Below you can find videos created by each subject to introduce what prospective students will be studying in their chosen A-Level courses. There is also a video to introduce you to our Sixth Form.
Click on each subject to access the video and press play.
Some subjects may also include taster sessions, suggested reading and summer work, that you can download to get even more information and knowledge about the subject you wish to study. Check beneath the video for the link!
I would like you to populate this slideshow with images you gather as part of your creative journal project. This will allow us to suggest related artists and inform conversations regarding the potential direction of your coursework after Christmas.
These journals, whilst not formally assessed, are an important part of the process for you to begin thinking of the type work you wish to produce and the potential issues you want your work to address.
Think of this presentation as a digital scrapbook; you see an image you like on social media? copy and paste it in. You are in London and see a cool billboard or piece of street art, photograph it and paste it in there. You might watch an interesting TV programme about an artist, google them and put a few images of their work in. Or you might just be doodling on a scrap of paper and get something that you are pleased with, put it in here. If you have started a physical journal and wish to continue with it please do, just photograph it and insert images of the pages into this presentation. You don't need to include much in the way of writing but the odd note here and there, saying who created the images, where they were recorded or why you are drawn to them might be useful.
This is designed to be a working document to help and inform your work, there are no wrong ways of doing it, other than not doing it. Over a quarter of the A level marking matrix refers to using contextual sources so looking around you is really important and you can get ahead by gathering sources from now.
Videos for powerpoint are below
To be a successful Computer Science student, you should be developing your programming skills regularly. Sign up for codewars (https://www.codewars.com/) and work through a range of challenges appropriate to your ability. We deliver the course in Python 3 - so this should be your programming language of choice. Be ready to show your progress to your teacher at the beginning of the school year. This is something we will continue to work on during the course.
Youtube link for session - https://youtu.be/V7_0cTWcZMI
Those who have not studied Economics at GCSE level must read Tim Harford's "The Undercover Economist" - link - currently retailing at £9.99 on Amazon.
For those who have completed GCSE Economics, you will be required to read Michael J.Sandel's "What Money Can't Buy - The Moral Limits of Markets" - link - currently retailing at £9.99 on Amazon.
You are expected to have read the book relevant to you and written a two-page review - typed - This should be handed in the first lesson in September.
The above documents can be used for both English Language and English Literature
The above documents can be used for both English Literature and English Language
German will be available again to study at A Level from September 2022. Please see our Options Guide for more information on the subject and check back here later in the year to find out more and get yourself ready to study a foreign language.
Unfortunately we do not currently have an introduction video for German but if you would like to ask any questions then do not hesitate to get in touch. We will also have staff available at our Open Evening to guide you through your choice.
I have attached a sheet outlining what can be done in preparation for September. There are a list of questions that you will be asked in your first session back and will be expected to answer - so you will need to bring the notes you make with you. Whilst there is not an expectation that you are spending hours everyday reading and researching between now and the new term, there is an expectation that you are preparing your background knowledge so that you can see the Cold War and the Tudors in a wider context.
Extra Worksheets - click here (answers here)
Instructions;
We have selected 20 GCSE skills that are really essential for the beginning of the A-level course. These are the foundations for many of the topics we will cover at A-level, so we need you to have completely mastered them. This means you can answer questions quickly and accurately, without pausing for thinking time.
For each skill, there is an example video, followed by a practice exercise. You should complete all these practice questions. We have also provided additional practice worksheets - do as many questions as you need to until you feel really confident. Please complete the questions on file paper and save them in a folder for September. In the second week of the course, there will be an assessment which covers these topics. Your teacher may then ask to see your folder of summer work.
If you are keen to make a flying start to your Maths A-level, we have included links to other topics you could prefect, which will also make the Year 12 course go much more smoothly
1. Simultaneous Equations and Inequalities Practice - Questions & Answers
2. Please start by watching the video.
Make your own notes to refer to later.
Then, do Q1, 2, 3 and 4 from Radians Worksheet 1.
The answers are on Page 3 so you can mark your own.
Please do every part - I know this seems like a slog, but repetition will lead to increased familiarity and fluency.
3. This is a more challenging lesson.
Please watch the Corbett Maths video first, to re-familiarise yourself with finding exact trig values without a calculator. This video is in degrees, but we are going to use the same facts with the angles measured in radians.
Next , watch the MathsGenie (youtube) video on solving trigonometric equations, BUT ONLY UP TO 9:21. This video includes some examples in radians, which is useful.
Next, watch my video B) Exact Trig Values in Radians.
Finally, do the worksheet on the Google Doc. You can check your answers using a calculator.
Music will be available again to study at A Level from September 2022. Please see our Options Guide for more information on the subject and check back here later in the year to find out more and get yourself ready to study, listen and play Music.
Unfortunately we do not currently have an introduction video for Music but if you would like to ask any questions then do not hesitate to get in touch. We will also have staff available at our Open Evening to guide you through your choice.
1. Sign up to Isaac physics, log in to the tasks and make a start - you'll be doing ALL GCSE level questions before September. Plan your time as it can be quite time consuming. Use the link above to login or create an account.
2. Write one paragraph on what you are interested in and how your choice of A-levels represents your goals for the future (and possible post-19 destinations).
3. Find a documentary/book/resource that you can write about - this may be a good lay science publication or a documentary - how does it demonstrate your passion/interest in physics?
Read the articles, complete the worksheet and bring to the first lesson.
Articles to read for the above task - here