An Introduction to Subjects Studied in Remove

Subject details Remove

Art and Design 28 Biology 28 Chemistry 29 Computer Science 30 Drama 30 English 31 French 32 Geography 32 History 33 Latin 33 Mathematics 34 Music 35 Physics 35 Design & Technology 36 Religious Studies 36

Subject Details Remove

Art & Design • Biology • Chemistry An Introduction to the Subjects Studied in Remove Art and Design Biology

Autumn Term Introduction to drawing and formal elements in Art using natural forms:

Introduction to primary observational drawing using natural forms; tonal drawing will be taught and encouraged. Girls will be introduced to the work of different artists who are inspired by natural forms and will produce mixed media outcomes choosing from a wide variety of starting points to further develop their drawing skills.

Spring Term Introduction to sculpture and wet media: Biology is taught as a separate science at Queen’s Gate.

Girls will already have studied general science at their previous schools and so should have a basic grounding in the initial concepts of biological science. Biology is essentially a practical subject, both in the laboratory and in the field, and during the first year it is important that girls develop an understanding of basic biological facts and principles, and appreciation of their significance. Practical work will involve observation of biological material (living and dead), and carrying out simple experimental investigations in the laboratory.

Girls will be introduced to the sculptural work of artists who are working in ceramics, metal, wood and mixed media. They will produce two final outcomes in clay and mixed media based on observational work and learn about formal analysis of their own work and work of other artists

Summer Term Developing skills and techniques important for collaborative projects

Girls will be introduced to the work of a portraiture artist Chuck Close. Working individually and in class groups they will compose giant portraits of the teachers in the art department. Possible guest appearance by a local portrait artist Gabriella Marchini will introduce classes to the painting of portrait in the live demonstration.

In Remove girls cover the following topics:

Life

a) Cells b) Tissues c) New cells from old d) Cells, organs and transplants

Reproduction

a) The structure of the reproductive system b) Fertilisation c) Growing in the womb/birth d) Puberty

Variation and classification

a) Variation b) What causes variation c) Charles Darwin and Evolution d) Selective breeding e) Classification

Habitats and chains

a) Habitats b) Food chains and food webs c) Survival d) Adaptation

The textbook used is:

CGP KS3 Biology Study and Question Book - Higher ISBN 9781782941101.

Chemistry

The first year of the Chemistry course is designed to stimulate the girls’ interest in the subject, and give an awareness of the importance of Chemistry in our every day lives. Practical work is carried out in most lessons as experiments and confidence in the laboratory are essential parts of Remove Chemistry alongside fair testing and understanding variables.

Topics covered in the first term will be defining What is Matter? Particle Theory, the chemistry of solutions and combustion will introduce the wide range of topics studied in this subject.

In the second term we will study acids, alkalis and salts, investigating detergents and hardness of water, and finally looking at “Separating Techniques” in the Summer Term which introduces the girls to uses of Chemistry in Society.

What is Matter?

a) Safety in the laboratory b) States of Matter c) Solutes, solvents and solutions d) Particle Theory and Brownian Motion e) Identifying Scientific Apparatus f) Products of Combustion g) The Fire Triangle i) Fair testing and variables

Acids and Alkalis

a) What are acids? b) What are alkalis? c) Neutralisation d) Making Salts e) Making red cabbage indicator f) pH table g) Useful acids and alkalis

Chemistry in Society

a) Gases in the Air b) Causes of hardness in Water c) Separating Techniques of Mixtures d) ICT Project: Recycling

The textbooks used are:

Chemistry 11-14 by Iain Brain and Richard Grime. CGP Chemistry Higher Revision Book.

