2 3 year options booklet 2016

In the First and Second Years everybody studies pretty much the same subjects, except for modern languages – you chose which ones to take. Next year you have rather more freedom of choice:

You can choose whether you wish to study the creative subjects: Art, Design Technology, Music and Drama (Theatre Studies).

You don’t have to study Latin, but you can choose to carry on with it. You can choose to study Italian or Classical Greek in place of either your second modern language or Latin.

The rest of the subjects you do now you will continue to study in the Third Year.

Everything really revolves around whether you want to study: Two languages - your first modern foreign language + your second modern language or Latin or Greek or Italian OR Three languages - your first modern foreign language + your second modern language or Greek or Italian + Latin If you decide on two languages, you can add any two creative subjects: Art, Design Technology, Music or Theatre Studies If you decide on three languages, you can add one of the creative subjects from the list above.

The emailed letter to parents will explain how to access and complete the online form. The deadline for submitting the form is Friday 11th March. Late completion could hamper your chances of allocation of your chosen options.

SECOND to THIRD YEAR OPTIONS 2016

This term we are asking you and your parents to make choices about the range of subjects that you will study next year in the Third Year. The choices you will have to make are limited and only involve languages [modern and classical] and the creative subjects.

Curriculum Overview:

SECOND to THIRD YEAR OPTIONS

All Third Year pupils study the core subjects : ENGLISH MATHEMATICS BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY PHYSICS First MFL (FRENCH or GERMAN or SPANISH) HISTORY GEOGRAPHY RELIGIOUS STUDIES PHYSICAL EDUCATION & GAMES They then decide on the rest of their curriculum, ie EITHER

Second MFL OR LATIN OR GREEK OR ITALIAN + 2 CREATIVE SUBJECTS OR Second MFL OR GREEK OR ITALIAN + LATIN + 1 CREATIVE SUBJECT Pupils who continue with their second modern language in the Third Year, but who decide on entering the Fourth Year to take only one modern language at GCSE, will be able to choose either one of their two languages.

Please note It will not be possible to begin a new additional language at the beginning of the Fourth Year.

It is preferable, but not essential, for those intending to take either Design Technology, Theatre Studies, Music or Art in the Upper School to study the subject in the Third Year.

If you do carry on with your second modern language or Latin, or you take up Greek or Italian as a new language in the Third Year, you don’t have to follow it right through to IGCSE – you make the decision whether to carry on with it in twelve months’ time.

But remember that if in twelve months’ time you decide you want to take only one modern language to GCSE, you will only be able to choose a language that you have studied in the Third Year. Should you need any advice regarding language options please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Allen (Head of Languages) sla@kes.hants.sch.uk If you wish to take a creative subject as a GCSE subject in the Fourth Year it is preferable to take it as an option subject in the Third Year, although not essential.

Although every effort will be made to match everyone’s choices, unfortunately it is impossible to guarantee that you will be given all your preferences. Various pressures mean that a few people may be unable to do their preferred combination, which is why we ask you to list alternatives. If there is a problem with your choices, I will discuss it with you individually.

Take lots of advice – from your tutor, your teachers, heads of department, Mrs Henderson or from me. Visit the Guidance Centre and talk to Mrs Mandley.

Dr BM Waymark Deputy Head (Academic) bmw@kes.hants.sch.uk

SECOND to THIRD YEAR OPTIONS

You will be making more wide-ranging option choices next year before you enter the Fourth Year; however, now you need to make important decisions about languages.

THIRD YEAR OPTIONS

Subject Options

ART The Art Course in the Third Year is predominately technique-based, the main aim being to give students the opportunity to explore as many different materials and processes as possible in preparation for GCSE. The year is designed like an Art Foundation Course and aims to encourage experimentation as well as having fun with materials and processes.

Typically, a Third Year student will get the experience of working in plaster casting and carving, wood/card construction, clay modelling, relief printing, etching, painting, Photoshop, photography and drawing in a variety of different materials.

Projects are expected to last half a term and considerable emphasis is placed on students gaining awareness in the work of different artists and other cultures.

The course is both exciting, challenging and stretches all levels of ability.

Head of Department: Mr G L Piggott glp@kes.hants.sch.uk

CLASSICS—GREEK Classical Greek starts as an option in the Third Year and will appeal to those who love Latin and have a genuine interest in the Ancient World. The new alphabet is soon learnt and is generally considered more of an attraction than an obstacle!

Greek will reward those who love languages and it is an excellent training for learning more readily available languages in the future. As with Latin, there are three elements to the course: language, literature and background. In the Fourth Year some of Homer’s Odyssey will be read in the original and background topics such as Athenian Democracy will be studied, giving an insight into the civilisation which raised many of the questions we are still trying to answer today. Greek is recognised as being a demanding subject intellectually, but it is not intimidating for those who like being made to think, and it gives pupils access to a tradition which is enjoyable, lively and relevant to today.

