Fourth Form Options Guide 2017-18

The Fourth Form Curriculum 1

The Fourth Form Curriculum

The Fourth Form is a foundation year and we want pupils to be able to experience all that we have to offer before they make their GCSE choices. The curriculum is broad, and there are very few choices to be made before a pupil joins the Fourth Form. All pupils study: English 3 periods per week Mathematics 3 periods Physics 2 periods Chemistry 2 periods Biology 2 periods Modern Languages* 6 periods Classics** 2 periods History 2 periods Geography 2 periods Religious Studies 1 period Art 1 period Design Technology 1 period Music 1 period ICT 1 period PE 1 period Life Skills (PSHE) 1 period *Modern Languages: most pupils study French and one other language (Spanish or German); you will be invited to express a preference before your son/daughter joins. See the Modern Languages section for more details. Pupils whose first language is not English and who need extra English support can study one Modern Language and take English Plus in addition. ** Classics: pupils study either Latin, Latin with Greek, or Classical Civilisation; you will be invited to express a preference before your son/daughter joins. See the Classics section for more details. Setting arrangements Pupils are set by ability and the arrangements are sensitively reviewed throughout the year for each major subject area: English, Mathematics, Science, Languages, Classics, History and Geography. These setting arrangements allow teachers to stretch their classes appropriately. Monitoring There is a system of regular Reviews - reports on academic progress written by those who teach your son or daughter, which are sent home each half of term by email. The Housemaster or Housemistress, and the Tutor will discuss these with your son or daughter and help them with any problems. If there are concerns the Housemaster, Housemistress or Tutor will talk to members of staff and discuss the matter with you as well. You will receive a fuller Report at the end of the Fourth Form. Parent Teacher meetings There is a Fourth Form Parent Teacher meeting at the beginning of the October exeat, at which you will have the opportunity to talk to your son or daughter’s teachers. A GCSE choices meeting is also held at the beginning of the February exeat, when you have the chance to talk to the Heads of Departments of the optional subjects before making GCSE choices. Learning Support Fourth Form Learning Support lessons are held in the Learning Support department during a study period; no academic lessons are missed. Each lesson is half of a normal school lesson, which is 55 minutes. Initially the pupils are taught in small groups depending upon the numbers requiring support in a particular year. Most of

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the pupils will have had support at their previous school and some with have accompanying assessments and reports. During the first term all pupils follow a structured course covering basic study skills, organisation, literacy and numeracy skills, learning styles, revision and exam techniques and strategies. This is a course designed to help them cope with any difficulties which may arise and to ensure that they can cope with the demands of their mainstream subjects. Upon completion of this course each pupil’s requirements will be considered and lessons will then be arranged accordingly. They may continue in a small group, or pairs, or if necessary in an individual lesson. These arrangements will be monitored throughout the year and adjusted if necessary. Support may continue throughout a pupil’s School career depending on need. Academic staff are guided by the Learning Support department with regard to strategies to support and help the pupils in mainstream lessons. Information relevant to pupils’ difficulties and needs are available in confidential files to the teaching staff only. These are updated frequently with current information. The Learning Support teachers are always willing to consult with individual teachers to advise and support. Applications for access arrangements, extra time etc, for GCSE, AS and A2 examinations are made to the exam boards at the relevant times. This requires supporting evidence in the form of an assessment completed by an Educational Psychologist or a suitably qualified person. If a pupil has been assessed prior to their entry to Uppingham then this must be supplied at the time of application. If necessary this may need to be repeated or updated and must be in the correct format acceptable to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). As a result of new JCQ rulings in 2011/2012 regarding the allowance of extra time, an assessment must meet the criteria laid down. Access arrangements recommended in previous assessments may not meet these criteria and therefore will not be permitted. The Head of Learning Support will advise pupils and parents of these rules when and if necessary. Ben Cooper Deputy Head Academic (dha@uppingham.co.uk)