Computer Science • Drama • English Product Design Computer Science

All ‘Design and Make’ Projects, while they may The focus of Computer Science lies on the each have a different focus, include: acquisition of problem-solving skills through • Identifying a need the teaching of programming concepts in a • Research variety of programming languages. Initial • First ideas programming skills are built using the block• Development of Final Idea based programming language Scratch, followed • Realisation by the introduction of text-based programming • Evaluation languages such as Small Basic and Python. There is an opportunity for girls to be creative with their computing. We create geometrical shapes using Small Basic, whilst simultaneously learning and practising some key concepts of computer programming. We are signed up to the BBC micro:bit scheme and girls have the opportunity to build their own database. Programming teaches girls invaluable transferable skills. Computational thinking requires girls to break a large problem down into smaller chunks and plan solutions in detail. Debugging code is also taught as a discrete skill and this helps encourage girls to be resilient: if something does not work as expected, don’t give up; analyse the evidence and find solutions until it works. A high number of students routinely use the Internet for research and other tasks, it is therefore essential to learn how the Internet works and how webpages are created using the mark-up language HTML. E-safety is covered extensively at the beginning of the year, ensuring that students are aware of rules for safe Internet use and the school’s rules with regards to social networking sites and applications. Alongside programming and problem solving, traditional ICT skills such as word processing, spreadsheets modelling and the creation of presentations in Microsoft Office are taught. These are vital skills that will support their learning in other subject areas from English, History to the sciences and beyond.

Autumn Term Safety in the workshop / Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle:

• Focus: Resistant Materials (wood/plastic) • Working with tools – hand and machine • Working in MDF • Finishing • Packaging using vacuum forming

Spring Term Designing Olympic swimming goggles packaging:

• Focus: Design Process, Graphic techniques • Needs, User groups • Graphic symbols, scale, layout • Computer Graphics (Illustrator)

Summer Term Acrylic Keyring:

• Focus: Resistant Materials/CAD/CAM • Adobe Illustrator software to produce design • Use of laser cutter to create the keyring • Assembling by hand

School Summer Examination Focus:

• Safety, Tools and Equipment • Design, graphical communication skills • Packaging

Drama

The objectives of Drama in Remove are: • To work co-operatively with others • To share ideas • To be creative • To use imagination • To appreciate the performances of others • To develop self-confidence • To use dramatic text for performance • To develop speaking and moving skills

Autumn Term

Girls will do activities to outline the skills required to work in a team, emphasising the importance of listening to others and sharing ideas. They will work on a sequence of theme-based lessons which will develop their imagination and ability to work in a variety of roles. Girls will perform devised and scripted work in front of others. The techniques they will focus on are the use of narrator, storytelling, thought tracking, freeze-frame, tableaux, mime and improvisation.

Spring Term

The use of dramatic techniques will be developed further with emphasis on characterisation, physical theatre, movement, monologue, and scene building. Girls will perform extended pieces of work from texts to show their understanding of the drama medium. Evaluation of their work and that of others will be emphasised.

Summer Term

This term the focus will be on storytelling and narrative techniques using classical tales, eg Ancient Greek Myths and traditional European, eg Hans Christian Anderson. Audience awareness and creative use of space will be important considerations in performance work. Their knowledge of drama techniques, theatre terms, and the language of drama will be tested in the summer term.

Throughout the year, girls will keep a journal to record and evaluate their acting development, design ideas, creative scriptwriting, and reviews of live performances, including professional productions.

Extra-curricular activities include Remove Drama Society, LAMDA and House Drama

English

Our aim is to make English an exciting and enjoyable subject. Every girl can learn to harness the power of language to express their creativity and to shape meaning, whilst also learning to analyse a range of literary genres from across the canon. We want to foster a love of literature as well as an awareness of the need for clear and correct expression in a variety of forms of writing and speaking, building a strong foundation for the years ahead.

Independent reading is essential for development of literacy and imagination in addition to providing a lifelong source of happy escapism: girls can use tailored reading lists (available on MyQG) and keep reading logs. Sharing reading time and experiences of reading is an important aspect of the girls’ lessons and a single lesson is dedicated to silent reading every week. The library is well stocked, our School Librarian is an expert and induction lessons are provided at the beginning of the year in addition to a series of book talks in the library throughout the year. In order to foster a love of reading and to encourage the girls to make links across texts, we are introducing a Rich Curriculum Reading Project with thematic links to ‘The Tempest’, in the Spring Term.

