Department Staff: Ian white and Carl Pearson.

 

Advanced Level GCE Physics

Exam Board: AQA

Syllabus code: 7408

Advanced Level Physics is studied over 2 years and is comprised of 8 topics. In the lower 6^th the students will study Particles and Radiation, Waves and Optics, Mechanics and Materials and Electricity. In upper 6^th they will study Further Mechanical and Thermal Physics, Theory of Fields and Nuclear Physics. There will also be the optional unit Turning Points in Physics that looks at the development of ideas in Physics as well as the Theory of Special Relativity. Physics has a heavy mathematical element and is ideally studied alongside A Level Mathematics.

The Physics Practical Endorsement is taken along side the A Level in order to develop and assess practical investigation skills. Practical work is a vital part of the Physics course and there will be many opportunities to use many different types of apparatus throughout. Some of the required practical activities including Investigating the EMF of electrical cells, determining the Young’s Modulus of materials, investigating Boyle’s and Charles’ gas laws and the inverse square law of Gamma Radiation

There are three examination papers for A Level Physics that students will sit at the end of the course. The papers consist of a mixture of short and long answer questions as well as a multiple choice section. Paper 3 will also assess the understanding of the practical techniques and data analysis that are embedded throughout the course.

“Mathematics knows no races or geographic boundaries; for mathematics, the cultural world is one country.”

— David Hilbert, German mathematician

Department Staff: Emma Garland, Rebecca Nicholson, Dale Beswick, Richard Izdebski

Courses: 

International GCSE Mathematics 

Exam Board: Pearson Edexcel 

Syllabus code: 4MA1 

Course content: The Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Mathematics (Specification A) qualification enables students to deepen their knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts and techniques across the key areas of number; algebra; geometry; and statistics. Students will develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills by translating problems in mathematical and non-mathematical contexts; by presenting arguments and proofs; and by making deductions and drawing conclusions from mathematical information. 

It is assessed through two 2 hour examinations at the end of the course.  

A Level Mathematics 

Exam Board: Pearson Edexcel 

Syllabus code: 9MA0 

Course content: A Level Mathematics extends and deepens the knowledge acquired at GCSE level, and emphasises how mathematical ideas are interconnected and can be applied to modelling real life situations. Students will learn how to make sense of data, how the physical world works and how to solve problems in a variety of contexts.  

The course has three overarching themes – mathematical argument, language and proof; problem solving; and modelling. The content is then split into the following three strands:  

• Pure mathematics – proof, algebra, functions, graphs, coordinate geometry, sequences and series, trigonometry, exponentials and logarithms, calculus, numerical methods, and vectors.  
• Mechanics – kinematics, projectiles, forces, Newton’s laws of motion, and moments.  
• Statistics – includes working with data from a sample to make inferences about a population, probability, probability distributions, and hypothesis testing.  

 Many degree courses list A Level Mathematics as a highly desirable, if not essential, subject to study – Accounting, Computing, Economics, Engineering, Medicine, Physics, Statistics, Teaching, and Veterinary Science, to name but a few.  

  It is assessed through three 2 hour examinations at the end of the course.  

A Level Further Mathematics 

Exam Board: Pearson Edexcel 

Syllabus code: 9FM0 

Course content: As well as building on the knowledge introduced in Mathematics A Level, Further Mathematics introduces you to the concepts of complex numbers and matrices, which have wide applications in mathematics, engineering, and computing.  

There is a little more flexibility compared to standard Mathematics, with three routes through the course. Each route contains the mandatory Core Pure content and alongside this, students choose whether to major in Mechanics or Statistics and study a minor option, which gives greater depth of knowledge, or study three minor options, to gain greater breadth.  

The minor options are: Mechanics Minor; Statistics Minor; Modelling with Algorithms; Numerical Methods; Extra Pure; and Further Pure with Technology.  

The Core Pure, Mechanics, and Statistics content is covered within lessons, and students can choose to study any of the other options independently.    

