Optional GCSE SUbjects

Our exam board is Eduqas, further information regarding the specifications can be found on their website.

Students will work on a number of projects, which will involve them in thinking about how to communicate ideas and how feelings and meanings are conveyed in images and artefacts. They will look at and write about the work of relevant artists and designers and produce their own work using a range of techniques and processes.

In January of Year 11, a portfolio of coursework units will be submitted for assessment and the resultant grade counts as 60% of the overall GCSE grade. The remaining 40% is based on a final exam project, lasting for a number of weeks and with the final piece(s) being produced under exam conditions (10 hours).

Any role that requires you to be creative:

Artist, architect, designer in fashion/textiles, graphics, products, interiors, printmaker, visual merchandising, ceramics, art historian, art therapist, event organiser, gallery curator, advertising, garden design, architecture, set design, prop maker, interior design, medical illustration, animation, photography, floristry, costume design, special effects, web design, creative educator.

The possibilities are endless.

Our exam board is Eduqas, further information regarding the specifications can be found on their website.

Students will work on a number of projects, which will involve them in thinking about how to communicate ideas and how feelings and meanings are conveyed in images and artefacts. They will look at and write about the work of relevant artists and designers and produce their own work using a range of techniques and processes. While most basic equipment and materials are provided, students are required to provide pens, pencils, sketchbooks and a portfolio. Students may be required to make a contribution to costs in some instances.

In January of Year 11, two or three coursework units will be submitted for assessment and the resultant grade counts as 60% of the overall GCSE grade. The remaining 40% is based on a final exam project, lasting for a number of weeks and with the final piece(s) being produced under exam conditions (10 hours).

Any role that requires you to be creative. Graphic design and visual communications, illustration, advertising, print industry, computer aided design and manufacturing industry, web design and layout, art directors, animation and graphic animation, multimedia roles, computer game design, graphics and effects – film industry, set designer, design management.

The possibilities are endless.

Our exam board is Eduqas, further information regarding the specifications can be found on their website.

You will work on a number of projects, which will involve you in thinking about how to communicate ideas, feelings and meanings as conveyed in images and artefacts. You will look at and write about the work of important photographers, and produce your own work in a range of ways including traditional darkroom processes and digital imaging. The final unit of work is an exam project.

In January of Year 11, a portfolio of coursework units will be submitted for assessment and the resultant grade counts as 60% of the overall GCSE grade. The remaining 40% is based on a final exam project, lasting for a number of weeks, with the final piece(s) being produced under exam conditions (10 hours).

Any role that requires you to be creative. Photographers are needed in many industries, such as:

Art, advertising, fashion, design companies, journalism, sport, visual communications and education.

The possibilities are endless.

Our exam board is Eduqas, further information regarding the specifications can be found on their website.

Students work on a number of projects concerned with some or all of the areas above. They will have the chance to use their own creative ideas and to work through a process of experimenting and research leading to a final piece. They will write about their own work and research relevant themes.

A portfolio of coursework projects are submitted for final assessment in January of Year 11, and count for 60% of the overall GCSE grade. The remaining 40% of the GCSE grade is based on the exam project, which is similar to the coursework projects except that the final piece is produced under exam conditions (10 hours).

Any role that requires you to be creative:

Fashion designer, fabric designer, pattern cutter, surface pattern designer, printmaker, costume design, artist, furniture designer, interior designer, art historian, set designer, stylist, teacher, curator, event organiser.

The possibilities are endless!

Theme 1:

• Topic 1.1 Enterprise and entrepreneurship
• Topic 1.2 Spotting a business opportunity
• Topic 1.3 Putting a business idea into practice
• Topic 1.4 Making the business effective
• Topic 1.5 Understanding external influences on business

Theme 3:

• Topic 2.1 Growing the business.
• Topic 2.2 Making marketing decisions
• Topic 2.3 Making operational decisions
• Topic 2.4 Making financial decisions
• Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions

• 2 exam papers (50% each of the overall grade) – 1hr 30mins, out of 90 marks
• Consists of multiple choice, short answer and long answer questions based on a business context.
• There will be some basic business maths questions

Chartered management accountant, banking, human resources, insurance underwriters, retail manager, marketing executive and many more.

The course is made up of 2 components as follows:

Paper 1: Computer Systems

This is an externally assessed examination unit. It is worth 50% of the candidate’s overall grade, and will be 1.5 hours in duration. It will consist of a mix of multiple choice, short answer and longer answer questions assessing systems architecture, memory and storage, computer networks, network security, software and ethical and legal impacts.

Paper 2: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming

This is an externally assessed examination unit. It is worth 50% of the candidate’s overall grade, and will be 1.5 hours in duration. It will assess the student’s knowledge and ability in writing or refining algorithms as well as the programming fundamentals, robust programs, boolean logic and programming languages.

This qualification is designed to enable you to enter employment at operative or trainee level within a wide range of business and creative environments that utilise computing. For example, you may start work as an Applications programmer, web developer, games programmer software designer. You may undertake an apprenticeship, NVQ or other occupational qualification. You may decide to take higher level qualifications.

This course is made up of three components.

Component 1—Devising  (practical with coursework –40%)

In this unit, students will create a piece of theatre with the use of a stimulus and document the devising process. THey can contribute as a performer or designer. 

Component 2 – Performance from Text  (Practical 20%)

In this unit, students must perform two extracts from any play text, although it must contrast with the script chosen for Component 1. They can contribute as performer or designer.

