THIRD YEAR OPTIONS 2024 (FOR BOYS IN THE CURRENT SECOND YEAR)
Dear Parent This booklet invites you and your son to make some subject choices for next year, which involves selecting three from a list of optional subjects. What subjects are included in the Third Year curriculum? There are ten compulsory subjects in our Third Year curriculum; Biology, Chemistry, Computing and Coding, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, main Modern Language (French or German or Spanish), Physics and Religious Studies. The main Modern Language refers to the language your son has studied at Hampton during his First and Second Year. To enable boys to sample as many subjects as possible, particularly “new” languages, your son will choose three additional subjects which he will study alongside the ten compulsory subjects. CHOICES To ensure that boys do not become too specialised too early, and that the breadth of their education is maintained, they are asked to choose three subjects: one of the creative subjects (Art, Design Engineering, Drama, Music) and one of the languages, be it classical (Greek, Latin) or modern (French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish) and any other one of the options on offer to complete their three choices. Please note that if your son chooses a Modern Language as one of his three subject choices it must be different from the current (non-optional/main) modern language.
Brief details of subject options are included within this booklet. All are at present available for study at GCSE but only Music can be taken at GCSE without having been studied in the Third Year. What are the implications of Third Year subject choices within the curriculum? Your son’s choice of subjects will open new doors as it closes others, however, our compulsory subjects provide a sound basis for almost any future course or career. Boys will eventually choose from a longer list for GCSE, as some subjects which are compulsory in the Third Year become options for GCSE. This, in short, is a valuable opportunity to keep some doors open for a year longer; a year in which boys’ interests, attitudes and ambitions often change significantly. Can optional subject choices be changed at a later stage? Please be assured that your son’s choices at this stage will not be in any way binding. He may change his choices up until the end of June. Please note, however, that changes after courses begin in September will only be possible under exceptional circumstances.
What about subject choices after the Third Year? In making choices now, it may be helpful for you to know the current pattern of subject availability at GCSE. GCSE choices are made at about this time next year. English, Mathematics, all three Sciences and the main Modern Language all continue from the Third Year as examined subjects, along with PE, Sport and “Life Issues” lessons. In addition to these, Ancient History, Art, Computer Science, Design Engineering, Drama, French, Geography, German, Greek, History, Latin, Mandarin, Music, Religious Studies, Russian and Spanish are available. Three subjects are chosen from this list. Yours faithfully Dr S A Hendry Deputy Head Email: S.Hendry@hamptonschool.org.uk Telephone: 020 8979 5526
Where can we go for advice? Your son’s subject choices are very important and getting the right subject combination may take some thought, with difficult decisions to be made. If you have any questions regarding subject choices at this stage, or require further details about any subject, please contact me by email at s.hendry@hamptonschool.org.uk.
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DETAILS OF THE OPTION SUBJECTS FROM OUR HEADS OF DEPARTMENT Art............................................. 2 Design Engineering................... 2 Drama....................................... 4 Music........................................ 4 French....................................... 5 German..................................... 5 Russian..................................... 6 Spanish..................................... 7 Mandarin Chinese..................... 7 Ancient Greek with Latin........... 8 Latin.......................................... 8
02 I A R T
OPTIONAL CREATIVE SUBJECTS
ART
The Third Year Art course is ideal for those wishing to study Art at GCSE level. The course builds on the work of the first two years and aims to prepare for GCSE by working thematically, developing ideas and responses that explore the use of a range of media. There are opportunities to draw, paint, produce sculptures, use digital media and produce graphics outcomes. Work is underpinned by reference to and, the study of, the work of relevant artists. A visit to a sculpture park in the Autumn term provides boys with first-hand experience of sculptures in a unique setting and helps to inspire creative and imaginative responses. Boys following the course will find that an interest and ability in the subject is desirable if they are to enjoy it and develop their own personal and creative qualities.
DESIGN ENGINEERING Desirable for those boys considering the subject at GCSE level. The course builds on the work of the first two years and aims to develop further knowledge, skills and understanding of the subject through taught theory and design and make tasks. The course will require boys to work with the main resistant materials (wood, metal and plastics) as well as the more computer-based manufacturing processes of laser cutting and 3D printing. The problem-solving element, project time management, and independence it fosters, means this course is of value to all boys, even those not wishing to take the subject further.