In English classes, challenging texts are made accessible through creative approaches and differentiated tasks, designed to support and stretch girls so that they are able to reach their full potential and enjoy their development. We look to choose texts that have cultural significance so as to develop our girls’ cultural capital alongside their skills in the core areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. We study fiction, drama, poetry and non-fiction texts with the focus being on using those texts as the tools for developing skills needed across the curriculum and as a high-quality communicator

Improving accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar is an important part of English in Remove, and girls must check their work in green pen prior to submission for these errors, but also to make improvements in the quality of their thinking, vocabulary and explanation. Homework is assessed with explicit strengths and targets; an important ingredient in the success of Queen’s Gate pupils in English is their attention to the specific and personal targets, set by their teachers with a vision of what makes excellent work. We record these targets and expect to see them being applied to the next piece of work.

The girls are given a baseline assessment when they enter the school whilst tests in the Autumn and Spring Terms and an examination in the Summer Term provide formal assessment of the girls’ progress.

Extra-curricular activities include optional Creative Writing Club and Debating Club, as well as a Book Club run by the school librarian. Girls are encouraged to enter the Creative Writing and Verse Speaking competitions that take place in the Summer Term.

Below is a list of the texts studied in Remove: Autumn Term

Induction followed by a creative writing unit based around a series of short stories, ranging from Ray Bradbury to Sherlock Holmes to Andrea Levy. The girls learn to review a range of genres and literary periods, culminating in them writing their own stories.

Spring Term

We study an abridged version of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and begin the Rich Curriculum Reading Project.

Summer Term

We will further develop our study of prose with a whole class novel.

French • Geography • History • Latin French

French is taught by a team of native speakers whose aim is to make the learning of French a rewarding and enriching process. In addition to the textbook we use authentic resources such as songs, film extracts, children’s books and magazines to give authenticity to the language. The girls develop their language skills in a stimulating environment, by communicating early on in writing and orally while, at the same time, building on a solid grammar basis. Enjoyment and rigor are therefore the main guiding principles in our lesson planning. We use a variety of online resources to provide extra practice of the language. The girls have regular access to the following websites: VocabExpress, Linguascope and LanguagesOnline. These websites are used for independent learning at home and for homework tasks.

In their first year of French, the girls will learn the following topics: Thèmes le nom et l’âge name and age les chiffres jusqu’à 100 numbers until 100 les jours de la semaine et les mois days of the week and months la famille family les couleurs et les vêtements colours and clothes les animaux animals là où j’habite where I live les loisirs leisure activities les fêtes et les festivals festivals and parties l’heure the time les matières scolaires school subjects le temps the weather

These topics are learnt through the four skill areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking. A strong emphasis is placed on the use of French in the classroom.

Grammar

Definite article; Indefinite article; Prepositions; Adjectives; Demonstrative articles; Possessive articles; Use of numbers; Expressions of quantity; The present tense; Negative sentences.

The textbook used is:

Encore Tricolore 1 Nouvelle Edition Textbook. Worksheets are linked to the book. Pupils who are native French speakers are taught in a separate group called ‘Section Tricolore’. They follow a more advanced curriculum and at a faster pace. They study French literature, learn poems and develop their knowledge of French culture. In grammar, pupils revise the main tenses, and study new grammar points. Written and oral expressions are developed through a variety of activities. Accuracy, both orally and in writing, remains a very important target of language acquisition. This section is usually quite small in numbers so pupils receive high levels of individual attention from the teacher. Pupils in ‘section tricolore’ generally take their French IGCSE two years early, at the end of Form IV, if they are ready to achieve a top grade in their public examination.

Geography

During the year the following topics will be studied:

Autumn Term Introduction to Geography and the UK:

What is Geography? The physical map of the UK; locating seas, rivers and the pattern of relief The world map and continents The use of latitude and longitude

Spring Term OS Map Skills:

Map skills learnt this term include: four figure grid references using OS maps, compass points and direction, contour lines, mapmaking, and developing the use of the atlas as a resource of information.

Summer Term Weather and Climate:

The differences between weather and climate The components and links in the water cycle Measuring and forecasting weather together with a study of the UK climate.

The textbooks used are:

New Key Geography Foundations, Nelson Thornes. Philips Modern School Atlas.

History

During Remove, the girls study aspects of Medieval History. They will also begin to develop the evidence and writing skills which form the basis for subsequent work in the subject.

