A Levels

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Develop essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of the subject of Biology and how they relate to each other.
• Develop and demonstrate a deep appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of scientific methods.
• Develop competence and confidence in a variety of practical, mathematical and problem solving skills.
• Develop students’ interest in and enthusiasm for the subject, including developing an interest in further study and careers associated with the subject.
• Understand how society makes decisions about scientific issues and how the sciences contribute to the success of the economy and society.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 7 or higher in GCSE Biology/Science, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education and Grade 5 or higher in GCSE Maths and English or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

• Biological Molecules.
• Cells.
• Organisms Exchange Substances with their Environment.
• Genetic Information, Variation and Relationships between Organisms.

YEAR 2

Same as for Year 1, plus:

• Energy Transfer In and Between Organisms.
• Organisms Respond to Changes in their Environments.
• Genetics, Populations, Evolution and Ecosystems.
• The Control of Gene Expression.

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – Written exam of 2 hours (Units 1-4).
• Paper 2 – Written exam of 2 hours (Units 5-8).
• Paper 3 – Written exam of 2 hours (Units 1-8 and an essay).
• Practical Assessment (Pass/Fail).

CORE TEXT

AQA A Level Biology 2nd Edition – Oxford – Toole & Toole

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Biology is a very versatile A Level, giving a grounding that will allow students of the discipline not only access to Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary pursuits, but also provide the skills required to attend disciplines in the other sciences, and mathematical skills and English skills to take up careers outside of the sciences.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Give students an understanding of four key elements of business performance: finance, marketing, personnel and logistics.
• Encourage students to use their knowledge of business models and theory to explain the behaviour and success or failure of real businesses around the world.
• Provide students with the confidence and skills needed to run their own organisations in the future.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

• What is business?
• Managers, leadership and decision making
• Decision making to improve marketing performance
• Decision making to improve financial performance
• Decision making to improve human resource performance

YEAR 2

• Reinforcement of year 1 knowledge
• Analysing the strategic position of a business
• Choosing strategic direction
• Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
• Managing strategic change

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – Written exam of 2 hours (33.3% of final grade).
• Paper 2 – Data Response (as Paper 1).
• Paper 3 – Case Study (as Papers 1 and 2).

CORE TEXT

Business for A Level by Ian Marcousé.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The individual elements of the Business Studies course give students the chance to decide whether they would like to pursue a business career in finance, marketing, personnel or logistics. The A Level course gives students a sound grounding in each of these career areas. More holistically, the subject should equip students with the skills that they need in later life to become entrepreneurs themselves or managers of departmental areas within a company or corporation.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Develop interest in and enthusiasm for the subject.
• Develop an interest in further study and careers associated with the subject.
• Develop essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of the subject and how they relate to each other.
• Develop the student’s ability to recognise patterns in chemistry and recognize their interrelationship.
• Develop and demonstrate a profound appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of scientific methods.
• Develop a competence, and confidence in a variety of practical, mathematical, linguistic and problem- solving skills.
• Understand how society makes decisions about scientific issues and how the sciences contribute to the success of the economy and society.
• Use theories, models and ideas to develop a scientific explanation of reality as currently understood.
• Use scientific evidence and understanding to pose pertinent scientific questions, define scientific problems, present scientific arguments and scientific ideas.
• Use appropriate methodology including ICT, where appropriate to answer scientific questions and solve scientific problems.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 7 or higher in GCSE Chemistry and have a proven competency in Mathematics and English language to be accepted on the course.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Year 1

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

• Atomic Structure
• Amount of substance
• Bonding and Structure
• Chemical Energetics
• Chemical Equilibria, Le Chatelier’s Principle and Kc
• Redox; balancing redox equations

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• Periodicity
• Group 2
• Group7

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• Introduction to organic chemistry
• Alkanes
• Halogenoalkanes
• Alkenes
• Alcohols
• Organic Analysis

Year 2

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

• Chemical Thermodynamics
• Rate Equations
• Equilibrium constant Kp for homogenous systems
• Electrode potentials and electrochemical cells
• Acid/Base Equilibria