Component 3 – Theatre Makers in Practice (Written exam — 40%)

In this unit, students will develop their knowledge of drama and theatre, as well as studying a set play and evaluating the work of live theatre makers.

Component 1—40% – internally assessed performance and coursework 

Component 2— 20% – externally assessed performance

Component 3—40% – externally assessed written exam

This course enables the student to seek a career in the performing arts industry. In addition, the transferable skills are essential in almost any job- for example: teamwork, leadership, communication, confidence, flexibility and determination.

This course is designed to draw on an existing enthusiasm for film and introduce you to a wide variety of cinematic experiences through films which have been important in the development of film and film technology. You will study 6 films from a range of different historical, social and cultural contexts. 

You will develop your knowledge of US mainstream film by studying one film from the 1950s and one film from the later 70s and 80s, thus looking at two stages in Hollywood’s development. In addition, you will study more recent films in the forms of a US independent film, as well as films from Europe, including the UK, South Africa and Australia.

Production is also an important part of this course and is integral for your understanding of film. Studying a diverse range of films from different contexts will support you to apply your knowledge and understanding to your own filmmaking and screenwriting. 

Component 1- Key Development in US films (35%). Written examination. You will study three US films for this component.

• A comparative study of mainstream genre films from the 50s and 70s/80s. (Focus on key developments in Film technology).

• One independently produced film. (Key focus on specialist and academic writing about film and film criticism).

Component 2 – Global Film (35%). Written examination. You will study three films from outside the US for this component.

• One global English language film. (Focus on narrative)
• One global non-English language film. (Focus on representation).
• One UK film produced since 2010. (Focus on aesthetics qualities of film).

Component 3 – Production (30%). Non-Exam Assessment. You will have a choice of production options to meet a brief set by the exam board.

• Either a film extract from a genre film. (2-2.5 minutes)
• Or a screenplay for a genre film (800-1000 words) + a shooting script.

You will also be required to complete an evaluative analysis (750-800 words) – explaining the choices you have made.

Film opens up opportunities for jobs within the art/design/culture sector and, within the film + TV industry itself.  A typical film employs around 200 people as cast and crew, but the big films such as Avengers employ up to 4000! There are so many possibilities, you just have to open your eyes and see them!

Year 1

Over the first year you will complete a number of small ‘mini’ projects that will allow you to develop the knowledge and skills to understand working with the different specialisms. This will focus on the theory aspect of the course as well as develop coursework skills and techniques ready for their given brief that is created by the exam board

Year 2

In the final year you will be given a design brief from the exam board. You will be expected to respond to the brief and will produce approximately 20 to 30 pages of A3 paper for your design, make and evaluation for your design, along with any models and your final prototype.

50% Exam 50% Coursework

Students should be aware that 15% of the exam is maths based questions.

• Written examination:
  2 hours
  50% of the qualification
  100 marks
  Section A: Core
  This section is 40 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open-response, graphical, calculation and extended open response questions.
  There will be 10 marks of calculation questions in section A.
  Section B: Material categories.
  This section is 60 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open response, graphical, calculation and extended open response questions. There will be 5 marks of calculation questions in Section B.
• Non – examined assessment:
  50% of the qualification
  100 marks
  Students will undertake a project based on a contextual challenge, released by the exam board a year before certification. The project will test students’ skills in investigating, designing, making and evaluating a prototype of a product. Your work will be internally assessed.

The marks are awarded for each part as follows:

1. Investigate (16 marks)
2. Design (42 marks)
3. Make (36 marks)
4. Evaluate (6 marks)

Product design is a popular subject for further and higher education and through its transferable skills will enable you to pursue many potential career paths. Product design graduates can go on to careers in teaching, architecture, engineering, interior design, garden design, marketing, advertising, theatre set designers and vehicle design.

Students will study each of the following units: 

Unit 1 (50%)

• Social Research 
• The Family 
• The Education System 

Unit 2 (50%) 

• Social Research
• Crime and Deviance 
• Social Stratification and Social Inequality

The course is examined at the end of Year 11 with 2 x 1 hour 45 minute examinations.

Sociology at GCSE is useful for a range of careers including journalism, teaching, social work, healthcare, law, politics and any job where communication with others is important.

The delivery of the lessons is mainly in French or Spanish and students are encouraged to use the language as soon as they enter the classroom. There are a range of resources available to support classwork and independent study. Homework is set on a weekly basis and will vary skill and task depending on content and lesson work. All students will also have fortnightly vocab tests and are expected to learn the vocabulary which can be accessed digitally and via interactive websites that we subscribe to. This is key to being successful in the course.

Students are assessed in the 4 skills above. There will be an exam in each skill which will take place at the end of year 11. Each exam is worth 25% of a student’s final grade. Students can either sit Foundation (grades 1-5) or Higher (grades 4-9) exam papers but they must sit all four skills at the same tier. We only enter students for higher tier that demonstrate great attitude both inside and outside the classroom and that have secure vocabulary knowledge.  No exam can be retaken. No dictionaries or any other support are allowed in any of the exams.

French and Spanish is a very valuable qualification in today’s globalized world. Employers value the knowledge and skills developed by the learning of a second language, so it is not only sought after in jobs that require the language (translator, teacher, international journalist, pilot,…) but also by businesses that want to expand internationally or that have international business. It also opens many doors for individuals wanting to explore jobs in other countries.