Contact Teacher:
Miss K. Bain (Year 9 English) & Miss K. Hillier (Head of English)

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Students are grouped by ability in English lessons.  Year 9 students currently receive 4 hours of timetabled English lessons per week, embedded within these lessons are the Functional Skills aims.

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
Functional skills English.
This a new course being piloted with our current Year 9s before it becomes compulsory next year.  The qualification is the equivalent of ½ a GCSE.  The Functional Skills English exam consists of 3 components: reading, writing and speaking and listening.
Students will compare, read and understand a variety of texts and use them to gather information and ideas and form arguments and opinions.
In the writing paper students will need to write documents, including extended pieces of writing, where they are able communicate information, ideas and opinions effectively and persuasively.
These skills will be embedded within the following units of work:
•    Comparing Texts – (reading skills)
•    Openings to Novels – (reading and writing skills)
•    Stone Cold – (prose study – reading, writing and speaking and listening skills)
•    Shakespeare study – (reading, writing and speaking and listening skills)
•    Reading non-fiction – (reading skills)
•    War Poetry – (reading skills)
•    Writing to argue, persuade and review – (writing skills)
•    Script writing – (writing, reading and speaking and listening skills)

Assessment:
Students are grouped by ability in English lessons.  Year 9 students currently receive 4 hours of timetabled English lessons per week, embedded within these lessons are the Functional Skills aims.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/english
www.educationcity.co.uk
www.samlearning.com

Homework:
The teacher will set homework at least once a week.

How parents can help:
Encourage your child to get more actively involved in reading, particularly different text types.  Ask them to read a different type of newspaper each day. Help your child become a more confident speaker in public. Additionally support your child with their homework, making sure that it is complete and checked for any errors. Encourage your child to use the websites listed above and any other useful revision tools.

Contact Teacher:
Ms N. Ahmad (Teacher in charge of Year 9)
Ms S. Goodden (Head of Mathematics)

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
To facilitate effective learning the students are grouped according to ability.  The year group is divided in North and South sides and on each side there are five sets. Year 9 have four one hour lessons per week in addition to this there is a one hour ‘Booster’ session after school. All students are encouraged to attend this session where staff can offer extra help. 

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
The units covered during Year 9 are:
Number and Algebra including:-
•    Long multiplication and division
•    Four rules of fractions and decimals
•    Using Formulae and finding nth term
•    Solving simple equations using brackets
Shape and Space including:
•    Circles and circumference
•    Loci and construction
•    Volume
•    Angles, parallel lines and polygons
•    Pythagoras
•    Transformations
Data Handling including:
•    Data Representations
•    Data Collection
•    Averages
•    Probability

Assessment:
During the Autumn Term students are assessed twice, at Half Term and at Christmas.  After each assessment they have a ‘target setting’ session to enable them to assess their own progress.  In the Spring Term the students take mock ‘SATS’ exams which test all of the topics learnt.  This informs the department regarding setting arrangements for Year 10.  In the Summer Term, now that the SATs are no longer used, we will be preparing the students to have their first sitting first at a linear exam in June.  This will give students an opportunity to see how well they can do at the end of Year 9.  Following this they will begin studying towards their linear GCSE course in more detail and improving their grade at the end of Year 9.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
As a department we use the Key Maths books as our main textbook, however we do have access to many other resources.  We us ICT extensively and all Mathematics classrooms have an interactive whiteboard as well as an ordinary one.  We recommend several websites to students, which include:
www.mymaths.co.uk

We are also incorporating enrichment tasks in to our lessons which involve activities that will enhance their learning and feed in to the functional skills aspects that are being introduced in to the curriculum, including enrichment activities that will help them in organising personal finances.

Homework:
We set homework at least once a week, and we contact parents to inform them if any homework is missed.
all Year 9 students are set homework online on mymaths.co.uk.

How parents can help:
As a parent you are the most important ally we have in terms of supporting and encouraging the students.  Working together we can provide the best environment for them to achieve their full potential.  Our expectation is that homework will be completed on time and that behaviour should be appropriate for the classroom to ensure a positive working atmosphere for all.  Students should also have the correct equipment for every As a parent you can make sure that these goals are achieved.

Contact Teacher:
Ms M. McIntosh (Head of Science)

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Based on a formal assessment in year 7, students are placed in ability groups and are continually assessed throughout key stage 3 to allow movement between sets as and when students show a higher aptitude or need more support.  Teaching time:  Year 9: 3 hours a week

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
Intro:
Pupils learn how knowledge and understanding in science are rooted in evidence.  They discover how scientific ideas contribute to technological change- affecting industry, business and medicine and improving quality of life.  They trace the development of science worldwide and recognise its cultural significance.  They learn to question and discuss issues that may affect their own lives, the directions of societies and the future of the world.

Key concepts:

1.    Scientific thinking - Learning the use of scientific ideas and models to explain phenomena and developing them creatively to generate and test theories.
2.    Applications and implications of science -Exploring the ethical and moral implications of using and applying science as well as understanding that new technological developments have consequences in the way people think and behave.
3.    Cultural understanding - Recognising that modern science has its roots in many different cultures and societies.
4.    Collaboration- Sharing developments and common understanding across the curriculum.

Range and content:

The study of science includes the following topics which are taught throughout key stage 3

a.    Energy, electricity and forces.
b.    Chemical and material behaviour
c.    Organisms, behaviour and health.