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides
• Transition Metals
• Reactions of ions in aqueous solution

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• Optical Isomerism chemistry
• Carbonyl Compounds
• Carboxylic acids and derivatives
• Aromatic chemistry
• Amines
• Polymers
• Amino acids, proteins and DNA
• Organic Synthesis
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
• Chromatography

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – Relevant physical chemistry topics, inorganic chemistry and relevant practical skills. Written exam – 2 hours (35% of final grade).
• Paper 2 – Relevant physical chemistry topics, organic chemistry and practical skills. Written exam – 2 hours (35% of final grade).
• Paper 3 – All content and relevant practical skills. Written exam – 2 hours (30% of A Level).

CORE TEXT

Advanced Level Chemistry (AQA approved) by Ted Lister, Janet Renshaw

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The nature of Chemistry in terms of pattern recognition and their relationship allows a quality to develop in students who have followed the discipline in depth to have a large repertoire of transferable skills that are not only very useful to Medicine and veterinary science, but a vast number of scientific subjects as well and non-scientific areas also.

Students studying Chemistry may go on to study medicine and conduct research at prestigious universities. Along with Engineering, these are the best-paid science related jobs. Chemical engineers develop novel materials that improve our quality of life and new batteries to fuel our various electrical devices. Chemists work for pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs to cure diseases and help fight bugs that would destroy crops. Molecular biologists want to understand the way living cells operate and study DNA, Proteins and their reactions. Analytical chemists can be involved in forensic investigations and help keep sports drug free. Environmental sciences involve a great deal of chemistry, including ways to reduce pollution and ways that our waste can be recycled.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Give students an understanding of the intricate relationships between households, governments and businesses.
• Encourage students to use their knowledge to combine analytical models with an awareness and consideration of the real world limitations.
• Provide students with the chance to understand the interactions of global forces which affect our everyday lives.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 5 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

Theme 1: Markets and Market Failure: Economic problem, types of markets, market mechanism, market failure and government intervention in markets

Theme 2: The UK economy: How macroeconomy works, economic performance and measurement, macroeconomic policy.

YEAR 2

Same as for Year 1, plus:

Theme 3: Business Behaviour and Labour Market: Behaviour economic theory, distribution of income and wealth, poverty and inequality.

Theme 4: Global Perspective: Globalisation, Trade, Exchange Rate, balance of payments

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – Markets and Market Failure.
• Paper 2 – National and International Economy.
• Paper 3 – Economic principles and Issues.

All papers are 2 hour written papers for 80 marks each.

CORE TEXT

AQA A Level Economics 1 & 2 by Ray Powell and James Powell.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The study of Economics is seen as a rigorous preparation for a wide variety of careers in both the public and private sector. Within the public (government) sector, students can go on to work as economists at the Treasury, at the Bank of England or with the European Commission. Economics graduates are employed directly by large companies as economic forecasters and market advisors. Economics is also seen as a good grounding for careers in accountancy, banking and law.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Help students develop and apply their knowledge of literary and linguistic analysis and evaluation.
• Engage students both creatively and critically with a wide range of texts.
• Explore ways in which the historical, social and political context affects the production and reception of texts
• Help students develop their own skills as producers and interpreters of language.
• Promote independent learning and critical thinking.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 6 or higher in GCSE English, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

• Remembered places – the representation of place is explored through an anthology of non-fiction.
• Imagined worlds – point of view and genre in prose is explored through the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale.
• Poetic voices – the forms and functions of poetic voice are explored with Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry.
• Methods of language analysis are integrated into all the activities.

YEAR 2

• Writing about society – the role of the individual in society, and re-creative writing based on the novel, The Kite Runner.
• Critical commentary – evaluating own writing.
• Dramatic encounters – conflict in drama explored through All My Sons.
• Methods of language analysis learnt during first year are built on in the second.

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – Written exam of 3 hours (40% of A level).
• Paper 2 – Written exam of 2 ½ hours (40% of A level).
• Paper 3 – non- examined assessment (20 % of A level).