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Art Art is taught in the Leonardo Centre where the philosophy is to encourage as many pupils as possible to take a practical creative subject at GCSE and the subject is made accessible to all, rather than just for a few talented individuals. We also generate a cross-curricular approach, where a clear relationship can be made between Art and Design. Common skills and themes are therefore encouraged. The Leonardo Centre is a multi-media creative facility and most of its facilities should be experienced in the Fourth Form. The importance of good drawing skills and observation are key to this course. Many pupils believe they cannot draw and have even been actively ‘put off’ the subject through negative teaching and emphasis towards “talent/ability”, rather than a good basic grounding in drawing skills. Drawing is made relevant to other subjects by its relationship to the process of seeing and perception and intelligence. We want pupils to be curious about their surroundings and be able to work creatively in a self-reliant manner from their own experiences. Therefore, the activities undertaken in the Fourth Form are a building block to encourage pupils to take their creativity seriously. During the year pupils will work in at least three media, and will work on longer-term projects lasting for four to five weeks. Pupils are also encouraged to spend free time in the Leonardo Centre extending their classwork and undertaking projects of their own. S N Jarvice Head of Art (snj@uppingham.co.uk) Biology When the new pupils arrive into the Fourth Form we inevitably encounter a group who have varying experiences of a Biology, or indeed Science, education at their previous schools. Our aim therefore is to introduce them to some of the basic principles of Biology, while also ensuring that they are exposed to as much practical, exploratory and enjoyable science as possible. Biology pre-16 education at Uppingham involves teaching the Edexcel iGCSE specification, ultimately for either the separate sciences or Double Award Science. This is spread over three years to enable us to engage in more practical work, and to look further into some aspects of the topics covered. The options are kept open for all pupils to display their full potential until they reach the Upper Fifth year, and therefore until that time they are all taught the same material that would allow them to embark on the full separate science programme if appropriate. In the first term the pupils are taught the Variety of Living Organisms which ensures that they are aware of the wide range of living organisms that exist, and their main activities and structures. They are then introduced to the balanced diet and the digestive system under the umbrella term Nutrition. In the second term the scheme of work encompasses Respiration, Gas Exchange, and the heart and blood under the heading Transport in Humans. In the third term the topics are Excretion, and Movement of substances in and out of cells. At the end of the Michaelmas and Summer terms are whole year exams that determine the sets for the Lower Fifth year. Dr C L Pemberton Head of Biology (clp@uppingham.co.uk)

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Chemistry The Chemistry course in the first year here is concerned with five principal objectives: • to bring into line the experience of a variety of different pre-Uppingham courses: CE, Scholarship and so

on, and to help those who need it to catch up • to establish the basic and core principles of Chemistry: the atomic model; the kinetic theory; acids and

bases; basic organic chemistry; rates of reaction • to instruct pupils in the principles of safe practical work, and to use demonstrations and practicals to

illustrate the theory covered • to make some significant progress with sections of the rigorous IGCSE Chemistry course: roughly 30% is

covered in the Fourth Form • to make this vital subject inspiring and accessible, particularly to those who have found it difficult thus far. Pupils are placed in an initial set based roughly on CE, Scholarship or Entrance test results; there is a reshuffle after the December internal exams and another resetting to find the appropriate Lower Fifth set after the Summer term exams. All sets follow the same syllabus in parallel and all pupils are taught every corner of the IGCSE course, giving access to the highest grades. C R Birch Head of Chemistry (crb@uppingham.co.uk) Classics Latin and Greek These two languages are taught in the usual two lessons per week, plus an extra half-lesson. The pace is therefore quite demanding, and it is necessary for pupils taking this option to have a good grasp of Latin (i.e. a minimum standard of Common Entrance level 2). It is not necessary to have studied any Greek before, as this is taught ab initio. For Greek the course book “Greek to GCSE Part 1” is used; Latin is taught via an internally produced booklet, so that no pupil will find themselves repeating a course that they have followed at their previous school. Clearly the advantage for those pupils who take this option is that they can study two subjects in effectively the same time as all others study just one. Latin only This course is open to any pupil who has studied Latin at least to Common Entrance level 1 or equivalent, and who would like to further their knowledge and understanding of the language. The course is taught via an internally produced booklet, so that no pupil will find themselves repeating a course that they have followed at their previous school. The basics of Latin are recapped at the start and then the course moves on to expand knowledge of grammar and vocabulary based on the GCSE syllabus. Classical Civilisation This subject is for any pupil who has not studied a Classical language before, or who would prefer to take this course rather than a linguistic one. Topics currently studied are: Heroism in the Ancient World, Sparta, Aristophanes’ play “Lysistrata”, the Olympic Games and selections from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”. No knowledge of Latin or Greek is required as all sources are read in English translation. The aim of the course is for the pupils to gain a broad understanding of the Ancient Classical World and to learn how to analyse both literary and archaeological source material. S P Broadbent Head of Classics (spb@uppingham.co.uk)