Head of Department: Mrs J M Meredith jmm@kes.hants.sch.uk

CLASSICS—LATIN Latin By the end of the Second Year all the foundations of Latin grammar have been laid and the Third Year consolidates this within the familiar story approach of the Cambridge Latin Course. The background element provides more fascinating information about Roman society and the Third Year material is some of the best in the course. The whole object of the Cambridge Latin Course is to prepare pupils to read some gems of real Latin Literature, which are begun in the Fourth Year and studied for GCSE. It is then possible to see tangible rewards for learning Latin, in reading some of the greatest writings of ancient Rome, which have relevance even today. Those who enjoy Latin and have succeeded in the Graded Tests are encouraged to bear in mind that they are already two years along the road to GCSE, since everything done so far counts towards it. If Latin is discontinued at this stage, it cannot be picked up again later and there will be few opportunities to study it in later life.

Latin is a very broad subject and provides training in several valuable skills, linguistic, literary and historical, which make it highly regarded.

Head of Department: Mrs J M Meredith jmm@kes.hants.sch.uk

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY Design and Technology in the Third Year gives pupils the chance to build on the skills and knowledge already acquired in the Lower School. The increased complexity and challenge of the Third Year course will allow pupils to gain a further insight into Design and Technology in many of its forms. If the first two years were spent gaining skills then this year sees students utilising those design and practical experiences to developing their own style and ideas.

Students will be expected to utilise experiences from personal and social lives and a wide variety of other curriculum areas within their work when designing and making products.

The Third Year course allows considerably more freedom for pupils in the practical tasks set, in design work and in the materials used. This freedom will increase their ability to discern quality both in their own work and in existing designs.

This year acts as a foundation to GCSE study and thus will allow pupils to experience a blend of the three GCSE Design Technology areas offered at King Edward’s: Graphic Products, Resistant Materials and Textile Technology.

Head of Department: Mr S H Barker shb@kes.hants.sch.uk

FRENCH French at King Edward’s is taught in a lively and communicative way and the Third Year programme should prove stimulating and rewarding to all pupils, whether studying French as their first or second modern foreign language. There is an increased allocation of lessons for the Third Year MFL 2 classes and by the end of the year, all French pupils should feel confident enough to continue with the language into the Upper School.

In September 2015 we introduced the new digital textbook ‘studio 3’ to all Third Year pupils.

Pupils now have access to two digital textbooks, ‘studio 3 vert’ and ‘studio 3 rouge’ through their iPads or from a computer. As well as being able to see the textbooks, pupils can find extra resources and exercises and teachers can set assignments and view the results accordingly.

Third Year pupils can work in class or from home via the VLE programme, kesmoodle. Their dedicated site enables them to access resources and links to support their learning as well as the material used in class. Material can be uploaded onto their iPad to help them develop their linguistic skills.

Third Year pupils also use the website Vocab Express to help them to develop their vocabulary and to practise their verbs and tenses. With the introduction of iPads, more opportunities to learn French in an interactive and stimulating manner are available and we aim to encourage pupils to work from these independently in order to help with their learning. There are a number of apps that can be used to help support the learning of French and pupils all create their own iBook to store vocabulary and grammar and they add to these as they move on up the School.

French teachers work closely together to encourage and challenge all pupils. In addition, the two French language assistants here at King Edward’s are able to support the Third Year classes and work with the pupils in small groups on a fortnightly basis.

French teachers aim to provide stimulating lessons and all pupils will watch a French film and sample some French food during the year. We are currently considering a new trip to France to replace the long standing Le Havre exchange, which has come to an end due to the retirement of our French colleagues.

France is, of course, our nearest continental neighbour, a favourite holiday destination and an increasingly important business partner, and French is the first or second language of many countries throughout the world. We aim to encourage our pupils to be open to the French language and to the culture of France and the French speaking world as they progress through the School.

Head of Department: Mrs J V Jones jvj@kes.hants.sch.uk

GERMAN German is the EU language with the largest number of native speakers and the second most commonly used scientific language in the world. Germany is also the world’s largest exporter and the financial capital of Europe, so a knowledge of German makes good business sense as well as providing the key to an understanding of much of our shared European literary and musical heritage.

