All academic activities are organised in departments which are teams of dedicated teachers working together to instil enthusiasm for their subject in every pupil and student. Departments meet regularly to share good practice and to focus on how they can work together to improve teaching and learning.
The facilities required to teach the curriculum are extensive and include digital video projectors and other ICT equipment in every classroom. All teachers set very high standards for themselves and for their students so that together, they can achieve the very best outcomes and promote our vision of excellence in all and for all.
There is in-service training (INSET) for all staff, where techniques are refreshed and new ideas are introduced to help teachers develop their skills further.
Clicking on a subject below will give more information on areas covered in that subject.
| GCSE | |
|---|---|
| Course Description | The course examines how creative digital media is used within our everyday lives and allows students to investigate digital media sectors, products and platforms. |
| Course Level | Level 2 |
| Course Qualifications | BTEC Level 2 First Award |
| Examinations | A written examination which is set and marked by Edexcel. Unit 1 – Digital Media Sectors and Audiences (core unit) – 1 hour examination. |
| Coursework | Unit 2 Planning and Pitching a Digital Media Product (core unit) A further two units of coursework |
| Post 16 Education | BTEC ICT |
| Careers | Employment within the Gaming and Digital Creative Media Industry, such as a junior role working in moving image production, audio production, website production or digital games production and many other ICT related careers. |
| GCSE | |
|---|---|
| Course Description | Students will study several units covering: Effective communication skills, Diversity and equality, Care standards; The rights of clients and the responsibility of workers; Physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs of clients at various life stages. How Health and Social Care services can empower and meet the needs of each client group by adapting access to services. How to maintain good health, set targets for improved health and create a plan to motivate improvements to a client’s life style. Ensuring safe environments in Health and Social Care settings |
| Course Level | Level 2 |
| Course Qualifications | BTEC Health and Social Care |
| Examinations | Continual assessment of coursework assignments within three units plus a one hour external exam, focusing on a fourth unit. |
| Coursework | Ongoing throughout the course following exam board generated assignment tasks relating to scenarios or case studies set within a range of Health and Social Care settings. |
| Assessment | Ongoing throughout the course with clearly set deadlines. Several units are internally assessed and externally moderated. One unit is assessed by external written exams. This exam is taken in January of Y10. |
| Post 16 Education | BTEC Level 3, A Level, Diploma or Degree in Health and Social Care related studies. |
| Careers | Various job roles: care assistant to help clients live independently, medical care assistant within a hospital ward or in A & E department, nursery nurse, play therapist or play co-ordinator, social worker, various nursing roles, service manager etc. |
| Skills and Attributes | Ability to work independently to strict deadlines. Good communication skills and a genuine interest in helping and caring for people. |
In Key Stage 3 students will cover the following.
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
| GCSE | |
|---|---|
| Course Description | GCSE Computer Science has been redeveloped and this course will allow you to develop computational thinking skills and get you to think about real world application. The course is made up of 3 units, 2 examinations and 1 unit of coursework. Topics covered include hardware, software, network topologies, data representation and computer programming |
| Course Level | Level 2 |
| Course Qualifications | GCSE Computing |
| Examinations | 2 written examinations which are set and marked by OCR, both worth 40% each and 1 unit of coursework worth 20% |
| Coursework | The coursework will be completed in Year 11 and will be a programming project set by the exam board. The coursework element of the course will take 20 hours to complete |
| Post 16 Education | A Level Computing, BTEC ICT |
| Careers | Highly regarded as a complex academic subject GCSE Computing leads well into Programming, Graphics, Animation, Technical Support, Software Engineering and many other ICT related careers. |
| Skills and Attributes | Ability to work to strict deadlines with a large degree of independence. Practical skills with a range of hardware and software. |
Sixth Form
Computer Science is a practical subject where students are able to apply the academic principles learned in the classroom to real-world systems. It is a creative subject that combines invention and excitement, and can look at the natural world through a digital prism. Throughout the course students will gain an understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, as well as the ability to analyse problems and write programs to solve such problems.
Examining Board: OCR
Specification: H446 A Level Specification
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS TO THE A LEVEL COURSE.
Please see the Sixth Form Admissions Policy for the entry requirements to this course.
