GEMS WELLINGTON
SCHOOL
Sixth Form Transition
AY 2025-26
Achieving Excellence Together
A-Level Mathematics
Foundation IGCSE knowledge required:
To support your understanding at A-Level it is important you have mastered the foundational
knowledge at IGCSE. Over the summer it is imperative you embed all learning in preparation for
term one.
A successful A Level mathematician must demonstrate complete algebraic fluency, have a solid
understanding of graphs and their equations and be able to solve geometric problems using a variety of
methods. Success at A Level Mathematics requires a sound understanding of the following topics:
⁕ Fractions
⁕ Expanding Brackets
⁕ Changing the subject of a formula
⁕ Trigonometry
⁕ Indices
⁕ Simultaneous Equations
⁕ Solving Quadratic Equations
⁕ Surds
⁕ Functions
⁕ Linear Inequalities
⁕ Graphs (quadratic, cubic, reciprocal)
⁕ Vectors
⁕ Linear Equations
Term one topics:
Below is a list of term one topics in preparation for these lessons ensure you read ahead.
Chapter 1: Algebraic Expressions
Chapter 2 : Quadratics
Chapter 3: Equations & Inequalities
Chapter 4 : Transformation & Graphs
Chapter 5: Straight Line Graphs
Chapter 6 : Trigonometric Ratio
Chapter 7: Radians
Chapter 8 : Differentiation
Chapter 9: Integration
Summer work to be completed:
Bring this work with you to your first A-Level lesson
The following tasks have been created to help you prepare for the AS Level course by recapping core skills from the iGCSE course.
Click here to access the mathematics transition booklet to complete.
Suggested viewing to prepare for A level Mathematics:
⁕ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-JI5sO3db4
⁕ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0fFRmOiRfI
⁕ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7unt67FL0
⁕ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTz7yQ9cR6w
Radio/Podcasts/Videos/Documentaries:
Ted Talks Maths Playlist: https://www.ted.com/playlists/189/math_talks_to_blow_your_mind
Podcasts focusing on interesting areas of maths: https://player.fm/series/the-ncetm-maths-podcast-2361943
Numberphile Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/numberphile
Eddie Woo YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/misterwootube
A-Level English Literature
Foundation IGCSE knowledge required:
To support your understanding at A-Level it is important you have mastered the foundational knowledge
at IGCSE. Over the summer it is imperative you embed all learning in preparation for term one.
Students who have studied the Edexcel IGCSE English courses will have built a strong foundation in the following key areas. If you're
joining from a different exam board or curriculum, reviewing these skills and concepts over the summer will help ensure a confident start
to A Level study.
English Language - Close Reading Skills: Analysing both fiction and non-fiction extracts for writer’s methods, tone, purpose, and
audience; Language and Structural Analysis: Identifying and exploring the effects of literary and rhetorical devices, narrative
perspective, syntax, and organisation; Creative and Transactional Writing: Crafting well-structured, original writing in both
imaginative (stories/descriptions) and functional (letters, speeches, articles) forms, with attention to purpose and audience;
Comparative Evaluation: Comparing unseen texts effectively, with a focus on inference and critical response.
English Literature - Set Text Study: Developing analytical essays on drama, prose, and poetry texts, including theme,
characterisation, setting, and context; Quotation Integration: Supporting arguments with relevant, embedded quotations and
close textual commentary; Understanding of Context: Considering historical, cultural, and authorial context and its impact on
meaning; Poetry Analysis: Studying a poetry anthology with focus on language, form, structure, and thematic links between poems.
Suggested Summer Preparation for New Students
Read a range of fiction and non-fiction extracts and practise analysing language and structure.
Familiarise yourself with key literary terms (e.g., enjambment, juxtaposition, metaphor, irony).
Review essay structures for literature essays, particularly how to build a clear argument using evidence.
Read or re-read canonical texts often studied at IGCSE, such as Of Mice and Men, An Inspector Calls, or a Shakespeare play, to
strengthen literary confidence.
Practise writing responses to unseen poetry and prose extracts, focusing on analysis and interpretation.
Term one topics:
Below is a list of term one topics in preparation for these lessons ensure you read ahead.
Poetry: Poems of the Decade
Students will engage with a range of contemporary poems from the Poems of the Decade anthology, examining how poets respond
to modern themes such as identity, conflict, relationships, and society. Emphasis will be placed on analysing literary methods,
evaluating how language, form and structure create meaning, and developing an understanding of the social and cultural contexts
that shape each poem.
Prose: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The study of Martel’s Life of Pi will focus on key themes including survival, faith, truth, and storytelling. Students will explore Martel’s
narrative techniques and use of symbolism, while also considering the novel's philosophical and postcolonial contexts.
Summer work to be completed:
Bring this work with you to your first A-Level lesson
Read Ahead
• Read Life of Pi (Unit 1), A Streetcar Named Desire (Unit 2), and Doctor Faustus (Unit 2).
• Start thinking about themes such as survival, illusion, fate, and morality.
Keep a Reading Journal
• Jot down key quotes, initial thoughts, or character notes.
• Try writing a short paragraph in response to a theme like: - 'The boundaries between truth and fiction in Life of Pi' - 'How Williams
presents illusion in A Streetcar Named Desire'
Explore Beyond the Text
• Watch stage productions or film versions.
• Listen to podcasts or YouTube videos about your set texts.
• Read around topics such as the Renaissance worldview (for Faustus) or post-war America (for Streetcar).