CORE TEXT

• The Handmaid’s Tale.
• Poetry Anthology.
• Paris Anthology.
• The Kite Runner.
• All My Sons.
• A literary and non-literary text of the student’s choice.
• Careers and Opportunities

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

As well as further study at university and later work in academia, English A Level teaches a wide range of skills well-suited to roles that use the English language and its facets on a day-to-day basis. For instance, the subject is a good choice if you want to pursue a career in journalism, writing, advertising, marketing or linguistics. What’s more, it is important in fields such as politics, performing arts, law, foreign languages, design and media too. If you are thinking of studying humanities at university, the skills it teaches you will be of great use, whatever you study, thanks to its focus on communication and textual analysis.

Transferable skills developed studying English A level include:

• Research skills.
• Critical thinking.
• Essay writing.
• Analytical skills.
• An attention to detail.
• Crafting arguments.
• Communication skills.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Help students improve drawing skills, painting and mixed media techniques and develop these according to the student’s potential.
• Encourage students to use their knowledge of artists’ paintings and art theory to explain and expand their own ideas.
• Provide students with the confidence and skills needed to develop their own ideas effectively using a range of media

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education and Grade 6 in GCSE Art or equivalent drawing and painting ability.

COURSE STRUCTURE

This is a practical subject focused on drawing, painting and mixed media. Students may also produce work in three dimensions. Students will be encouraged to gain skills and use their knowledge to expand their own creative ideas. Researching and analysing the work of artists is also an important part of the course.

YEAR 1

• Drawing and recording from observation.
• Researching and understanding works of art.
• Developing own ideas in a range of media.
• Producing final artwork.

YEAR 2

Same as for Year 1, plus:

• Written analysis for a personal art project of between 1,000 – 3,000 words with artwork.
• Completed personal art work project.
• Exam project.

ASSESSMENT

• Personal project with written work.
• Exam project.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The individual elements of the Fine Art course give students the chance to decide whether they would like to pursue a career in fine art, architecture, museum curation or teaching art and design. More holistically, the subject should equip students with the skills that they need in later life to apply creative ideas and artistic skills.

EXAM BOARD: PEARSON EDEXCEL

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Give students a deep insight of Pure Maths (Algebra, Calculus, and Trigonometry) and its applications to Mechanics, Statistics, Further Pure Maths and/or Decision Maths.
• Challenge students to stretch their knowledge by enhancing their problem solving skills.
• Provide students with the confidence and skills needed to succeed in careers such as Engineering, Physics or Mathematics, since after completing the Further Maths course they will be familiar with most of the content they will have to face in the first year of these subjects at university.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Further Mathematics A Level is aimed at talented students with excellent maths skills and abstract thinking abilities, who have a clear intention of studying Maths, Physics or Engineering at university.

Students should have Grade 8 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course consists of a common Core Pure Maths component and students can then choose between Further Pure Maths, Mechanics, Statistics or Decision Maths.

During the course, students will have to deal with very challenging problems that will demand from them the ability to be creative, make deductions, link concepts from different topics and reason to a high level with a very reliable number manipulation.

YEAR 1

CORE PURE 1

In this section, students will start studying the foundations of complex numbers, linear transformations and matrices and will stretch their algebra and geometry knowledge.

FURTHER PURE 1 (OPTIONAL)

Introduction to the study of conic sections, Taylor Series and further Numerical Methods, combined with the study of one of the most powerful mathematical tools: differential equations.

FURTHER STATISTICS 1 (OPTIONAL)

A more detailed approach to hypothesis testing, as well as new distributions, such as the Poisson and the geometric distributions.

DECISION MATHS 1 (OPTIONAL)

In Decision Maths we study algorithms, linear programming or graph and networks and how these can be applied to real life cases.

FURTHER MECHANICS 1 (OPTIONAL)

In Mechanics we study in depth some of the topics covered in GCSE which are key in Physics, such as the conservation of energy in different contexts, collisions in 2D and 3D and the study of Hooke’s Law.

YEAR 2

CORE PURE 2

Here we move forward in the study of complex numbers, series and differential equations and start studying methods in calculus for integration and differentiation of special functions.