Further Mathematics prepares students for further study and employment in a wide range of disciplines. Many degree courses list A Level Further Mathematics as a desirable subject to study – Accounting, Computing, Economics, Engineering, Medicine, Physics, Statistics, Teaching, and Veterinary Science, to name but a few, and it is fast becoming a core requirement for many courses with a high mathematical content.  

 The course is assessed through several examinations at the end of the course, with the number dependent on the route taken.  

 “At Ackworth, mathematics gives Sixth-Form students a sense of freedom. When a classroom is available without any classes, you can sit and practice questions. The Maths Department office is always open for you to drop by and get your solutions… and because there are five teachers with diverse skill sets, they can always find answers to your challenges. Additionally, drop-in support sessions are available during lunch and after school too.”

Department Staff: 

Amanda Axton (acting HoD)

Laura Hulse

Rachel McLaughlin

OCR English Literature – H472

Component 1 – Shakespeare and Drama and Poetry pre-1900. Students currently study Hamlet, and compare the Selected Poetry of Christina Rossetti with Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House.

Component 2 – Close reading in a chosen topic area and comparative and contextual study from a chosen topic area. Students currently study dystopian fiction. George Orwell’s 1984 and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are the starting points for comparative study.

Component 3 – Non-exam Assessment. Students produce two essays on post-1900 texts: one close reading, and one comparative.

Department Staff: Nayyar Aziz and Daniel Jones

 Advanced Level GCE Chemistry

Exam Board: AQA

Syllabus code: 7405

The course comprises Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Physical Chemistry covers topics such as atomic structure, bonding, energetics, kinetics, chemical equilibria, oxidation, reduction and redox equations, thermodynamics, acids and bases, and equilibrium constants. Inorganic Chemistry covers periodicity, the alkane earth metals, halogens, properties of period 3 elements and their oxides, transition metals and reactions of ions. Organic Chemistry covers topics such as alkanes, halogenoalkanes, alkenes, alcohols, organic analysis, isomerism, aldehydes and ketones, amines, polymers, amino acids, proteins and DNA, chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. 

Students complete regular practical activities which provide opportunities to develop essential technical skills and better understand the chemical concepts. Practice work includes: volumetric analysis, enthalpy changes, measuring rates of reactions, identification of cations and anions, distillation of organic products, testing for organic functional groups, measuring electromotive forces of electrochemical cells, organic synthesis, and thin-layer chromatography. Students are assessed on their competencies throughout the A level course.

This is a linear qualification and students sit all examinations at the end of the course. There are three papers which have short and long answer questions. Paper 3 includes a greater emphasis on practical techniques and data analysis and also has a multiple choice section. At least 20% of the marks in assessments for Chemistry will require the use of mathematical skills.

Department Staff: Helen Batty and Christopher Bailey

Advanced Level GCE Biology

Exam Board: AQA

Syllabus code: 7402

Advanced Level Biology is studied over two years and is composed of eight topics. In the Lower 6^th, the topics studied are: ‘Biological molecules’; ‘Cells’; ‘Organisms exchange substances with their environment’; and ‘Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms’. In the Upper 6^th, the topics studied are: ‘Energy transfers in and between organisms’; ‘Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments’; ‘Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems’; and ‘The control of gene expression’.

 Practical work is a vital part of Biology and you will develop your skills throughout the course, using a variety of apparatus and techniques. A separate endorsement of practical skills is taken alongside the A level. This is assessed by observation as you complete the required practicals and other activities. There is also a Field Trip in the Summer Term of the Lower 6^th and all students are expected to attend. We study the abundance and distribution of freshwater organisms in a stream; the regeneration of moorland following burning; the distribution of organisms across a rocky shore and succession patterns across a major sand dune system.

 There are three examination papers and you will take these at the end of your Upper 6^th. There are a mixture of short and long answer questions in each paper. Paper 3 includes a greater emphasis on data analysis and an essay. At least 10% of the marks in the assessments will require the use of mathematical skills and at least 15% will assess knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to practical skills.