Year 1
Year 1 of the Computer Science course consists of two components one on Computing principles and the other on algorithms and problem solving. The component on Computing principles introduces the internal workings of the Central Processing Unit, the exchange of data and it will also look at legal, moral, ethical and cultural issues associated with digital technology. The algorithms and problem solving component will build upon the knowledge and understanding gained in the Computing principles component and it will allow you to understand what is meant by computational thinking and be able to use algorithms to describe problems
Year 2
Year 2 of the Computer Science course consists of two written examinations, both of which are 2 hours and 30 minutes long and have 140 marks available in each, as well as a programming project which involves learners selecting a computing problem and completing a series of tasks in relation to this.
Component One – Computer Systems – 40% of total A-Level
This component introduces the internal workings of the Central Processing Unit, the exchange of data and it will also look at legal, moral, ethical and cultural issues associated with digital technology. The work that is carried out for this component will be used when devising your own programming project for component three
Component Two – Algorithms and Programming – 40% of total A-Level
This component will build upon the knowledge and understanding gained in Component One and it will allow you to understand what is meant by computational thinking and be able to use algorithms to describe problems, as well as analyse a problem by identifying its component parts
Component Three – Non-exam assessment programming project – 20% of total A-Level
In this component you will be expected to analyse, design, develop, test, evaluate and document a program written in a suitable programming language. You will be applying the principles of computational thinking to a practical coding problem
COMPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS
Computer Science combines with a range A-Level subjects. The qualification will provide learners with a range of transferable skills and has cross curricular links with Maths, Science and Design Technology.
CAREER AND UNIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES
The Computer Science qualification is suitable for anyone that is intending to pursue any career in which an understanding of technology is needed.
| GCSE | |
|---|---|
| Course Description | Students will study: food components and their function, food processing and manufacturing, the consumer market, product design and manufacture |
| Course Level | Level 2 |
| Course Qualifications | GCSE awarded by AQA |
| Examinations | One examination 2 hours in May/June of Year 11 |
| Coursework | Controlled assessment consisting of a design folder and several practical outcomes. A written report based on a range of practical experiments. Theory covered will be underpinned by practical activities throughout the course. |
| Assessment | Year 11 examination 50% Year 11 NEA |
| Post 16 Education | Food Technology is no longer available as a Post 16 option. |
| Careers | Dietician, teaching, catering, food retail, food product testing and development. |
| Skills and Attributes | Ability to critically appraise, analyse and evaluate the characteristics of existing products. Ability to produce quality products using a variety of ingredients and processes. Good ICT skills to communicate ideas. Good time management and planning skills. |
Sixth Form
From this course students can expect a widened and deepened understanding of the world around us and the issues beneath many of the most disturbing dilemmas and problems faced today, including terrorism and globalisation. Specifically the course looks in depth at both the actual, practical working of the system of government here in Britain, and the main political ideas, ideologies and philosophies that exist in the world today. Candidates are encouraged to engage with contemporary politics and current political debates.
Examining Board: EDEXCEL
Specification: A Level 9GPOI
The A2 specification is new from September 2016. At present, all information below is draft and has not been fully approved at this stage. Further information will follow once the specification has been accredited.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS TO THE A LEVEL COURSE.
Please see the Sixth Form Admissions Policy for the entry requirements to this course.
THE YEAR 12 COURSE
Candidates gain an understanding of the ideas, structures and behaviour of political parties and pressure groups in the UK, as well as electoral systems, parliamentary elections, voting patterns and party ideology. Candidates will explore the composition, role and power of the legislative and executive branches of government in the UK as well as the judiciary, constitution, rights of the individual and the European Union.
THE YEAR 13 COURSE
Candidates gain an understanding of the ideas, structure and behaviour of political parties and pressure groups in the US, as well as electoral systems, presidential and congressional elections and voting pattern. Candidates will also explore the composition, role and power of the legislative and executive branches of the US government as well as the Supreme Court and Constitution. Throughout the course candidates are expected and encouraged to pay close attention to world political events through the radio, television and other relevant media.
STUDENT VIEWPOINT
Students should enjoy reading and following current affairs in the media. They should also have an interest in engaging in philosophical arguments.
COMPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS
Government and Politics can be successfully combined with almost all other Arts, Science and Modern Language A levels. It is particularly valuable for those aiming for History, Geography, Modern Language, Law, Media and of course Politics degree courses.
CAREER AND UNIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES
Politics qualifications are regarded as particularly useful in career areas such as: Journalism, Health Authorities, Banking, Retail Management, Marketing, Inland Revenue, Accountancy, Public Relations, Social Work, Advertising Media, Insurance, and Teaching
In Key Stage 3 students will cover the following.