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Design and Technology The aim in the first year is to give an experience that develops skills and understanding in line with national expectations for key stage three, and also to encourage pupils to use the Leonardo Centre in their free time to develop their own creativity. The year begins with all new pupils undergoing a safety course in which they are instructed and demonstrate safe practice on designated machines to develop their competence and confidence. Thereafter, work is project led through three projects to develop skills in design decision making, graphical communication and the working of wood, metal and plastics. The designing element allows each pupil to individualise their work. The work introduces resistant materials and textile technology to assist pupils in their choice of course for GCSE. C P Simmons Head of Design & Technology (cps@uppingham.co.uk) English As English is at the centre of the school curriculum in equipping pupils for future success across the subject range, the aim of this first year at Uppingham is: • to foster an enjoyment and experience of a range of literature, as well as encouraging pupils to think

critically about their response to it; • to provide practice and facilitate progress and confidence in speaking and listening, reading and writing • and to consolidate and develop written language skills in preparation specifically for IGCSE. Pupils will study an anthology of poems, fiction and non-fiction writing, together with at least one Shakespeare play and one or two novels during the course of the year. Reading will also be nurtured through use of the School Library, opportunities for personal reading and the keeping of a reading diary. There will be practice in individual presentation, discussion, debating and also role play. Basic skills, such as spelling and punctuation, will be revised and consolidated while there will also be the opportunity to undertake a variety of forms of writing: creative and extended, project work and more formal and analytical literary pieces. In addition, theatre visits and other literary events will take place. Dr J C Methven Head of English (jcm@uppingham.co.uk) Geography There are very few new Uppinghamians who arrive at the school knowing about the area into which they have just arrived. Therefore the first half of term is used to welcome them to and introduce Rutland to the pupils, whilst also teaching a variety of skills and topics, to ensure that the majority of the pupils develop a similar grounding in the subject whatever they have studied at their previous schools. These topics include population, settlements, geology, amongst many others. Various fieldwork techniques are also introduced or reinforced through visits into town and to the local industrial estate. The department then continues to introduce topics through the study of Antarctica, in which pupils study topics such as resources, food webs, tourism, resource exploitation and climate. This is then followed by