FURTHER PURE 2 (OPTIONAL)

Perhaps the most demanding area in terms of abstraction, this second year of Further Pure Maths ranges from number theory and groups to matrix algebra and advanced techniques of integration.

FURTHER STATISTICS 2 (OPTIONAL)

The statistics course is completed in the second year with the study of topics such as linear regression and correlation, continuous distributions or further hypothesis testing with which A level Maths students should already be familiar.

DECISION MATHS 2 (OPTIONAL)

In the second year of Decision Maths, students learn how to solve efficiently transportation and allocation problems. In addition, there is an introduction to game theory and dynamic programming.

FURTHER MECHANICS 2 (OPTIONAL)

Students learn to apply their Maths knowledge to deal with circular motion and centre of mass problems, as well as to gain skills to solve problems on dynamics (Simple Harmonic Motion and Gravitation)

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – Written exam of 1.5 hours (25 % of final grade) on Core Pure Maths.
• Paper 2 – Written exam of 1.5 hours (25 % of final grade) on Core Pure Maths (same as Paper 1).
• Paper 3 – Written exam of 1.5 hours (25 % of final grade) on either Further Pure, Further Statistics, Further Mechanics or Further Decision Maths.
• Paper 4 – Written exam of 1.5 hours (25 % of final grade) on either Further Pure, Further Statistics, Further Mechanics or Further Decision Maths (same as Paper 3).

CORE TEXT

For this course we use the Pearson Edexcel AS and A Level Further Mathematics set of textbooks (Series Editor: Harry Smith; various authors), consisting of the following:

• Core Pure Mathematics (1 and 2).
• Further Pure Mathematics (1 and 2).
• Further Statistics (1 and 2)
• Further Mechanics (1 and 2)
• Decision Mathematics (1 and 2)

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

At the end of the course, students will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in the first year of any degree course in Maths, Physics or Engineering, since they will already be familiar with most of the traditionally hard topics such as complex numbers, number theory, advanced integration, proof, matrix algebra, etc.

Mathematical experts are in demand across all types of industries around the world. Students studying Maths have access to career opportunities that they may never have even considered, including specialised fields such as law and medicine. However, a large number of maths careers are still based within business or science and technology-related sectors, with maths graduates able to purse a range of career opportunities, including accountancy, computing, engineering, management, surveying, teaching and town planning.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• To excite students’ minds, challenge perceptions and stimulate their investigative and analytical skills.
• Understand the role of decision makers in the physical and human environments

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education. It is recommended that students have Grade 6 or above in GCSE Geography.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

• Water and Carbon Cycles
• Coastal Systems
• Global Systems and Global Governance
• Geographical Skills

YEAR 2

• Geography Fieldwork Investigation
• Changing Places
• Contemporary Urban Environments
• Hazards

ASSESSMENT

• Component 1 – Physical Geography: Written exam of 2 hours (40 % of final grade).
• Component 2 – Human Geography: Written exam of 2 hours 30 minutes (40% of final grade).
• Component 3 – Geography Fieldwork Investigation: 4,000 words (20% of final grade).
• Question types: Short answer, levels of response and extended prose.

CORE TEXT

A/AS Level Geography for AQA Student Book by Ann Bowen, Andy Day, Victoria Ellis, Paul Hunt, Rebecca Kitchen, Claire Kyndt, Garrett Nagle, Alan Parkinson, Nicola Walshe, Helen Young.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Geography combines well with both arts and science subjects as it is a broad-based subject that really fits well for future progression at university and beyond. It leads to a variety of careers in sustainability, urban regeneration, retail location, managing the effects of hazards and climate change. Careers in law, human rights, politics and welfare benefit from studying aspects of Geography, such as ‘Global Development’ and ‘Migration, Identity and Sovereignty’ for instance. Other career options include cartography, surveying, teaching and landscape architecture.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Help students improve drawing and digital skills and techniques and develop these according to their potential.
• Encourage students to use their knowledge of designers’ work and design theory to explain and expand their own ideas.
• Provide students with the confidence and skills needed to develop their own ideas effectively using a range of media.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education. It is recommended that students have Grade 6 or above in GCSE Geography.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

• Drawing and recording from observation.
• Researching and understanding works of art and design.
• Developing own ideas in a range of media.
• Producing final digital artwork.