The German Third Year continuers’ course at King Edward’s continues the lively approach to language learning experienced by Second Year beginners, using a range of up-to-date materials: course-books, frequent use of ICT whether on individual devices or school computers, many online materials and DVDs. It continues to cover topics most likely to be of interest and relevance to young people - such as hobbies, family, home and school - with firm emphasis on communication and understanding. This approach is supported by an appreciation of language structure and regular access to our German language assistant, a native speaker of German, providing an ideal foundation for the Edexcel IGCSE course in the Fourth and Fifth Years. Much of the taught material and practice materials can also be found on the VLE or e-learning section of the King Edward’s website, which can be accessed from home as well as in School, providing extra practice when it is needed.

The course also focuses on the culture and customs of the German-speaking nations of Germany, Austria and Switzerland and encourages contact with these countries. Third Years are therefore offered the chance of a day trip to a Christmas market in Germany and participation in our exchange to Mutterstadt.

This is a stimulating course for pupils with a desire to acquire a major European language which will be increasingly marketable in the UK as a direct result of the current national climate of poor language uptake for GCSE.

Head of Department: Mr M G Kukla mgk@kes.hants.sch.uk

ITALIAN Italian is a Romance language spoken as a native language by about 70 million people in Italy, Malta, San Marino and parts of Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia and France. It is also spoken by an additional 120 to 150 million people as a non-native language.

A beginner’s course in Italian is offered from the Third Year. This would be an excellent course for keen linguists who can build on their knowledge of Renaissance languages and Latin. Students will work to gain a good grasp of the language by the end of the Third Year, allowing them to continue on to GCSE level following a successful year. Grammatical skills will be developed, as will a working vocabulary, enabling the students to communicate in a variety of situations. The students will have the opportunity to work with a language assistant on a weekly basis.

There will be a lively approach to language learning by using a range of up-to-date materials, course books, authentic online materials, language magazines and DVDs. The course will be topic based and focus on excellent grammar acquisition and awareness of the traditions and culture of the country. This is a stimulating course and a great opportunity to acquire one of the most beautiful European languages.

Teacher in charge: Mrs S Rugge-Price srp@kes.hants.sch.uk

MUSIC Music in the Third Year follows on logically from the work covered in the Second Year.

Pupils will perform, compose and study a wide variety of musical styles including topics such as World Music, Rock, Pop and Song Writing. The course includes a Music Technology and Music Theory module, and pupils will also work collaboratively to perform and record their own tracks in the recording studio.

Those taking Music in the Third Year are encouraged to take part in one or more musical activities in the School (such as the Choir, Symphony Orchestra or Big Band) and the course is designed to be a good preparation for Music at GCSE.

Head of Department: Mrs H Freemantle hf@kes.hants.sch.uk

SPANISH If you started studying Spanish as your Second Modern Language in the Second Year, continuing it in the Third Year will be the logical thing to do. Not only will this mean that you become increasingly competent in a major world language, it also means that at the end of the Third Year you will be able to choose which Modern Language to take as your core language for IGCSE. In the Third Year you will be allocated 6 periods of Spanish a fortnight so that rapid progress can be made. This is how you come to be equally expert in both your first modern language and in Spanish by the end of the Third Year, meaning that you can carry on with both to IGCSE or choose just one to continue. The main advantage of Spanish is that it enables you to communicate with the 400 million people who have Spanish as their first language, whether that be on holiday in Spain or Latin America or in a work-related environment. The course also gives you an insight into some of the liveliest and most vibrant cultures on the planet.

The course in the Third Year is fast-moving and practical. The textbook Mira 2 gives you a firm basis of the grammar and structure of the language for you to build on successfully.

This is supplemented by online resources and the corresponding KesMoodle site, which students can access both at School and at home, as well as fortnightly contact with the language assistant in order to practise speaking.

Third year pupils traditionally travel to Spain with the Fourth years at the beginning of the Easter holidays. Students take part in a Homestay programme in C贸rdoba, where they stay with families in pairs and attend Spanish lessons at a specialist language school.

Head of Department: Mrs E M Ladislao eml@kes.hants.sch.uk

THEATRE STUDIES The Third Year Theatre Studies course is predominantly practical and offers pupils the chance to consider a wide range of themes and topics associated with Drama and Theatre.

It explores a range of different practical performance skills including physical theatre and mask work, as well as providing the opportunity to explore devising, documentary drama and script-writing. There is a brief introduction to the history of the theatre, set design, lighting and sound.

It gives pupils the chance to develop their practical skills, broaden their understanding of theatre and performing whilst helping to improve self-confidence, increase their awareness of how to communicate and develop research and team building skills.

In the summer term pupils prepare for a performance evening that replaces a written examination.

This course is designed to be a good preparation for those who wish to study Theatre Studies at GCSE, as well as offering valuable life skills.

Head of Department: Mrs C L Piggott clp@kes.hants.sch.uk