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
| GCSE | |
|---|---|
| Course Description | The GCSE Mathematics assessment objectives are to: use and apply standard techniques; reason, interpret and communicate Mathematically; solve problems within mathematics and in other contexts. |
| Course Level | Level1 / Level 2 |
| Course Qualifications | Pearson Edexcel Level 1 / Level 2 GCSE (9 to 1) in Mathematics. |
| Examinations | 3 examinations at the end of Year 11 |
| Coursework | No coursework. |
| Assessment | 2 Calculator Papers 67% Non-Calculator Paper 33% |
| Post 16 Education | A Level Mathematics, Sciences, Psychology, BTECs, Geography. |
| Careers | Most employers require a level of functional skills in Mathematics. |
| Skills and Attributes | Numeracy skills will be required in many aspects of life and with logical thought is an important transferable skill. |
Sixth Form
Mathematics is appropriate for all students with a proven mathematical ability. Those students who intend pursuing careers involving science, technology, engineering, commerce and business are advised to study A-Level. Students showing a particular mathematical flair and those intending to proceed with Mathematics at a higher level should consider taking Further Mathematics also. Universities favour applicants to Mathematics degrees if they have A level Further Mathematics.
Examining Board: AQA
Specification: Mathematics 7357, Further Mathematics 7367
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS TO THE A LEVEL COURSE.
Please see the Sixth Form Admissions Policy for the entry requirements to this course.
A LEVEL COURSE
Mathematics
Core Content
| OT1: Mathematical argument, language and proof | OT2: Mathematical problem solving | OT3: Mathematical modelling |
| Proof | Algebra and functions | Coordinate geometry in the (x,y) plane |
| Sequences and series | Trigonometry | Exponentials and logarithms |
| Differentiation | Integration | Numerical Methods |
| Vectors | Statistical distributions | Data presentation and interpretation |
| Probability | Statistical distributions | Statistical hypothesis testing |
| Quantities and units in mechanics | Kinematics | Forces and Newton's laws |
| Moments |
Further Maths
Core Content
All students must study this content.
| OT1: Mathematical argument, language and proof | OT2: Mathematical problem solving | OT3: Mathematical modelling |
| Proof | Complex numbers | Matrices |
| Further Algebra and Functions | Further Calculus | Further Vectors |
| Polar coordinates | Hyperbolic functions | Differential equations |
| Trigonometry | Coordinate geometry |
Students must study two of these options.
STUDENT VIEWPOINT
Mathematics is a stimulating subject which encourages analytical thinking and logical problem solving. Its dependence on basic principles allows students to apply familiar concepts to unfamiliar situations and the sense of achievement on solving a problem creates an amazing feeling of achievement. It’s hard but fun!
COMPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS
Mathematics is an essential complement to the Sciences, and also to several Humanities e.g. Geography where statistical analysis is necessary for advanced studies of climate and physical processes; Technology when using trigonometry to accurately calculate angles; Psychology to evaluate standard deviation and mean for analysing data.
CAREER AND UNIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES
The university courses that require Mathematics A Level are Medical, Scientific, Engineering and Financial disciplines. Employers hold in high regard those with mathematically related qualifications and therefore a mastery of problem solving techniques and rational thought. Indeed, research has demonstrated that people with a mathematics related degree will go on to earn more than those without.
Sixth Form
To study media is to attempt to understand communication in the world around us in its various forms, to reach an understanding and evaluation of how meanings and responses are created, how the media reflects or shapes the world we live in, and how audiences react to it. WJEC Media Studies is designed to enable students to explore a wide variety of media, including digital media technologies, drawing on the fundamental concepts of media: texts, industry and audiences. Candidates will be encouraged to work creatively to enable them to gain a greater appreciation of the media through their own production work and to develop their own production skills. Students will develop their analytical skills by responding critically to a wide range of media texts.
Examining Board: WJEC
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS TO THE A LEVEL COURSE.
Please see the Sixth Form Admissions Policy for the entry requirements to this course.
The specification aims to provide candidates with a range of supportive concepts, ideas and skills.
In particular this course:
The course aims to:
A LEVEL COURSE
Component 1: Meanings and Representations in the media
Six media products of a range of different forms will be studied in a two hours
written examination, comprising of three essay responses.
Component 2: Media Forms and Products in Depth
This unit focuses on three sections: TV in a global age, mainstream and alternative
magazines and media in the online age. Several of the texts will be set by the exam
board and it will be assessed in a three hour written examination.
Component 3: Cross-media production
Students will respond to a choice of briefs set by the exam board to create their
own cross-media production based on two different forms.