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something completely different and pupils look at various elements of China, including its rise as an emerging power on the global stage. This topic can encompass topics such as development, population issues, further resource exploitation and pollution. After the Exeat in the Lent term, pupils begin the Edexcel IGCSE specification. Starting early and spreading the topics over two and a half years means that more ground can be covered, so pupils will have more options available to them when it comes to the exam. The first topic that is studied is Economic Activity and Energy, which looks various elements of industrial activity and how this has changed within the UK and around the world through time, as well as investigating the different types of energy that are available and their respective advantages and disadvantages. In the final term pupils cover the topic of Fragile Environments, which considers how humans are having an adverse impact on the earth, including the causes and impacts of climate change on a global scale, as well as looking at the smaller-scale, such as deforestation and salinisation, considering very different places around the world. Throughout the Fourth Form course there is flexibility in what the course can contain, and members of staff are quick to jump on any particular topical issue that is of interest to the subject and to the pupils. One recent example was the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, which caught the pupils’ imagination, so was incorporated into the Economic Activity and Energy course with perfect timing, whilst also involving some discussion about Tectonics, which could be useful at a later date in the IGCSE course. All the various topics enable opportunities for independent research and various projects are assigned to the pupils during the course of the year, so as to promote research skills, as well as improving ICT literacy, through the use of the department’s ICT suite. T P Davies Head of Geography (tpd@uppingham.co.uk) History The History Department’s aim for the Fourth Form is to introduce pupils to the key events and concepts of Modern History. The first topic we cover is the nature of change and how the Victorian/Edwardian age is quite so different to the modern age in so many respects, including technological, communication and cultural developments. The second topic we consider is the Causes of the First World War and the importance of evaluating a range of factors and coming to a judgement. The third topic is the First World War. In this we cover the initial German offensive and its consequences, the changing nature of warfare, the Home Front and the final year of the war. A key debate is why the war came to an end and the role of the Allied forces and actions. It is easy to view the First World War as meaningless slaughter, particularly if you just look at the Somme in 1916, and we hope to give a different perspective to the events of 1914-18 and to emphasise that the world in 1919 was a very different place. The teachers have the freedom to focus on the aspects of the First World War that will stimulate interest and debate. The next topic is Revolutionary Russia and we aim to help pupils to understand the impact of the changes in Russia on the First World War and the future of Europe and the world. Teachers may also develop topics during the Fourth Form year that link to current affairs and areas of interest to the pupils. This is to encourage an interest in world affairs and independent learning. The Fourth Form curriculum is a very good base for IGCSE History and develops the skills required for the later public exams. T P Prior Head of History (tpp@uppingham.co.uk)

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ICT The aim is to ensure that all pupils are able to use ICT to support their academic work effectively and to enable them to make the best use of living in a digital world without jeopardising their personal safety. The year begins with a whistle stop tour of the most widely used software in school and then focuses on E-safety before the October half term break. Databases are next, followed by programme coding in Java and then digital image editing and movie making. Each of the topics follows a modular structure with a final assessment requiring pupils to demonstrate the skills they have learned. Pupils are also encouraged to develop their touch typing skills during the 4th form ready for GCSE and 6th form coursework assignments. Work in the classroom is supported by extra-curricular opportunities to further develop skills with digital images in UPPshot, the school's photographic agency where pupils learn how to take and edit professional photographs, and in software design with UPPcode. Miss S EL Webster Head of ICT (selw@uppingham.co.uk) Life Skills Life Skills is the name given to Personal, Social, Health and Economic education at Uppingham School. This all embracing term is used to encompass the skills required by individuals to manage their lives now and in the future. Pupils develop knowledge and understanding in all aspects of personal relationships, physical health and mental wellbeing, social issues and financial decisions. These fundamental life skills help pupils to manage their feelings and to develop emotional intelligence. Fourth Form pupils have a weekly 35 minute lesson: we welcome all new pupils to Uppingham School and the initial focus is on settling in to new rules and responsibilities, forming good friendships and formulating successful work practices. Topics covered throughout the year include: Diversity; Stopping Bullying; Personal Safety; Road Safety; Puberty; Alcohol; Drugs; Smoking; Money Management and Study Skills. Being centred in a healthy and happy environment are prerequisites to academic aspirations being achieved and all Life Skills teachers are committed to developing every individual’s self esteem, self respect and tolerance of others’ individuality. (TBC) Head of Life Skills

