Year 11 CURRICULUM INFORMATION - SPRING TERM 2014
Dear Parents,
Welcome to BSB’s Spring term (6th January - 4th April). Below is a brief summary of the curriculum that the Year 11 students
will be following in each of their main subjects:
Maths – Ms Carol Pratt
Students in Year 11 will continue to study the Edexcel IGCSE Mathematics syllabus (Specification A). All students study
the material necessary to sit the Higher Tier exam to encourage the best possible achievement. Those who completed
their IGCSE in the previous year will be studying the Edexcel IGCSE Further Pure Mathematics syllabus to obtain a
further qualification. Students will develop skills such as Persistence, Precision, Critical and Logical Thinking, Intellectual
Playfulness, Making Connections, Strategy Planning and they will learn to be Flexible Thinkers through investigations,
hands-on Maths, practicals, talking and writing about Maths and through many other forms of enquiry.
Science – Ms Carol Pratt
Year 11 students will continue their study of the Edexcel IGCSE Science syllabus in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The
course includes detailed content within each discipline, and will enhance students’ practical and analytical skills as well.
The course provides an opportunity for students to develop High Performance Learning characteristics such as Precision,
Connection-Finding, and Big-Picture Thinking.
English Language – Mr Gary Cairns
This term students will be studying drama and poetry. The set texts for this are an ‘Inspector Calls’ or a ‘View from a Bridge’
whilst the poetry is taken from the Edexcel anthology. Students will continue to look at key aspects of the texts in preparation
for their IGCSE qualification.
English Literature – Mr Gary Cairns
This term students will be studying a selection of poems from the anthology and learn how to analyse and critique unseen
poetry and prose in preparation for the poetry examination paper. Students will also be revising the set texts, ‘To Kill a
Mocking Bird’ or ‘Of Mice and Men’.
Intensive English as an Additional Language (EAL):
Base and Core Intensive English: Ms. Anne Burraston, Mr. Andy Sheridan, Mr. Kaz Michalak, Mr. Robert Liu-Preece
We will place EAL students into 2 groups depending on their level of English. They will have 4 lessons a week. In year 11
we will do more exam practice in preparation for IGCSE. Lessons will cover language skills of reading, writing, speaking
and listening with more of an exam focus. They will also use a wider range of subject-specific vocabulary and practice
techniques to improve performance in exams. To show their progress students in both groups will have the chance to take
external Cambridge English language exams.
Mandarin
Set 5 (First Language) - Ms. Lisa Zhang
This course is based on GCE A2 exam course. It includes intensive and extensive reading of narrative articles, Chinese poetry
and descriptive articles as well as writing activities. Students will also study translation skills, Chinese history and Chinese
culture.
Set 4 (Advanced) - Ms. Helen Song
The GCSE Chinese course is based on Edexcel GCSE curriculum guidelines. This term students will be studying young
people’s lives and challenges, modern world issues, education and employment. Some of the students were encouraged to
take the GCE AS Exam. This includes intensive and extensive reading of narrative articles and descriptive articles as well
as writing activities. The topics include media and entertainment, food and health, education and employment, travel and
tourism and Chinese culture.
Set 3 (Intermediate) - Ms. Hua Chen
GCSE Chinese course is based on Edexcel GCSE curriculum guidelines. The four skills; listening, speaking, reading and
writing are developed, especially reading and writing skills based on characters. This term students will be studying media
and entertainment, hobbies, travel and tourism.
continued....
Set 2 (Advanced Beginners) - Ms. Nikki Liu
GCSE Chinese course is based on Edexcel GCSE curriculum guidelines. The four skills; listening, speaking, reading and
writing are developed, especially reading and writing skills based on characters. This term students will be studying travel,
tourism and holiday, media and hobbies.
Set 1 (Beginners) - Ms. Flora Xu
GCSE Chinese course is based on Edexcel GCSE curriculum guidelines. The four skills; listening, speaking, reading and
writing are developed, especially reading and writing skills based on characters. This term students will be studying travel,
tourism and holiday, media and hobbies.
HSK Mandarin - Ms. Chiara Gilpin
The course focuses on the four skills and leads to the HSK test. This term, students will be covering topics about Food and
Health, occupation and future plans, Means of Transport.
Spanish - Mr Alan Foster
In the spring term, students will focus on revising topics that they have found difficult or they have missed out. We also are
further practicing tenses such as the use of imperfect, the imperfect continuous, the conditional and simple past, the present
and the perfect tense. We will practice past exam papers to improve exam technique; assessing the use of the 4 national
curriculum skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing.