YEAR 2

Same as for Year 1, plus:

• Written analysis for a personal graphic art project of between 1,000 – 3,000 words with artwork.
• Completed personal art work project.
• Exam project.

ASSESSMENT

• Personal project with written work.
• Exam project.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The individual elements of the Graphic Communication course give students the chance to decide whether they would like to pursue a career in graphic design, illustration, marketing, computer graphics, animation or teaching art and design. More holistically, the subject should equip students with the skills that they need in later life to apply creative ideas and digital skills.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Help students understand the significance of historical events, the role of individuals in history and the nature of change over time.
• Help students gain a deeper understanding of the past through political, social, economic and cultural perspectives.
• Provide students with the knowledge and skills required to succeed as AS and A Level historians.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English. Ideally students will have achieved Grade 4 or higher in GCSE History, but well-motivated and capable students who have not studied history at GCSE will be able to succeed on this course.

Students must be prepared to undertake significant reading and be willing, and able, to write at some length.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The topics and key areas covered during the course are as follows:

THE MAKING OF MODERN BRITAIN, 1951-2007

We will study in depth the key political, economic, social and international changes which helped to mould Britain in the second half of the 20th Century. We will explore concepts such as government and opposition, class, social division and cultural change. This course encourages students to reflect on Britain’s changing place in the world as well as the inter-relationship between political policies, economic developments and political survival.

1H TSARIST AND COMMUNIST RUSSIA, 1855–1964

Students will study in breadth issues of change, continuity, cause and consequence in this period through the following key questions:

• How was Russia governed and how did political authority change and develop?
• Why did opposition develop and how effective was it?
• How and with what results did the economy develop and change?
• What was the extent of social and cultural change?
• How important were ideas and ideology?
• How important was the role of individuals and groups and how were they affected by developments?

ASSESSMENT

There are two examinations, each lasting 2.5 hours, worth 80 marks apiece. In addition, students will submit a 3,500 word personal research paper worth 40 marks.

The personal research paper covers an analysis of hundred years of history on a topic negotiated between the teacher and the student; the work will be questioning, will examine an issue of controversy between historians, and will, involve the scrutiny and deployment of primary evidence. The personal study will be rigorous with a full bibliography and written in the appropriate academic style.

CORE TEXT

2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951-2007
Authors: J M A Hugh. Series editor: Sally Waller
Publisher: Oxford University Press (including Nelson Thornes)
ISBN-13: 978-0-1983-5464-2

1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855-1964
Authors: Chris Corin, Terry Fiehn
Publisher: Hodder Education
ISBN-13: 978-1-4718-3780-7

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

A significant number of students studying History at undergraduate degree level enter the legal profession, where their analytical and critical reasoning skills are highly valued, as well as library, information and archivist careers, where their research expertise and ability to select, manage and organise information comes to the fore.

Other career options include politics, publishing, journalism, media and writing in all its forms, together with business and commerce, public sector administration and the charity and voluntary sectors.

EXAM BOARD: PEARSON EDEXCEL

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Give students an understanding of key concepts of Pure Maths (Algebra, Calculus, and Trigonometry) and its applications to Mechanics and Statistics.
• Encourage students to stretch the knowledge they acquired in GCSE by developing their thinking skills (to last for the rest of their academic life and beyond).
• Provide students with the confidence and skills needed to succeed in their future Advanced Maths degree courses at university.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course is divided in Pure Maths and in Applied Maths (Statistics and Mechanics).

YEAR 1

PURE MATHS

Students will consolidate and stretch their knowledge from GCSE on algebra, coordinate geometry, calculus, trigonometry and vectors. Additionally, more demanding and challenging topics such as proof and binomial expansion are introduced at this point.

STATISTICS

Topics such as how to handle data, find probabilities, statistical distributions and hypothesis testing will allow students to have a wide approach to the study of statistics and its applications to fields such as Science or Economics.

