders, Coca-Cola European Partners and the Diplomatic Service are all employers of languages graduates.
  • Armed Forces: in 2014 the army announced that it would be compulsory for recruits to speak/learn a foreign language.
  • Achieving a good grade in a language is a unique selling point for all college and university applications. Some universities insist on students having a GCSE in a foreign language as it says much about the resilience, open-mindedness and calibre of the candidates, as well as making them significantly more employable in the future.

PLEASE NOTE: Students who have not learnt French/German/Spanish in Year 9 will need prior consultation with the Languages Learning Leader before they are allowed to join a GCSE class in that language.

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Science - Combined

Syllabus: Combined Science: Trilogy                                                    Exam Board: AQA

From September of Year 10, students will continue to study the GCSE AQA syllabus for Science. Students will be following the curriculum pathway that has been recommended to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcome at GCSE. As a reminder this is the Combined Science route (worth two GCSEs) or the Separate Science route (worth three GCSEs).

It is important to highlight that all Science A level courses are written to follow on from the Combined Science route and, therefore, not completing the Separate Science pathway at GCSE does not eliminate the ability to study any Science at A level.

In year 10 all students will study the same topics, including.

  • Biology topics – Infection and Response, Bioenergetics, and homeostasis
  • Chemistry topics – Quantitative Chemistry, Chemical Change and Energy Change
  • Physics topics – Particle model of matter, Atomic Structure, and waves

In year 11 students will study the remaining topics, including.

  • Biology topics – Inheritance, Variation and Evolution and Ecology
  • Chemistry topics – Organic Chemistry, Chemistry of the Atmosphere and Using Resources
  • Physics topics – Forces, Magnetism and Electromagnetism and space

There are three main assessment points at the end of each set of Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics that inform students’ progress and OTFGs throughout year 10. We continue to monitor progress closely to ensure students are following the correct pathway.

The final examinations will also include assessment of practical Science skills, Maths skills and the subject content that has been studied.

The science department use an online platform for home learning. The Educake home learning has also been organised to ensure students are revisiting previous learning. This also provide immediate feedback to students and teachers regarding student progress and gaps in learning that can be addressed.  Following student feedback home learning will also be punctuated with practice exam questions and marking guidance to increase student practice and understanding of marking guidance.

 Final examination – Combined Science (two GCSEs)

  • Total of six exams at the end of Year 11; two for Biology, two for Chemistry and two for Physics.
  • Each exam is worth 70 marks, lasting for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  • 15% of the paper will be based on practical skills.

We recommend that students purchase the Oxford revision guides as recommended by the class teacher.

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Health & Social Care

BTEC Level 1 / 2 Health and Social Care Tech Award

About 3 million people work in health and social care. Health care roles include doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants. Whilst social care roles include care assistants, occupational therapists, counsellors and social workers. Together, they account for nearly one in ten of all paid jobs in the UK. Demand for both health and social care is likely to rise, so they will continue to play a key role in UK society and the demand for people to carry out these vital roles will increase.

This course is a practical introduction to life and work in Health and Social Care. Students can develop their understanding of the sector and see whether it is an industry they would like to be in. Students gain practical, transferable skills giving them the confidence to progress in whatever path they choose. As it provides a well-rounded foundation for further study, the BTEC Tech Award in Health and Social Care gives students the opportunity to apply academic knowledge to everyday and work contexts, giving them a great starting point for academic or vocational study post-16, as well as preparing them for future employment.

Component 1: Human Lifespan Development Component 2: Health and Social Care Services and Care Values Component 3: Health and Wellbeing
  • Internal assessment (coursework)
  • Worth 30% of overall grade
  • Topics covered include: life stages and areas of development, factors that affect development, life events, support.
  • Internal assessment (coursework)
  • Worth 30% of overall grade
  • Topics covered include: types of services, barriers to services, care values, reviewing practice.
  • External assessment (Exam)
  • Worth 40% of overall grade
  • This is a synoptic exam. This means that it draws on previous knowledge from component 1 and 2, as well as additional topics.
  • Topics covered include: factors that affect health and wellbeing, interpreting health indicators, person-centred health and wellbeing improvement plans.

Grading

Grades are awarded as follows:

Level 1 Pass – Equivalent-Equivalent to a GCSE 1

Level 1 Merit – Equivalent to a GCSE 2

Level 1 Distinction – Equivalent to a GCSE 3

Level 2 Pass – Equivalent to a GCSE 4

Level 2 Merit – Equivalent to a GCSE 5

Level 2 Distinction – Equivalent to a GCSE 7

Level 2 Distinction*- Equivalent to a GCSE 8/9

The BTEC Tech award is the equivalent to a GCSE qualification and is recognised by colleges and further education providers.

Recommended Equipment

Revision Guide available from the school shop.

Access to a PC at home (desktop or laptop), with a good internet connection and the ability to download software.

Health and Social Care is only available as an option to those students who are already studying it in Year 9.

Excellent written English skills are vital for success in this course due to the nature of assessment, alongside organisational and time management skills. Having an enthusiasm for the subject is also vital, as well as a desire to work with others.

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)

All students will have a one hour lesson per fortnight.

This is non-examined, but a Behaviour and Effort score will be reported.

We follow a scheme of work called Jigsaw PSHE.  This is a whole-school approach to PSHE, health and wellbeing.  Jigsaw is a unique, spiral, progressive and effective scheme of work, aiming to prepare children/young people for life, heling them really know and value who they are and understand how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world.