Over the three years students will be developing essential skills which will enable them to learn and make good progress, these are:

1. Practical and enquiry skills
2. Critical understanding of evidence
3. Communication

Assessment:
In year 7 and 8 assessment is based on assessing pupils’ progress continually by completing assessed pieces of work for each topic. Understanding and knowledge is assessed by end of topic tests and end of year exam.
In year nine the same process is used however the end of year exam takes place in February as to assess students for their KS4 options.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
Text books used are:
Eureka (Publishers: Heinemann)
Spotlight (Publishers: Stanley and Thornes)
Exploring science (Publishers: Longman

Homework:
Is set once a week, and is usually based on research or consolidation of class work.

How parents can help:
Parents can help by ensuring homework is checked for completion and that your child revises science on a weekly basis using a KS3 revision guide which can be purchased from any good bookshop or from the school at a subsidised price.

Contact Teacher:
Mr R. Reeves (ACE Manager)/Ms M. Cannam (Assistant to ACE Manager)

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Students are allocated an individual timetable which is modified as appropriate throughout the year.  Students are taught as a small group and given individual support when necessary.

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
National Curriculum – English, Mathematics and Science, Catering, Information Technology, Physical Education, Personal Development, Anger Management and Coaching.

Assessment:
Mathematics module test.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
Textbooks and Information Technology.

Homework:
Posted home on a regular basis.

How parents can help:
Maintain contact with ACE staff and ensure homework is completed.

Contact Teacher:   
Ms M. Richards (Head of Vocational Technology)

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Students are grouped in mixed ability sets.  Students elect one Design and Technology area at the end of Year 8 which they follow for the whole of Year 9.

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
Students complete a range of projects across the year within each focus area that include healthy recipesm mechanical toy and sportshat.

Assessment:
All students are assessed against the National curriculum levels for Design & Technology.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
Here is a useful website for your child to visit:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3/bitsize
We would also recommend the Key Stage 3 Design and Technology Guide by Richard Parsons.

Homework:
Students are set homework on a fortnightly basis.

How parents can help:
Parents can help support students by ensuring that homework is completed.  Encourage further practice of skills at home.

Contact Teacher: 
Mr S. Sousa (Head of Drama and Performing Arts), Mr D. Whitfield or Ms F. Dixie.

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Students are taught in tutor groups 1 hour per week.  There is no setting by ability.

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
Schemes of work look at a combination of theatre skills and issue based drama (often cross curricular with History and PSE that encourage students to use and develop basic communication and presentation skills.  Our schemes of work foster empathy, imagination, confidence, cooperation and thinking/problem solving skills.  Students will study topics such as Asylum Seeking, WW2 Evacuees, Dangers of Drink Driving and Homosexuality.  As well as this the students wil;l learn progressively specific performance skills such as Mime, Mask, Theatre in Education and Commedia dell'Arte.  Some schemes of work look at specific published texts/plays such as Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Coraline and Mogadishu.

Assessment:
Assessment is based on internally devised criteria that mark in six different areas: Participation, Imagination, Body, Voice, Script and Staging.  This enables development of all round skills that are required fro Key Stage 4 Drama/Performing Arts.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
Theatre trips are occassionally arranged for Key Stage 3 students.  The Key Stage 3 Drama Club offers keen or Gifted and Talented students to extend skills and take part in performances and external acting exams/Arts Award.

Homework:
Not set unless students are learning lines for a performance.

How parents can help:
Encourage and accompany students to take an interest in current affairs, general reading and theatre visits.

Contact Teacher:
Mr J. Boulton (Head of History).

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Students are taught in mixed ability Tutor Groups for 2 hours per week.

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
Historical Enquiry and interpretation.  Students study The Georgians and Victorians and the 20th Century World.

Assessment:
Assessment is carried out ½ Termly according to National Curriculum Levels.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
Black History Month trips & Theatre Performances.

Homework:
Homework is set weekly.  Students are given a homework booklet to complete over a six week cycle.  The booklets are available on the Students area of the College website.

How parents can help:
Take an interest in your child’s History homework and in historical documentaries on television.  Discuss current and historical events with your child.

Contact Teacher:
Ms S. Earthrowl (Head of Geography).

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Students are taught in mixed ability Tutor Groups for 2 hours per week.

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
Eco-systems, population, development & globalisation, India's rich and poor, the United Arab Emirates, climate change & sustainable development and Japan.

Assessment:
End of unit assessments are carried out through a variety of assessment methods – project work, extended writing tasks and display work.

Homework:
Weekly homework is set from Homework booklets, these homework tasks support the ½ Termly unit of work.

How parents can help:
Watch the news with your child, read newspapers together, discuss current affairs and look up the location of places.

Contact Teacher:
Miss K. Clark (Head of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics)

Grouping/organisation/setting/teaching time:
Students are taught in their mixed ability Tutor Groups with a view from Year 9 onwards of setting students according to their ability.  At Key Stage 3 students have one lesson per week and this will increase to two per week at Key Stage 4.

Course Content/Skills Learnt:
Year 9 students are for the first time ever starting "The end of life" GCSE course early – they will follow the initial GCSE units of good and evil, religion and science and will progress on to the other units in Years 10 and 11.  The department is currently in the process of ensuring that all lessons are taught with a focus on philosophy for children.

Assessment:
Assessments in Religious Education are both summative and formative, formal assessments are carried out at the end of each unit studied.  Year 9s are awarded a GCSE grade – they will also be set targets to assist them with progression.

Books/other materials/useful websites to visit/field trips etc:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs
www.religiousstudies.co.uk
The R.E. pages of the M.L.E.

Homework:
Homework is set on a fortnightly basis.

How parents can help:
Encourage your child to approach all religious issues with a questioning and analytical mind. Discuss some of life’s bigger questions with your child – such as “what happens when we die?,” “What is the meaning of life?” etc.