STUDENT VIEWPOINT
Students generally find the subject more analytical than they expected, more challenging and essay based, yet also more rewarding. Media students develop their own points of view, confidence, organisational and critical thinking skills. Students are expected to be proactive in their approach to the subject. They are also expected to be able to work independently, as well as supporting each other in their studies, to design and produce practical course work using technology to a high standard and develop a passion for the subject!
COMPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS
Media studies complements most subjects and provides a counterbalance for others. It is analysis based, like English Literature and Religious Studies, but also requires a consideration of audiences, theories and contexts which ties in well with Psychology, Sociology and History. A Level media studies coursework requires technology skills and imaginative design ideas this subject also ties in well with ICT and Art and Photography.
CAREER AND UNIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES
Choosing a higher course in the media studies area gives a massive range of options including the study of film and broadcast fiction, Journalism courses, Cultural studies, Web design, Digital media, Drama or Photography. It is an excellent subject to study in combination with others in the humanities area. “The media” is vast and careers opportunities range from Journalist to set or costume designer, teacher to researcher, IT games designer to personnel management.
In Key Stage 3 students will cover the following.
Year 7
Carousel System
Year 8
Carousel System
Year 9
Carousel System
| GCSE | |
|---|---|
| Course Description | Building on the knowledge, understanding and skills established in Key Stage 3, the course covers anatomy and physiology, factors affecting participation in physical activity, socio-cultural influences and wellbeing and the safety aspects of physical activity. There is a large percentage of the theory aspect of this course which uses data analysis. |
| Course Level | Level 2 |
| Course Qualifications | GCSE |
| Examinations | 2 examinations each 1hr 15mins – 1. The Human Body and Movement. 2. Socio-cultural influences. |
| Coursework | Coursework (3 pieces) Analysis & Evaluation of Performance |
| Assessment | Theory Examination 60% Practical Skills 40% - 3 practical sports (2 team plus 1 individual or 1 team and 1 individual) |
| Post 16 Education | A Level Physical Education BTEC Diploma in Sport |
| Careers | Sport, Coaching, Teaching |
| Skills and Attributes | Due to the weighting of the course being in favour of the theoretical component, there will be an expectation that you fully involve yourself with extra-curricular sport in order to progress your skills. |
Sixth Form
Physical Education draws on well-established areas of study but also takes account of the contemporary view of PE and sport. There are many innovative features of this course. Students have the option to focus on a single physical activity throughout the course. In doing so they can experience and develop an interest in a variety of roles such as performer, official and leader/coach. They are given opportunities to build on their previous experience to enhance their knowledge and increase their understanding of the modern day sporting arena.
Examining Board: AQA
Specification: 7582
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS TO THE A LEVEL COURSE.
Please see the Sixth Form Admissions Policy for the entry requirements to this course. Students should also be actively involved in at least one sport to a representative level and must have shown willingness to represent St Leonard’s. Whilst involved with the chosen sport it is essential that you should be assuming two roles from: the performer, leader/coach and umpire.
WRITTEN PAPER
Throughout this two year course, you will develop knowledge and skills to help understand the opportunities for and the effects of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. You will develop an understanding of how an athlete producers optimal performance and the factors which contribute to this.
UNIT 1: FACTORS AFFECTING PARTICIPATION & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN SPORT & HOW TO PRODUCE OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE
This will be broken down into
Assessment: Written Paper, 2 hours. Weighting 70%
NON EXAM ASSESSMENT: PRACTICAL PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT.
Students will be assessed in one sport in the role of a performer weighting 30%.
STUDENT VIEWPOINT
The theoretical component of the course is more heavily weighted than the GCSE course and applicants must fully appreciate that A Level PE is not practically based (hence the requirement to play at least one representative sport). There will be a vast increase in the depth of knowledge required and consistent reading around the subject will be essential.
COMPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS
Physical Education combines with a range of A Level subjects. The Sciences greatly support the Physiological components of the course but it is also the case that a number of students have combined PE with the Arts.
CAREER AND UNIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES
PE would support an application for a wide range of university courses including Sports Science, Physiotherapy, Teaching, Sports Nutrition and Medicine. As this subject develops transferable skills and the key skills that employers desire it can lead to a wide range of employment opportunities including Recreational Management, Leisure Activities, Armed Forces, and Civil Services.
8,398 Total, 3 Today
St Leonard’s Catholic School, North End, Durham DH1 4NG
Tel: 0191 384 8575
Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust is a company registered in England.
Company Registration No: 07890590. Registered Office: Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Old Durham Road, Gateshead, NE9 6RZ