MECHANICS

Students will combine their knowledge of Maths with some essential Physics concepts to understand and solve problems on constant velocity motion, accelerated motion (constant and variable acceleration) and Newton’s Laws.

YEAR 2

PURE MATHS

Student will have a closer look at the concepts learnt in Year 1 about algebra, calculus, trigonometry and vectors, stretching the scope of applications, in combination with new topics such as parametric equations and numerical methods.

STATISTICS

In the second year of the course, students will not only study further applications of what they learnt in the previous year, but they will also start further data analysis, regression and distribution of discrete and continuous variables.

MECHANICS

With more mathematical tools acquired during the first year, students will approach more challenging mechanics problems, where the maths used is more sophisticated as well as some concepts regarding Newton’s Laws. Students will have the opportunity to study projectile motion (where accelerated and not accelerated motion work at the same time in different directions) and the application of vectors in the study of 2D and 3D motion.

ASSESSMENT

A Level Mathematics is assessed by 3 examinations:

• Paper 1 – Written exam of 2 hours (33.3% of final grade) on Pure Maths.
• Paper 2 – Written exam of 2 hours (33.3% of final grade) on Pure Maths (as Paper 1).
• Paper 3 – Written exam of 2 hours (33.3% of final grade) on Applied Maths (Statistics and Mechanics).

CORE TEXT

Pearson Edexcel A Level Mathematics (Series Editor: Harry Smith; various authors).

There are also textbooks for Pure Maths and Applied Maths (Statistics and Mechanics) – one each per year.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

A Level Mathematics is of enormous benefit as preparation for higher education courses such as Mathematics, Chemistry, Engineering and Physics. It can also broaden your experience of how the subject relates to the world in general. It is, simply, a very useful qualification to possess.

Mathematical experts are in demand across all types of industries around the world. Students studying Maths have access to career opportunities that they may never have even considered, including specialised fields such as law and medicine. However, a large number of maths careers are still based within business or science and technology-related sectors, with maths graduates able to purse a range of career opportunities, including accountancy, computing, engineering, management, surveying, teaching and town planning.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Help students improve drawing and photography skills and techniques and develop these according to their potential.
• Encourage students to use their knowledge of photographers’ work and design theory to explain and expand their own ideas.
• Provide students with the confidence and skills needed to develop their own ideas effectively using a range of media.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education and Grade 5 in GCSE Art or equivalent drawing and painting ability.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

• Drawing and photography from observation.
• Researching and understanding works of photography and design.
• Developing own ideas in photography and other media.
• Producing final photographic images.

YEAR 2

Same as for Year 1, plus:

• Written analysis for a personal photography project of between 1,000 – 3,000 words with own photographs.
• Completed personal photography project.
• Exam project.

ASSESSMENT

• Personal project with written work.
• Exam project.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Students may go on to study Photography at university, or combine it with other creative subjects, such as Advertising, Fine Art, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Multi-Media, Video Production or Web Design. Potential careers within photography include Advertising, Fashion, Film, Media and Photographic Professional Practice.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the A Level Physics course is for students to successfully study the physical world and gain a unique insight into how our universe functions.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

In order to be able to cope with the academic rigours of study at this advanced level, students should have Grade 7 or higher in GCSE Physics or Additional Science and Grade 7 in Mathematics. If you are not a native English speaker, an IELTS score of 6.5 will enable you to access the course.

COURSE STRUCTURE

You will have covered many of the A Level Physics topics at GCSE, including forces, waves, radioactivity, electricity and magnetism.

At A Level, you will look at these areas in more detail and find out how they are interconnected. You will also learn how to apply maths to real-world problems and explore new areas such as particle physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology and medical physics.