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DRAMA The Drama course enables pupils to build and strengthen confidence alongside the development of their acting and creative skills. Pupils will study the processes of character creation, devising and script exploration. The course is designed to allow pupils to experience working independently, as well as in groups, encouraging cooperation and teamwork in a creative environment. It also offers an opportunity to advance communication and leadership skills – a crucial requirement for many careers. Pupils studying Drama in the Third Year will have the opportunity to perform their own original play to an invited audience. To further enhance the understanding and process of practical work, pupils analyse and evaluate their own performances and professional theatre productions in written form and discussion; this reflection ensures that pupils are stretched academically, gaining a thorough knowledge of Drama and performance.
MUSIC This course introduces the three disciplines of performing, composing and listening, which form the basis for all academic Music up to Sixth Form level. The course is designed as an introduction to IGCSE, and those who take it find it to have been extremely helpful. Whilst it is not essential for those wishing to take up Music later, we do highly recommend it. Anyone with a general interest in Music will find the course enjoyable. The course covers areas such as the History of Music, a study of musical instruments, Film Music, the music of other cultures, and a song-writing project. Composition in a variety of styles using Music Technology forms a significant part of the course. Although performing forms part of the course, a high level of instrumental skill is not essential. It is expected, however, that boys who take Music in the Third Year can play an instrument or sing, and should take instrumental or singing lessons. Any boys who are considering doing IGCSE Music, and not planning to do Music in the Third Year, should consult the Director of Music, Mr D Roland, before choosing their options: d.roland@hamptonschool.org.uk. 04 I DR A MA A N D M U S I C
OPTIONAL LANGUAGES
FRENCH
GERMAN
French ab initio is offered as an option in the Third Year to those who have not studied it previously. French is profoundly important in Europe and around the world and remains an official working language of the European Commission, NATO and the UN. It is a commonly spoken language in former French dominions and spheres of influence in North and West Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia as well as remaining territories in the West Indies, Latin America and the Indian Ocean. Given its geography, history, culture and commercial power, France exerts a major influence on world affairs and will continue to do so far into the future. As our nearest neighbour, the history of France is inextricably linked with our own.
German ab initio is offered as an option in the Third Year to those who have not studied it previously. German is Europe’s most widely spoken language by number of native speakers (in Germany, Austria and Switzerland); Germany itself is the EU’s biggest member state by population and has one of the strongest economies in the world. German is regarded as being extremely beneficial in the fields of business, law, science and technology. Many UK and multinational companies have subsidiaries in Germany and 2500 German companies employ over 500 000 people in the UK - more than any other national group of companies. German is also seen as a linguistic and cultural bridge to Eastern European countries. It is also a key language in academic, scientific and technical research and development.
France’s proximity makes it a good choice of foreign language: the fact that it can be reached in under an hour and relatively cheaply by Eurostar or Eurotunnel allows for regular visits, offering opportunities to practise the language in real-life situations and increasing motivation to study. The French language is complemented well by the study of Latin, from which it derives its grammatical system. Some of its irregularities and spelling complexities make it a satisfying intellectual challenge, promoting sound language-learning skills which stand learners in very good stead for trying other languages later on and placing it amongst the most rigorous and respected academic subjects. Alongside LEH, we normally run a long-standing exchange with a school in Paris in the Fourth Year. Further French trips are usually available in the Fifth and Sixth Forms, including a language trip to Nice and work experience in Northern France.
German-speaking writers, artists, composers, philosophers, psychologists and scientists have an enormous and enduring cultural influence on Europe and the wider world. Germany, Austria and Switzerland offer a wide variety of tourist destinations and attractions. In many ways German is an easy language, especially for beginners. German and English belong to the same West Germanic language family and share thousands of similar words and phrases, particularly in terms of computer, telecommunications and medical vocabulary. In addition, German is spelt phonetically so it is easy to predict how the spoken word is written and how the written word is pronounced. However, as German is an inflected language, it is expected that pupils make an effort to learn basic case rules. The case system presents a challenge to an English learner and it is this, as well as the rules governing word order, that gives German its reputation as a difficult but satisfyingly logical and “scientific” language. It is hoped that, as part of our usual programme of international travel, pupils in the Third Year and above will be able to participate in a trip to Berlin at October Half Term, while pupils in the Fourth Year have the opportunity to participate in an exchange of over thirty years’ standing to Konstanz in South West Germany, which is run jointly with LEH. There may also be the opportunity to join ad hoc German Christmas Market Trips at the end of the Autumn Term.