Autumn Term

• The Norman Conquest • William the Conqueror’s consolidation of control after Hastings (castle-building,

Domesday Book, Feudalism)

Spring Term

• The power of the Church in medieval England • Development of Church architecture and

Cathedral building • Thomas Becket and Henry II • The Crusades • Monasteries • King John and Magna Carta

Summer Term

• Life for medieval peasants • Medieval towns • The Black Death • The Peasants’ Revolt

The textbook used is:

Invasion, Plague and Murder; Britain 1066-1558 by Aaron Wilkes.

Girls will find it useful to have high-lighters, scissors and glue stick in their pencil cases for many of the class activities.

Latin

Remove girls study Latin starting from the simplest elements of the language. Many girls have their first experience with the language only at this point. For others who have studied some Latin previously, this is an opportunity to strengthen their command of the fundamentals.

We proceed slowly through the first year of Latin to allow all the girls the opportunity to grasp the fundamentals of grammar thoroughly. We go through basic concepts such as nouns and verbs, before delving into Latin cases and syntax. The additional challenge of learning an inflexed language can be daunting, and we pay special attention to helping the girls learn this grammar well.

During the first year, we place special stress on the importance of grammar and vocabulary. We try to link grammar to logic and show the girls the relevance of Latin vocabulary to English vocabulary through attention to word derivations.

We also spend time exploring Roman culture and mythology, reading about the mythical origins of the Trojan War as well as Aeneas’ adventures after the fall of Troy. We typically organize an outing to explore the Classical world.

The textbook used is:

Latin to GCSE Part 1, Henry Cullen and John Taylor, (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016).

Mathematics • Music • Physics Mathematics

In Remove, girls encounter a wide range of topics designed to build on their previous knowledge, introduce new concepts and stretch and challenge them to create inquisitive Mathematicians.

There was a time where content and knowledge was the most important part in Mathematics. However, at Queen’s Gate School we realise that developing skills and academic agility is about a lot more than that. We recognise that risk taking is a big part of developing skills alongside creativity and even sometimes failure, to allow girls to identify how to learn from their experiences.

The Mathematics Department aims to inspire the girls whom we teach, regardless of their types of intelligences. Genuine innovation and progress in a holistic education should move towards bringing different types of intelligences together, developing creativity, lateral thinking, resilience, problem solving, independence and courage.

Our schemes of work are built on the framework of the National Curriculum as we aim to develop girls’ problem solving and reasoning skills at every opportunity. In Remove, the syllabus includes: • Properties of numbers • Pascal’s triangle • Sequences • HCF and LCM • Multiplication and division • Perimeter and area • BIDMAS • Fractions • Angles • Place value • Decimals • Coordinates • Algebra • Simple formulae, simplify, substitute (including negative values) • Balance puzzles • Expanding a single bracket • Solving equations • Parallel/ perpendicular lines • Lines of symmetry • Rotational symmetry • Percentages • Averages and range • Pie Charts • Converting between metric units • Conversion graphs for metric/imperial and other real-life situations • Reading scales • Puzzles • Problem Solving

The textbook used is:

Essential Maths 7C by David Rayner and Michael White, published by Elmwood Press.

Equipment - Girls will need a ruler and Scientific Calculator; we recommend the Casio fx-85GT X. They will also be expected to have a pair of scissors and glue in every lesson.

IT Provision - Written homework tasks are supplemented with homework task set on MyIMaths ( Internet site). On MyIMaths, pupils may re-do a tasks as many times as they like in a set time (30 minutes) in order to achieve the best possible score. Each time they re-do the task it creates new questions at the same level. Feedback is instant and teachers, parents and the pupils can monitor their performance. Interactive whiteboards are used in every classroom. Revision and extra resources are put on MyQG, an online database which is accessible for both pupils and parents.

Mathematics Club and Clinic - The ‘Maths Club’ is for the most able mathematicians in Remove and LIV. They prepare to compete in the UK Maths Team Challenge which is usually held towards the end of March. It provides an opportunity for extension and enjoyment of Mathematics, as well as the experience of doing mathematics as part of a team. The Clinic is an opportunity to seek extra help outside the classroom from a peer or teacher; whilst most girls come voluntarily, they may be directed by their teacher for a little additional help.