A-Level Economics
Foundation IGCSE knowledge required:
To support your understanding at A-Level it is important you have mastered the foundational
knowledge at IGCSE. Over the summer it is imperative you embed all learning in preparation for term
one.
To succeed in A-Level Economics, it's essential that you have a strong grasp of the key concepts introduced at IGCSE. The summer
break is the ideal time to review and embed this foundational knowledge to ensure you're ready for the analytical depth and new
terminology of term one. Building a solid base now will help you better understand more complex economic models and theories
ahead.
Key areas to review:
Basic economic problem: scarcity, choice, and opportunity cost
Demand and supply, and how markets work
Types of economies: market, mixed, and planned
Factors of production and resource allocation
Government intervention and market failure
Inflation, unemployment, and economic growth basics
Term one topics:
Below is a list of term one topics in preparation for these lessons ensure you read ahead.
IAL Economics Unit 1 Topics – Markets in Action
1. The Economic Problem and Economic Systems
Explores scarcity, opportunity cost, and how different types of economies (free market, mixed, and planned) allocate resources.
2. Demand and Supply
Examines the factors affecting demand and supply, movement along and shifts of the curves, and the concept of equilibrium price and quantity.
3. Elasticity
Includes price elasticity of demand (PED), price elasticity of supply (PES), income elasticity (YED), and cross elasticity of demand (XED). Focuses on how
responsive markets are to changes in price or income.
4. Consumer and Producer Surplus
Introduces the idea of economic welfare and how it is measured in a market through surpluses.
5. Types of Market Failure
Covers the reasons markets can fail, including externalities (positive and negative), public goods, merit and demerit goods, and information failure.
6. Government Intervention in Markets
Analyses different methods governments use to correct market failure, such as taxation, subsidies, maximum and minimum prices, regulation, and
information provision.
7. Understanding Price Mechanism and Resource Allocation
Explores how prices act as signals and incentives in allocating scarce resources efficiently.
Summer work to be completed:
Bring this work with you to your first A-Level lesson
Click here to access the economics summer work
A-Level Business
Foundation IGCSE knowledge required:
To support your understanding at A-Level it is important you have mastered the foundational knowledge at
IGCSE. Over the summer it is imperative you embed all learning in preparation for term one.
To support your understanding at A-Level, it is important you have mastered the foundational knowledge at IGCSE. Over
the summer, it is imperative you embed all learning in preparation for term one.
Key Topics to Review:
1.Marketing Basics
The role of marketing
Market segmentation
The marketing mix (4Ps)
2.Finance and Accounting
Sources of finance
Cash flow forecasting
Income statements and basic financial terminology
3.Human Resources
Recruitment and selection
Motivation theories (Maslow, Taylor)
Types of training.
Term one topics:
Below is a list of term one topics in preparation for these lessons ensure you read ahead.
1.1 Meeting customer needs
1.2 The market
1.3 Marketing mix and strategy
1.4 Managing people
1.5 Entrepreneurs
Summer work to be completed:
Bring this work with you to your first A-Level lesson
Review IGCSE notes and textbooks
Watch business news or documentaries (e.g. BBC, CNBC, Netflix’s "Inside Job")
Read business articles or case studies (e.g. Business Insider, The Economist)
A-Level Psychology
Foundation IGCSE knowledge required:
To support your understanding at A-Level it is important you have mastered the foundational
knowledge at IGCSE. Over the summer it is imperative you embed all learning in preparation for term
one.
Introductory topics in Psychology
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological concepts, theories, research studies,
research methods and ethical issues in relation the specified Unit 1 content
Apply psychological knowledge and understanding of the specified Unit 1 content in a range of contexts
Analyse, interpret and evaluate psychological concepts, theories, research studies and research methods
in relation to the specified Unit 1 content
Evaluate therapies and treatments in relation to the specified Unit 1 content.
Term one topics:
Below is a list of term one topics in preparation for these lessons ensure you read ahead.
3.1.1 Memory
The multi-store model of memory: sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory. Features
of each memory store: coding, capacity and duration.
The working memory model: central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic
buffer. Features of the model: coding and capacity.
Types of long-term memory: episodic, semantic and procedural.
Factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony including leading questions and post-event
discussion. The cognitive interview as a way of enhancing eyewitness accuracy
3.1.2 Social Psychology
Types of conformity, including internalisation and compliance. Explanations for conformity, including
normative and informational influence.
Variables affecting conformity as investigated by Asch, including group size, unanimity and task
difficulty.
Explanations for obedience: agentic state and legitimacy of authority, and situational variables
affecting obedience as investigated by Milgram, including proximity and location.
Explanations of resistance to social influence, including social support and locus of control.
Summer work to be completed:
Bring this work with you to your first A-Level lesson
www.digest.bps.org.uk is created by the BPS, this website has current research relevant to Psychology that’s
easy to read. Read any two articles from any of the two topics above and bring to your first lesson to discuss
with your peers.
www.scientificamerican.com
Read: Various easy-to-read articles about various topics. Check out the ‘Mind’ section to find relevant
Psychology articles.
Key Contacts
Principal/CEO: David Wilson
Vice Principal: Ben Raybould
Head of Secondary: Jennifer Pilley
Head of Sixth Form: Gemma Relph
University counsellor: Poonam Bedi
Sixth Form A Form Tutor: Mr Phil Horner
Sixth Form B Form Tutor: Ms Ala Rasoul
Sixth Form C Form Tutor: Ms Zaynab Vardalia
Sixth Form D Form Tutor: Ms Sultana Parveen
Sixth Form E Form Tutor: Ms Khizara Zoya