FR E N C H A N D GE R M A N I 05
RUSSIAN Pupils can opt to study Russian from the Third Year. Often perceived as a challenging language, mainly due to the Cyrillic alphabet, there are many letters similar to Latin ones. The Russian alphabet is also phonetic which makes reading and writing quite easy. As with any language, boys will have to learn vocabulary and work hard. Half-way through our one-year Beginners Course they can read confidently in Russian and by the end of the course they can talk and write about themselves, their family and pets, the town and house they live in, weather and seasons, traditional food they like and dislike, and how they spend their free time. The pupils are able to use a variety of grammatical structures, adjectives, connectives and conjunctions to produce longer and more complex sentences both written and spoken. Our Third Year students also have an opportunity to enjoy cultural and educational events which take place both in and outside of Hampton. Russian is a world language spoken by approximately 258 million people, an official language in four countries and an unofficial lingua franca throughout countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Basic knowledge of Russian and the Cyrillic alphabet can also be a springboard to learn another Eastern European Language. With the increasing desirability of being multilingual in the 21st century world we believe that the UK will continue needing Russian and Eastern European language specialists and that the demand for Russian speakers will only increase in the future. At Hampton we endeavour to provide a wide range of opportunities for the boys to learn and study Russian in a global context.
0 6 I R US S I A N
SPANISH
CHINESE
Spanish ab initio is offered as an option in the Third Year to those who have not studied it previously. Spanish has become increasingly important as Spain has consolidated its role and influence within the EU and established itself as a destination for migrants from other European countries. There is a growing demand for Spanish in commerce and industry, with opportunities for employment in Europe, the United States and Central/ South America.
Mandarin Chinese is quite different from European languages. The learning process is demanding and challenging. Whilst we are providing a fun learning environment, Third Year study is actually the first part of three year-long learning stages to take boys up to GCSE standard. Boys will be given regular homework and will take regular vocabulary tests to ensure an excellent learning outcome. Extra lunchtime sessions will be provided for questions, catch-up lessons and one-to-one speaking practice and homework help.
The language gives cultural contact with the peoples of more than twenty countries. The popularity of Spain and Latin America as holiday and travel destinations, as well as the number of Spanish speakers all over the world, means that students of Spanish often enjoy frequent opportunities to practise the language in real-life situations. As well as having a colourful and attractive lifestyle and popular culture, there is a rich tradition of literature and drama in Spain and Latin America, which has been supplemented in recent years by much vibrant cinema from these regions. The Spanish grammatical system is derived from Latin and learners must get to grips with the verb system, in which endings are used to denote person, tense and mood and many of the commonest verbs are irregular. In many respects, however, Spanish is an easy language up to IGCSE, with a simple, phonetic spelling system making writing easier than many other languages, allowing much of the emphasis in class to be placed on speaking. In the Fourth Year, boys are able to participate in a study visit to Ronda in Andalusia, where they spend mornings in a school and take part in social and sporting activities with their Spanish peers each afternoon. In the Lower Sixth, they are offered the opportunity to participate in an exchange with a language school in Madrid, and in the Upper Sixth there is a trip to Granada in Andalusia.
By the end of the GCSE course, boys will be able to: • conduct simple conversations in Chinese • write short essays, letters, notes and invitations in Chinese characters • be familiar with Chinese major festivals and cultural issues • read some articles in Chinese
China is becoming more and more important in the world economy. Learning this language may be very beneficial for boys’ future careers. China is a vast country with many opportunities. Understanding the language can give boys a new platform to understand the Oriental Myths. It is essential that the boys who choose this option are committed to the language and dedicated in their work. The boys will need to be very diligent to succeed, but it will be a very rewarding challenge.
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ANCIENT GREEK WITH LATIN Greek is an academically challenging language, which though structurally similar to Latin is, for an able linguist, more interesting to learn. This combined Greek and Latin course progresses quickly to give boys a good grasp of the two languages, enabling them to read unadapted Greek and Latin authors in the original languages by GCSE. The Latin element is an abridged version of that offered to those opting to take just Latin. Boys who are struggling with the combined course at the end of the Third Year can therefore opt to take just Latin to GCSE rather than both Classical languages. Ancient Greek is not available as a “stand-alone” option. Ancient Greek with Latin should not be chosen along with the Latin “stand-alone” option.
LATIN This course is a continuation of the work in the First and Second Year, and is essential for boys wishing to take GCSE. Language aside, it covers material ranging from Imperial Government, the Roman Army and Roman religion to the city of Rome itself. Latin is invaluable for any boy interested in languages and how they work; it helps them develop the linguistic and analytical skills they will need later, whatever directions they pursue, and even if not taken on to GCSE.
• Apart from Latin, all language option choices will be taught in classes of
exclusively beginners, with no previous knowledge of the subject assumed.
08 I A N C I E N T G R E EK W IT H L AT IN & L AT IN
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