Music

In the first year the girls study two units each term.

Autumn Term

Unit 1 - Introduction to Music The use of language to describe the Elements of Music. Concepts of Pitch, Duration, Dynamics, Articulation, Tempo, Texture, Timbre and Silence.

Unit 2 - Rhythmic Notation Learning rhythmic notation, composing and performing using body and instrumental percussion instruments.

Spring Term

Unit 3 - Pitch Notation and Keyboard Skills Learning how to read notes written on the treble clef and then using this skill to perform different melodies and ensemble pieces on keyboards.

Unit 4 - Remove Showcase Pupils add the finishing touches to preparing solo performances and songs for the annual Remove Showcase.

Summer Term

Unit 5 - The Orchestra Exploring the world of orchestral music, the families of instruments and the timbres of individual members of the orchestral groups. A visit to hear a major orchestra is part of this year’s musical experience.

Unit 6 - Music Technology Pupils will explore how technology has shaped music and how it is used today. Using Garageband, pupils will be able to record and produce music in a variety of different styles, using the technology to change and manipulate the sounds.

Physics

Autumn Term

Energy and Fuels: • Safety in the Laboratory • Fair testing • Scatter graphs with lines of best fit • Fuels • Fossil fuels • The advantages and disadvantages of renewable alternatives e.g. solar, wind, hydroelectric • Design and build a model wind turbine

Autumn and Spring Terms

Electricity: • Circuit symbols • How electric circuits work • Parallel and series circuits • What resistance is and its link with heating effects • Measuring current in series and parallel circuits • Cells and Batteries as energy stores • Parallel circuits used for Christmas tree lights and house lights • Wiring a plug • Fuses

Spring and Summer Terms

Forces and Their Effects: • Types of force and effects – change in shape, direction and speed • What is weight and how is it different to mass? • Using a Newton meter • Effects of balanced forces (stationary object or constant speed) • Density • Measure density of regular blocks and liquids • Explain why things float in terms of density • Investigation to see how the extension of a spring and rubber band relate to force applied • Friction – when it’s useful and when it’s a nuisance • Stopping distance

Summer Term

Solar System and Beyond: • How we see the sun and moon • Phases of the moon • Eclipses • What the solar system consists of • Order of planets • Gravity • Is there life on Mars? • What is beyond the solar system?

Design & Technology • Religious Studies Design and Technology

All ‘Design and Make’ Projects, while they may each have a different focus, include:

• Identifying a need • Research • First ideas • Development of Final Idea • Realisation • Evaluation

Autumn Term Safety in the workshop / Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle:

• Focus: Resistant Materials (wood/plastic) • Working with tools – hand and machine • Working in MDF • Finishing • Packaging using vacuum forming

Spring Term Designing Olympic swimming goggles packaging:

• Focus: Design Process, Graphic techniques • Needs, User groups • Graphic symbols, scale, layout • Computer Graphics (Illustrator)

Summer Term Acrylic Keyring:

• Focus: Resistant Materials/CAD/CAM • Adobe Illustrator software to produce design • Use of laser cutter to create the keyring • Assembling by hand

School Summer Examination Focus:

• Safety, Tools and Equipment • Design, graphical communication skills • Packaging

Religious Studies

In Remove, girls explore the key concepts, beliefs and practices of Christianity and the ways in which these affect people’s lives, attitudes and behaviour. Christianity is presented as a world religion. Active learning methods are used to enable girls to interact with the beliefs, and examine and explore them in relation to their own views.

The content includes:

• Differences between belief and knowledge. • Consideration of their own beliefs and reasons for having them. • Views of God from major world religions. • Reasons for and against having faith and religious belief. • The authenticity of the accounts of Jesus in the

Bible. • Worldview beliefs of Jesus. • Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. • The Bible – types of writing, books, how to use, references and why it is important to Christians. • Parables – what are they, examples and explanations of their meaning. • Miracles – what are they, examples, do they provide proof of God’s existence. • The death and resurrection of Jesus. • Connections between the three Abrahamic faiths of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. • To look at stories from the Torah and Bible and analyse them identifying key messages and teachings.

The texts used are: The Good News Bible.