INTRODUCTION – AND HUMANITIES GCSE

This is a very important time of your child's life. Choosing the right courses now may influence their future career path. This booklet gives details relating specifically to the GCSE courses we offer at Kingshill School.

The following general points relating to the GCSE courses on offer should be noted.

1.      1.      GCSE scale of awards for 2006 – 2008:

A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and U

Those from A* to G are passes with A* to C commonly referred to as "higher" grades. In addition a grade X implies that the candidate has failed to meet the minimum requirements of the examination either through failure to complete coursework or non­ attendance at the terminal examinations. Vocational GCSE courses are graded in exactly the same way.

2.      2.      Accurate Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar in GCSE Examinations

Current guidelines state that 5% of total marks available should be allocated to spelling, punctuation and grammar. The full 5% can be earned with a high level of accuracy. This affects all GCSE examinations except Mathematics.

3.      3.      Coursework

Please take note of differing requirements between subjects with regard to coursework. The coursework component is obviously of importance and we would ask you to support your son's/daughter's work through:

·       ·       regularly asking him/her which coursework pieces he/she is presently engaged in, and/or which are coming up in the near future.

·       ·       asking for marks/grades of latest pieces.

·       ·       asking to read through completed pieces, thus checking for completion, sense,

grammar etc.

·       ·       helping them to plan their time with regard to other demands and the needs of

your family life.

·       ·       ensuring things are not left to the last minute.

·       ·       ensure he/she makes the most of opportunities available to them e.g. documentaries etc on TV or radio, using the Town Library, using the experience, knowledge and skills of people, gathering information from sources such as the Internet.

The most important aspect of success in Upper School Courses is that the pupil should be well organised. It is essential that Student Planners are maintained and that adequate time is given to completing the tasks set.

OUR CORE CURRICULUM

Kingshill wishes to offer a broad balanced curriculum for all its pupils in order to ensure that their options are left open at post 16 level, hence there is a large core curriculum which the majority of pupils follow : -

 

Subject

English, Mathematics, Science, Modern Languages, Core P.E / Health related fitness

Citizenship / Careers, RE Short Course GCSE

 

In addition pupils choose three more courses, which account for the remaining 30% of the timetable.

 

The following pages describe the course available to your son/daughter over the next two years. The section printed on white paper contains details of the core subjects, which all pupils will study. The section printed on yellow paper contains details of the optional subjects.

 

When helping your child to decide on their subject choice for Key Stage 4 please bear in mind the following points:

 

(i)         It is our belief that pupils benefit from following a broad range of subjects and that this range should only be narrowed in exceptional circumstances.




(ii)        Pupils who choose to pursue one area at the expense of another should only do so for positive reasons, i.e. their strengths and talents in Design & Technology or Creative & Expressive should be emphasised rather than their weakness elsewhere as justification for dropping a subject.

 

(iii)     The form “Your Subject Choice” at the back of this booklet should be completed and returned to Form Tutors by Friday 24th March at the latest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HUMANITIES GCSE

 

EXAM BOARD                                   AQA

 

TEACHER I/C OF SUBJECT           MR D KERR-RETTIE

 

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT          25% Coursework (2 pieces).

                                                            75% Examination

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

GCSE Humanities is a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of Human Society. Students

study 5 units:-

Conflict and Co-operation; Global Inequality; Culture and Beliefs; People and Work;

Environmental Issues.

RANGE OF ACTIVITIES

Approaches to study are varied including individual and group-work, role-play, decision-making exercises, ICT for presentation, research as well as on-line debates, simulations and oral presentations.

WHAT WILL A STUDENT LEARN BY TAKING THIS SUBJECT?

Pupils will gain a greater knowledge and understanding of issues which affect the nature and quality of human life. They will develop an awareness of the ways in which cultural, geographical, historical, political, social, religious and economic factors have interacted to shape the world in which we live today. They will learn to use the skills of investigation, evaluation, analysing and interpreting information critically, forming and communicating reasoned viewpoints based on evidence.

They will gain an understanding of how choices, decisions and judgements are made at individual, family, community, national and global levels.

Humanities will help the intellectual and social development of individuals. It will encourage students to consider the rights and responsibilities they have as individuals and the role they play in the development of society as a whole.

They will develop a greater awareness of the importance of sustainable development, global citizenship and how places and people are interdependent, methods of resolving conflict, the changing nature of work and what it means to live in a multi-cultural society.

This subject can be studied in combination with any of the other three Humanities subjects ­History, Geography and Religious Studies.

HOW DOES THE SUBJECT HELP AS A QUALIFICATION FOR FUTURE COURSES/CAREERS AND/OR MEET OTHER NEEDS SUCH AS LEISURE/ENJOYMENT ETC?

Through Humanities pupils will have the opportunity to study and to understand some important contemporary issues, both local and global, whilst at the same time developing skills usually associated with more traditional history, geography, politics, sociology, economics and religious education courses. The course allows pupils to follow up any of these subjects at an advanced level.

The study of Humanities can lead to a wide variety of potential careers e.g. leisure and tourism, environmental management, politics, economics, social policy.