Senior School

Making GCSE subject choices is the first significant step in a series of decisions that each pupil will make on their journey to adulthood. For some pupils, the process of making subject choices will be refreshingly straightforward and will be guided and informed by academic aptitude, intrinsic interest and/or professional aspirations. However, for other pupils, the process may be somewhat less clear and our role in this case is to provide you with the support and guidance that you need. We want all pupils to make informed choices so that they benefit from a curriculum which is academically challenging and hugely enjoyable.

We strongly believe that all young people should study at least one modern foreign language at GCSE level. As an IBDP World School, we are committed to developing an active understanding of internationalism and multiculturalism. Indeed, in the global village of the twenty-first century, British children will be at a distinct disadvantage if their language acquisition skills are nothing more than rudimentary. Young people should aspire to be culturally and politically literate and studying a humanities subject enables them to develop their critical and speculative faculties, whilst gaining a greater understanding of the world in which they live.

It is really important for pupils to consult with parents and teaching staff when making subject choices. Additionally, they can discuss subject choices with their Form tutor, Head of Year and Mrs Wright in her role as Head of Careers. Mr Crombie and the Sixth Form team are also available to discuss choice of subjects and how it may impact upon specific university courses. Oxbridge and other prestigious universities will pay particularly careful attention to a GCSE profile; they will be interested in the breadth and perceived academic rigour of GCSEs. It is also worth noting that top universities will expect students to achieve grades 7-9 in the majority of their subjects.

GCSE courses are designed to develop independent learning and critical thinking. There is a strong emphasis placed upon self-motivation. Conscientious and self-disciplined pupils will routinely achieve top grades. As pupils move up through the School, they are expected to demonstrate greater personal initiative and active involvement with their learning. Top grades cannot be achieved by simply reiterating well learned facts. Pupils must be actively engaged in their studies, for they need to develop their interpretative skills and learn how to collect and handle data adeptly. Furthermore, pupils need to develop the ability to apply and adapt theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom to real life scenarios. Consequently, it is vitally important that pupils choose subjects which they actively enjoy.

It is important, even at this stage, that pupils give careful consideration to the subjects that they may wish to study for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or for A Levels. As much as possible, pupils should aim to keep their options open and choose courses which provide them with the freedom and flexibility to pursue Sixth Form choices that support their future aspirations.

Making these choices can seem a little daunting but we will do everything we can to guide and support you through this process. We hope that you perceive this to be an exciting step, for it enables you to play an increasingly active role in the design of your own academic curriculum and in the determination of your future path.

The linear structure of A Levels means that university admission departments are placing increasing importance upon GCSE results. Routinely, applicants are profiled upon the basis of these results and the clear message is that quality is much more important than quantity. Inevitably, if we overburden pupils then we run the very real risk of compromising the overall quality of their results and our GCSE subject menu and breadth is designed with this in mind.
We work to ensure that this balanced curriculum also provides time to develop ‘softer skills’ which are sought increasingly by universities and future employers. Rossall School endeavours to develop young people who are:

• Inquirers

• Knowledgeable

• Thinkers

• Communicators

• Principled

• Open-minded

• Caring

• Risk-takers

• Balanced

• Reflective

COMMON CORE SUBJECTS (TAKEN BY ALL PUPILS) 

• English (includes English Literature and English Language and counts as two separate IGCSE subjects)

• Mathematics

• Science

• Physical Education (non-GCSE)

OPTION SCHEME SUBJECTS (PUPILS SELECT FOUR FROM THE FOLLOWING)

HUMANITIES
at least one subject from this block must be chosen

• Geography

• History

• Religious Studies

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
at least one subject from this block must be chosen

• French

• German

• Spanish

OTHER SUBJECTS

• Art

• Design Technology

• Drama

• English as an Additional Language

• Food Preparation and Nutrition

• Latin

• Music

• Physical Education

CO-CURRICULAR SUBJECTS
Offered outside of the timetable

• Ancient Greek

• Astronomy

• Business Studies

1. All pupils must choose at least one option from the Humanities Block and one option from the Modern Foreign Languages Block. In other words they must take one humanities subject and one modern foreign language.

2. Pupils are then free to choose an additional two subjects drawn from any block.

3. All pupils must choose a reserve (fifth) subject which they would like to study if it proves impossible to timetable their preferred combination of subjects. This provides us with a degree of flexibility whilst still allowing pupils plenty of choice.

Very occasionally, pupils are granted permission to opt out of a modern foreign language. This permission needs to be explicitly granted by the Deputy Head (Academic) and is almost always dependent upon support from the EAL or Learning Development departments.

For further details concerning the individual courses, please refer to the subject specific information set out below.

COMPULSORY SUBJECTS

All pupils have to study the compulsory subjects of Mathematics, Science, English Language and English Literature and also a Modern Foreign Language.

SCIENCE
In Science, all pupils will study Biology, Chemistry and Physics but there are two different courses that will be followed. The strongest scientists will study separate (‘triple’) Sciences and will gain three separate GCSE grades, one each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics (this is usually those pupils in set 1). All other pupils will still study all three sciences but not in as much detail as those described above. These pupils will sit for a combined GCSE Science qualification known by AQA as Trilogy which is equivalent to two GCSEs, and they will receive a double grade e.g. 77, 66 etc. at the end of their course.

All students begin their GCSE Science courses in January of year 9. Topics common to the separate and combined Science courses are taught in Year 9 and 10 and then the decision about which course is most suitable for each pupil is made later in Year 10 or at the beginning of Year 11.

HUMANITIES
Within the Humanities option, pupils will be asked to choose from History, Geography and Religious Studies. All pupils have to study one of those subjects but pupils can choose to study more than one if they wish.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
For the Modern Foreign Language option, pupils will be asked to choose from French, German and Spanish. All pupils have to study one Modern Foreign Language but pupils can choose to study more than one if they wish.

OPTIONS
Pupils then have the free choice of three other subjects from those in this booklet. As mentioned above, one of these choices can be a second Modern Foreign Language, or can be selected from the Humanities or “Other” option blocks.

ROSSALL DIPLOMA OPTIONS
GCSE Astronomy, Business Studies and Ancient Greek are offered. However these will be taught within the co-curricular programme, ie. outside of the six timetabled lessons per day.

In year 11, pupils will work towards their Higher Project Qualification (HPQ). This is a GCSE qualification (graded A*-C), and requires pupils to undertake a project of their own devising. Pupils are assessed on the way they manage their project – how they develop an idea, conduct research, create a product (a 2,000 word essay or an artefact), and reflect on the process. There is no limit to the scope of investigation, and recent projects have included:

• Should we be afraid of the development of artificial intelligence?

• How have football formations evolved through time?

• What is the future of cash?

• What impact does veterinary research have on society?

The HPQ is an excellent introduction to formally assessed project work, and is effective preparation for the Extended Project Qualification (A-level) and Extended Essay (IB Diploma Programme) undertaken in the Sixth Form. Pupils have two HPQ lessons per fortnight in which they are guided through the process.