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Mathematics The Fourth Form Mathematics course builds on the prior experiences of pupils with a varied mix of number, algebra, shape and data-handling topics. Initially pupils study a common core of number work and are re-set following a test taken by the whole year. A more differentiated diet is then followed that includes ample extension work for the more able pupils as well as plenty of opportunities to consolidate past learning. Much of the work is put into practical contexts, but the abstract nature of mathematics is not neglected. Pupils can expect two preps per week, lasting around 30 minutes each. These may be questions, revision or research. The most able will be entered for the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge, and may qualify for higher rounds, while unstructured problems are given as longer-term assignments. Support is provided in tutorial sessions, and pupils are encouraged to contact to seek help outside class. Overall, pupils gain a firm foundation for the study of IGCSE Mathematics. J R Farrelly Head of Mathematics (jrf@uppingham.co.uk) Modern Languages As French is the most widely learned language among pupils entering the Fourth Form, most continue studying French as one of their two Modern Foreign Languages, along with German or Spanish, which are all taught ab initio. There is also a beginners’ set for French. If your child has learned French, German or Spanish at school before joining Uppingham it would be customary to continue with those languages. Pupils in the top set study all three of French, German and Spanish in their first year. In all languages the traditional disciplines of listening and reading comprehension, written and oral work are given equal attention, so that for instance each Fourth Former will work regularly with a language assistant on individual oral tasks. Our main aim is to provide authentic exposure to modern European languages and foster the enjoyment of communication along with the essential understanding of other cultures. While almost all pupils are beginners in German or Spanish, provision will be made for those who are considerably more advanced. If your child has significant skills in another language, and certain requirements (including writing skills and grammatical knowledge of the language), the School will endeavour to provide teaching for her/him towards the qualification deemed achievable with a top grade within one year. Please contact the Head of Modern Languages for further information. A complete curriculum with exact details of grammatical areas and contents covered in the Fourth Form year is available from the Head of Modern Languages. French The principal target in French in the Fourth Form consists of consolidating and structuring previous knowledge of vocabulary and grammar through transferable analytical skills and linguistic terminology. In order to determine the appropriate starting point and to facilitate learning in a stimulating environment there will be a diagnostic test in the first lesson in September, after which all pupils will be set according to ability. Topics range from leisure activities and their advantages and risks, to future projects, discussing stories in films and books, as well as practical application such as travelling, describing experiences and cultural topics in francophone countries. Grammar includes 4-5 major verb tenses, agreements, syntax and a range of terminology to facilitate the understanding of linguistic structures, all with the aim of providing the tools for a confident start to IGCSE French. The Textbook used is Cambridge IGCSE and International Certificate French Foreign Language 0520. German For pupils beginning German in the Fourth Form (the majority!), the course acquaints them with all the main grammar concepts of the language, including the two families of verbs and the three main tenses, the four cases, the two word-order rules. The appropriate grammatical terminology is used, and pupils gain a sound

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understanding of the way the language works; we see the Fourth Form as the first year of a three-year IGCSE course rather than as a mere introduction. As German is a relatively logical language, we are able to make rapid progress; pupils complete the first of the three textbooks in the course, and several chapters in the second. Topics include talking about oneself, family and pets, school, interests and social life, towns and home, transport, shopping, food and drink, planning holidays and talking about past events, and making comparisons. Pupils also learn to express ideas and opinions, and begin to acquire a sense of appropriate linguistic register - oral skills are encouraged from the start. They learn too about cultural background such as places and festivals. Spanish The course is aimed primarily at beginners and covers a wide range of topics from school subjects, to free-time activities, to giving detailed directions in a town to describing a variety of sports. The pupils not only gain a firm understanding of the way the language works and make significant inroads into the IGCSE three-year course but they also learn about the Spanish culture and its’ idiosyncrasies. Grammar plays a large role in this first year of the IGCSE course, with four main tenses (Present, Immediate Future, Future Proper and Preterite) being covered in some detail. Adjectival agreements, syntax and a range of terminology to facilitate the understanding of linguistic structures are also incorporated within the course and are tested a regular intervals. Furthermore the pupils are encouraged, from the start, to express and justify personal opinions on a regular basis. Mrs M A Davies Head of Modern Languages (mabd@uppingham.co.uk) Music The Fourth Form Music curriculum is designed to enable pupils to broaden and deepen their appreciation of music, through exploration of repertoire drawn from a wide variety of styles and genres. There are five topics that are covered over the course of the year; in the first term pupils investigate jazz improvisation, considering aspects of rhythmic character and melodic development, followed by film music, an area of study that encourages pupils to consider matters of musical structure, harmony and texture. The second term begins with a focus on African drumming; in this section of the course pupils consider the roles of music in different societies, in addition to getting to grips with the complexities of African drumming patterns. The fourth topic focuses on 19th century orchestral music and Romanticism, while the final topic provides an overview of dance music from a period spanning five hundred years, up to and including contemporary dance tracks. The course is fundamentally practically based, with each of the three core skills of performing, composing, and listening/appraising being cultivated in each topic. It is structured in such as way as to prove beneficial for all pupils, whether experienced performers or not; pupils work as a whole class or in small groups as appropriate. P M Clements Head of Academic Music (pmc@uppingham.co.uk)