There are 6 units of work that we look at in all years and these include:

  1. Being Me In My World
  2. Celebrating Difference
  3. Dreams and Goals
  4. Healthy Me
  5. Relationships
  6. Changing me

In Year 9 students will look at:

  • Perceptions about intimate relationships
  • Consent
  • Peer on peer abuse
  • Abuse and coercion
  • Protected characteristics
  • Hate crime
  • Harassment
  • Personal strengths and SMART targets
  • Mental health and well being
  • Law and effects of alcohol and drugs
  • Smoking and vaping
  • Healthy relationships
  • Contraception and sexual health
  • Age of consent

In Year 10 students will look at:

  • Human Rights
  • Bereavement
  • Peer on peer abuse
  • Social media and culture
  • The Equality Act 2010
  • Vulnerable groups including disability and hidden disability
  • Career goals
  • Employability
  • Blood donation
  • Improving health, mental and sexual health
  • Organ donation
  • Sustaining long-term relationships
  • Diet and long-term health
  • Self-examination
  • Relationship choices
  • Romantic relationships
  • Self-identity
  • Role of media

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Religious Studies

(Beliefs, Teachings & Practices/Philosophy & Ethics)

SYLLABUS:  Religious Studies (9-1)                            AQA A (8062)

As a skill set, with life beyond Phoenix in mind, this course will build up students as great empathisers (an increasingly valuable attribute in today’s world and in understanding human behaviour), develop their skills in clear communication and research and strengthen the way they can debate and contextualise different viewpoints. GCSE RS should particularly be given serious consideration for any student keen on pursuing a career in teaching, charity work, community-based care roles, government and policy making, medical professions, management/human resources, or a legal profession.

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices Component 2: Thematic studies
What is assessed:
Beliefs, teachings and practices of two major world religions – we have opted for:

What is assessed:
  • Key Beliefs (God, Creation, after life)
  • Jesus Christ, sin and salvation
  • Worship and festivals (Bible, prayer, sacrament, pilgrimage, celebration)
  • Church in the community (local/ worldwide action)


Buddhism
  • Key Beliefs (Dukkha, Anicca, Nirvana, Karma, Ahimsa)
  • Authority – The Buddha, Pali Cannon
  • Worship – Theravada and Mahayana differences
  • Duties – Devotion, meditation, the Sangha


How it is assessed
  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • 96 marks (plus 5 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG))
  • 50% of GCSE


Questions
  • Each religion has a common structure of two five-part questions of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.
  • Each religion is marked out of 48.
What is assessed:
Four religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes – we have chosen:

Theme B: Religion and life
  • Origins and value of the universe
  • Origins and value of human life
  • Worship and festivals (Bible, prayer, sacrament, pilgrimage, celebration)
  • Church in the community (local/ worldwide action)


Theme C: Existence of God and Revelation
  • The arguments for and against the existence of God
  • Personal and General experiences of God
  • Worship – Theravada and Mahayana differences
  • Duties – Devotion, meditation, the Sangha


Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict
  • Violence, terrorism and war
  • WMDs, peace and response to war
  • 50% of GCSE


Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment
  • Crime and the cause of crime
  • Aims and types of punishment


How it is assessed
  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • 96 marks (plus 5 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG))
  • 50% of GCSE


Questions
  • Each theme has a common structure of one five-part question of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.
  • Each theme is marked out of 24.
  • 50% of GCSE

Skills

AQA’s new GCSE (9–1) in Religious Studies specification will encourage learners to:

  • Develop the ability to construct well argued, well-informed, balanced and structured written arguments, demonstrating their depth and breadth of understanding of the subject
  • Engage with questions of belief, value, meaning, purpose, truth, and their influence on human life
  • Reflect on and develop their own values, beliefs and attitudes in the light of what they have learnt and contribute to their preparation for adult life in a pluralistic society and global community
  • Develop knowledge and understanding of religions and non-religious beliefs
  • Develop knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, teachings and sources of wisdom and authority, including through their reading of key religious texts, other texts, and scriptures of Christianity and Islam
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Islam and Christianity
  • Understand the influence of religion on individuals, communities and societies
  • Understand significant common and divergent views within religions and beliefs

Assessment

As this examination has no coursework the students will be continually assessed throughout the course. The final grade will be determined by a series of external examinations as detailed earlier. 

In each of these papers students will answer a selection of questions on each of the topics to assess their knowledge, understanding and evaluation skills. These questions will always follow a set structure, the skills and techniques are well rehearsed in lessons prior to this.

The Department is looking at opportunities to provide enrichment to its GCSE groups.  We have two trips that run in throughout KS4 RS.  These include a trip to St Pauls Cathedral, London, and another to the Chithurst Buddhist Monastery.

Years 10 & 11 Curriculum - Mathematics

Syllabus: Mathematics J560                                                      Exam Board: OCR

Mathematics is a compulsory subject.

All students will begin a GCSE in Mathematics in Year 9.

Content

The GCSE course aims to give students a sound and confident grasp of Mathematics. 

Students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills in the following assessment objectives:

  • Number
  • Algebra
  • Ratio and Proportion
  • Geometry
  • Probability and Statistics

Students will study for a linear course in Mathematics.

This will be assessed in a terminal examination which will consist of three written papers, each 1.5 hours long, in the summer of Year 11. Two of the papers will require the use of a scientific calculator and the third will be non-calculator.

Students will be tested regularly during the GCSE course. Set changes may take place on the basis of these assessment results.

Students are required to bring a full Maths set to every lesson, including a scientific calculator.

We recommend the Casio FX-85GTCW.