Year 1

• Foundations of Physics
• Energy and Power
• Charge and Current
• Resistance
• Circuits
• Optics
• Waves
• Motion
• Momentum
• Work, Energy and Power
• Laws of Motion
• Materials

Year 2

• Development of Practical Skills
• Simple Harmonic Motion
• Thermal Physics
• Gases
• Quantum Physics
• Electric Fields
• Magnetic Fields
• Electromagnetic Induction
• Radioactivity
• Nuclear Energy
• Capacitors
• Particle Physics

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – 85 marks.
• Paper 2 – 85 marks.
• Paper 3: Section A (45 marks).
• Plus one Optional Unit from below, 35 marks awarded:
  • Paper 3: Section B (Astrophysics – option).
  • Paper 3: Section B (Medical Physics – option).
  • Paper 3: Section B (Engineering Physics – option).
  • Paper 3: Section B (Turning Points in Physics – option).
  • Paper 3: Section B (Electronics – option).

In addition, there is an assessment of practical skills, assessed by completion of a series of practical activities completed throughout the course.

CORE TEXT

AQA A Level Physics text book; ISBN-13: 978-0-19-835187-0 and practical handbook ISBN 9781292245300.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Perhaps more importantly, you will develop skills that can be transferred to just about any other area of work, from setting up a business to saving the planet. Even if you don’t go on to become a physicist, learning to think like one will help you get to the root of any problem and draw connections that aren’t obvious to others. Physics won’t give you all the answers, but it will teach you how to ask the right questions.

By studying Physics, students are opening the door to a wide variety of rewarding careers. As well as learning about how the universe works, students will get a broad training in skills that all employers value – an ability to grasp concepts clearly, a determination to find coherent answers, plus problem-solving, analytical, mathematical and IT skills. An ‘A’ Grade in Physics is highly valued by leading British universities. Careers in physics may be versatile, but if you have decided to pursue a career in architecture, engineering, IT or medicine, or even management and finance, the skills developed by studying Physics are highly regarded.

Detailed study of a number of specific issues drawn from the three main topics, with an explicit consideration of theoretical approaches (structural, rational and cultural) and a requirement to engage with a synoptic style when writing essays.

ASSESSMENT

The A Level is assessed with three two-hour examinations, equally weighted using a mixture of medium-length ‘explain’ and essay style questions.

CORE TEXT

• UK Government and Politics, published by Hodder Education.
• US Government and Politics, published by Hodder Education.
• Political Ideas (Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism and Nationalism), published by Hodder Education.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Politics combines very strongly with a number of subjects including English, History, Economics and Sociology. Students who have studied Politics often go on to study Humanities subjects at university or study for a Law degree. Students with an A Level in Politics are to be found working in the civil service, local government, universities, schools, legal firms, newspapers, the broadcast media, parliament and in administrative, promotional and personnel roles in a range of commercial organisations.

EXAM BOARD: AQA

AIMS

The aims of the course are as follows:

• Provide students with the opportunity to understand how society works, with knowledge development of society’s structures and processes through sociological theories, perspectives and methods.
• Encourage the ability to recognise and evaluate the research conducted by sociologists that contributes to our knowledge of society.
• Enable the ability to discuss the theoretical and methodological perspectives and debates that exist within sociology across the different structures explored in the course.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students should have Grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics, or the equivalent grade/mark in their national system of secondary education.

COURSE STRUCTURE

YEAR 1

• Families and Households
• Education
• Research Methods

YEAR 2

• Crime and Deviance
• Theory and Methods
• The Media

ASSESSMENT

• Paper 1 – Education with Theory and Methods.
• Paper 2 – Topics in Sociology; Families and Households; The Media.
• Paper 3 – Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods.Each assessment is a 2 hour written examination; 80 marks in total; 33.3% of the final grade.

CORE TEXT

YEAR 1

Sociology for AQA Volume 1: AS and 1st Year A Level. ISBN: 9780745691305 – Ken Browne.

YEAR 2

Sociology for AQA Volume 2: 2nd Year A Level. ISBN: 9780745696942 – Ken Browne, Jonathan Blundell and Pamela Law.

CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Studying Sociology at A Level will provide opportunities to pursue higher education in sociology, philosophy, psychology, politics and law, as well as careers in academic research. This course also provides a deep understanding of the processes and structures that exist within society, relevant to a range of careers and industries, including law enforcement, education, media and various other public and private sectors.