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Physical Education The PE department is situated in the wonderful new USSC which opened in September 2010. The department teaches a wide range of sports in Lower School curriculum lessons where we aim to nurture the physical, social, emotional and moral development of all pupils. From basic skills to advanced play, we aim to challenge, stretch and excite boys and girls about and through sport and provide them with a platform from which they can enjoy and benefit from a lifetime of sport. Sports taught within the curriculum range from individual sports, team sport and creative sports. The PE department teaches all Fourth Form and Lower Fifth pupils, ensuring that each one receives a superb grounding in skills, tactics and fitness from fully qualified staff across the range of sports. The PE department is also heavily involved in running and coaching sports throughout the year within the school’s sports programme. To supplement the formal coaching that is done in these sessions, staff also offer a wealth of clubs open to all pupils in sports such as Trampolining, Gymnastics, Squash, Table Tennis, and Handball. Mrs S M Singlehurst Head of Physical Education (sms@uppingham.co.uk) Physics The Fourth Form Physics curriculum aims to both make a start on the IGCSE course while ensuring that pupils have a sound basis for studying physics regardless of their previous experiences of science; in particular, by teaching a two year IGCSE course over three years we have plenty of time to do as much experimental work as possible, allowing pupils to think about physics in as realistic and practical a way as possible. The topics areas are forces, motion, electricity, waves, matter and astronomy. These appear again in the Lower and Upper Fifth years with material split across the three years to allow a logical progression of concepts and complexity and to allow revision of fundamental concepts each year. Miss G T Barbour Head of Physics (gtb@uppingham.co.uk)

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Religious Studies The Religious Studies syllabus that the Fourth Form follows is aimed at providing a fresh and broad picture of the subject. We hope that by offering a variety of topics pupils will be stimulated and will be able to make a considered decision as to continuing with the subject for GCSE. We begin the course by looking at some philosophical topics such as Ultimate Questions and whether God exists. It is hoped that this will be new and will mean that all pupils are on a similar footing with regard to their previous knowledge. From the outset we encourage our pupils to grapple with some abstract and often difficult concepts, and generally this is a rewarding experience. In the second half of the Michaelmas term we focus on Ethical Issues through a piece of independent research. Topics that are included are issues such as Capital Punishment, Animal Rights and the Media. The whole of the Lent term is devoted to studying Buddhism in terms of its beliefs and its ethics. This allows pupils to engage with a different faith and culture, whilst retaining the philosophical and ethical themes that were studied in the previous term. Finally the Summer term is spent examining the Easter Story from an analytical perspective, followed by Christian Art and Architecture. It is hoped that the Fourth Form syllabus will prepare pupils for the GCSE and encourage them to be analytical rather than simply describing the concepts. At the end of the Michaelmas and Summer terms there are formal exams and pupils write a piece of prep once a week. P M Shacklady Head of Philosophy & Religious Studies (pms@uppingham.co.uk)

Uppingham School Uppingham

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01572 822216 www.uppingham.co.uk

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