French - Mrs. Amelie Azeem and Ms Linda Bastien
This term, Year 11 students will learn to discuss tourism-related issues: from talking about holiday venues, to describing t5he
weather in all tenses, students will also learn to make booking arrangements for hotel and youth hostel, and learn to make
informed choices depending on the services. We will learn to use conditional, revise imperfect, perfect and future tenses and
describe eating out events in detail.
German Native- Mr Philipp Mende
Students will do a presentation on a non-fictional topic. Furthermore, they will learn how to successfully apply for a job,
including letter of application and their CV as well as performing in a job interview. Finally, students will repeat how to write
an argumentative essay.
Geography - Mr Ed Thomas
In the Spring Term we complete the study of the Physical topics for the International GCSE (Cambridge syllabus). Weathering
and plate tectonics are covered. A full mock exam consisting of the three examined areas is set in January. A range of case
studies are used for this section of work from a variety of places around the world and case study type questions (worth the
highest marks in the exams) are set regularly and often for homework.
History - Mr Nick Bourne
In the Spring Term will be starting with the History mock exam paper. Then the students will do a thorough review of the
Edexcel IGCSE two year course so as to help prepare them for exam the external exam in May / June 2013. We will be looking
at each topic unit in turn and answering various exam questions. The students will also be learning to handle the time for
doing each question by having a series of exam question tests.
Yr 11 Business
In the Spring Term we complete the study of business finance and accounting and external influence topics for the
International GCSE (Cambridge syllabus). A full mock exam consisting of all the Business Studies topic areas is set in
January. A range of case studies are used for this section of course and case study type questions (longer response style
questions) are set regularly and often for homework. Students will concentrate on their written work and examination
technique using past papers in class.
Drama - Mrs. Heidi Arnold
Students will study a further, contrasting complete play text. They will complete 12 hours of examined drama workshops
where we will look at characterisation, language and verbal communication. Students will also undertake an in depth study
of one theatre practitioner. They will also need to complete a written portfolio of research and evaluation.
continued....
Art – Mr Richard Harrison, Ms Charlotte Yearn, Mr Dafydd Thomas
Students will complete their body of coursework based on the theme of ‘Decay’ and ‘Ordinary & Extraordinary’ They
will be expected to annotate their sketchbooks, make informed links with the work of a variety of artists and develop
and explore a variety of materials. Student will also begin their examinable component that forms 40% of their GCSE
Grade.
Year 11 Psychology
Having finished their investigations into fear, students will begin their final module ‘Are criminals born or made?’ In
this topic we will look at explanations of anti-social behavior and further examine the nature vs nurture argument – do
our genes affect how we behave or our upbringing? We will examine the theories of criminal behavior, look at some
of the techniques used by police to track and predict offenders and also look at the career of the forensic psychologist.
IGCSE Physical Education- Ms. Sian Evans
Year 11 will concentrate on their four chosen sports, which are filmed and edited for assessment by the Cambridge
examining board. By the end of February, the teaching of the theory element will have been completed and the students
can concentrate on revision and exam question practice. The students will also practice towards mastering the analysis,
evaluation and improvement of their own and others’ sports performances.
Core Physical Education- Mr. Travis Washko
This term the students will be given options to study changing every five weeks. The options offered will be touch
rugby, contemporary street dance, floor hockey, badminton, handball and football. The choices of sports have been
designed to complement the school’s sports program.
ICT - Mr. Nathaniel Brown
This term students will be looking at data capture and different ways in which information is collected and processed
for reporting. They will then learn how to create a website using Serif Web Plus. When they create the website they
will learn how to embed videos and sounds as well as use colours, layout and links effectively. They will then finish the
term by learning about some of the ways that ICT interacts with society in positive and negative ways identifying areas
where technology can be used for good and ways that it can have unintended consequences.
Design & Technology – Mr Richard Harrison, Mr Christopher Cundall, Mr Kevin Lawler
GCSE Coursework (Graphics and Resistant Materials)
The IGCSE Design and Technology syllabus enables learners to identify, consider and solve problems through creative
thinking, planning and design, and by working with different media, materials and tools. As a result, learners gain greater
technical and design awareness, while developing skills such as initiative, resourcefulness, enquiry and ingenuity. This
term will see Year 11 complete their coursework project and then begin their theory recap and exam preparations.
Depending on the student’s option choice:
• Graphic products will focus on several areas of design, including: Packaging, Promotional design, Point of Display,
Product design, Manuals, Transport, Architectural modelling, Corporate identity and Interior design.
• Resistant Materials will focus on the he general physical and working properties of common construction materials
(plastics, woods and metals) in relation to specific designing and making tasks.