Year 9
The Year 9 curriculum for 2020-21 will be as follows, delivered across a two week timetable:
| English | Maths | Science | PE | MFL | Humanities | Computing | Technology | Art | Performing
Arts |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
The curriculum above is slightly different from our normal Year 9 curriculum because, due to the need to teach students in form class bubbles, we have made the decision to postpone the pre-options process. We have all students’ original pre-options choices saved, so we will be able to introduce them at a later stage in the year if public health guidance allows it. The curriculum will also ensure that any gaps in essential knowledge and skills from the Year 8 curriculum are addressed. Therefore, although the content described on the website will remain the same, the order in which it is taught might be different in 2020-21.
The Year 9 curriculum is designed to ensure that all students gain the necessary knowledge, experiences and skills to become curious, reflective and resilient learners who are ready to reach their potential in a complex, rapidly changing world. The pre-options process enables them to specialise according to their interests while also keeping their options open through a broad and balanced curriculum. Through our curriculum we take pride in all that we do, respect the thoughts, beliefs and personal qualities of others and seek to be the best we can be both personally and academically.
What will all students learn in Year 9?
| English
Stories, plays and novels chosen will vary according to your child’s set: Unit 1: Novel (Of Mice and Men, Animal Farm or Lord of the Flies) Unit 2: Justice and Morality (sources about the death penalty including pre 20th century non-fiction) Unit 3: Poetry (women in poetry, feminist critical theory) Unit 4: Shakespeare (Much Ado about Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet or Richard II) Unit 5: Play (An Inspector Calls) |
Maths
Topics taught will be based on your child’s maths set: Half-term 1: All sets: Number Half-term 2: All sets: Algebra Half-term 3: Sets 1&2: Interpreting and representing data; Fractions, ratio and percentages. Sets 3&4 Graphs, tables and charts; Fractions and percentages Half-term 4: Sets 1&2: Angles and trigonometry. Sets 3&4: Equations, inequalities and sequences Half-term 5: Sets 1&2: Graphs; Area and Volume. Sets 3&4: Angles; Averages and ratios Half-term 6: Sets 1&2: Transformations and Constructions. Sets 3&4: Perimeter, Area and Volume |
Science
Unit 1: Energy stores and how to calculate energy efficiency Unit 2: What are renewable and non-renewable sources of energy? Unit 3: Animal, plant and bacterial organisms and their structures Unit 4: How do chemicals join together in a reaction? Unit 5: How do the heart, lungs and digestive systems work? Unit 6: How can you calculate the density of materials and investigate their molecular structure? Unit 7: What causes radioactivity and why is it dangerous? Unit 8: How do we work out the amount of a chemical in a reaction? |
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| Modern Foreign Languages
The following topics will be studied in French and/or Spanish:
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Religious Studies
Across these units, students will learn the key beliefs and practices of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism as well as considering their responses to philosophical and ethical dilemmas. Unit 1: Is death the end? Unit 2: How should criminals be treated? Unit 3: What has religion got to do with medical ethics? Unit 4: Do animals have rights? Unit 5: Can religion make the world equal? |
PE
Netball Volleyball Fitness Suite Gymnastics Handball Basketball Tag Rugby or Rugby Football Table tennis Badminton Dodgeball Athletics Summer Games
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| Humanities – students will opt for one of three pathways | |||
| Double History
In all units, students will learn how to make chronological and thematic links, assess change and continuity, evaluate significance, and analyse and evaluate primary and secondary evidence, including different interpretations Unit 1: Native Americans Unit 2: The Great War and Remembrance Unit 3: Nazi Germany and the Holocaust Unit 4: Womens’ history Unit 5: The Home Front in WW2 Unit 6: Empire, migration and Britain today |
Double Geography
In all units, students will learn map skills (including OS maps and compass directions) numerical skills including data analysis, how to analyse graphs and how to use case studies and carry out investigations. Unit 1: Development Unit 2: Global hazards Unit 3: Energy Unit 4: Dark tourism Unit 5: Weather Unit 6: Topic chosen by Student Voice |
History and Geography
(1 period of each per week) If a student chooses this option, they will study a selection of the History topics and a selection of the Geography topics. Whichever pathway students choose, they may still opt for History and/or Geography in Year 10. However, they will be at an advantage if they have studied it in Year 9. |
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| Design and Technology – students will opt for one of three specialisms
Students may opt for a different Technology at GCSE, but they will be at an advantage if they have studied it in Year 9. |
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| 3D Design
Unit 1: Sustainability and eco-design (practical: eco-treehouse) Unit 2: Modern and smart materials (theory) Unit 3: Design project (practical: wooden storage box) Unit 4: CAD designs (practical: advertising sign) |
Food and Nutrition
Unit 1: Macro and micro nutrients (Lentil soup, bread crown, quiche and muffins) Unit 2: Diet and different life stages (fish cakes, jambalaya, cottage pie, vegetarian chilli) Unit 3: Food choice (Toad in the hole, pizza, risotto) Unit 4: Multicultural foods (recipes and techniques from Italy, Spain, India and China) Unit 5: Meeting the nutritional needs of a teenager (mock GCSE practical) Unit 6: Food provenance (sausage rolls, cereal bars, traybakes and slices, meatloaf, bakewell tart and pasta bake) |
Fashion and Textiles
Unit 1: Vivienne Westwood’s T shirts for environmental justice (research, design, stencilling, embroidery, upcycling and designing) Unit 2: Natural forms (mood board and visual analysis, sewing machine skills, applique and printing) Unit 3: Fashion illustrations (figure drawings, pastels, watercolours and mixed media) |
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| Business, Computing and ICT – students will opt for one of three specialisms
Students can choose from the following three options. |
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| Business
Unit 1: The basics of business Unit 2: Introduction to marketing Unit 3: Human resources Unit 4: Production Unit 5: Finance for business Unit 6: External influences on businesses |
Computing
Unit 1: Algorithms and data representation Unit 2: Ethical, environmental and legislation Unit 3: Network and security threats Unit 4: Algorithms – pseudocode and flowcharts Unit 5: Python – the basics Unit 6: Python – advanced skills |
Digital IT
Unit 1: Digital literacy and design principles Unit 2: Graphics – design principles Unit 3: Advanced spreadsheets Unit 4: Network security and threats Unit 5: Legislation and criminal activity Unit 6: Digital IT unit from the BTEC course |
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| Creative Arts – students will opt for one of four pathways: Double Art, Art/Drama, Art/Music and Music/Drama.
Whichever pathway students choose, they may still opt for a different subject in Year 10. However, they will be at an advantage if they have studied it in Year 9. |
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| Art
Unit 1: Surrealism (artist research and analysis, photomontage, card relief and mixed media) Unit 2: Cardboard heads (artist research, tracing, cutting with scissors and craft knives, scoring, ripping and creasing) Unit 3: Clay coral (designing and making a clay sculpture and an oil pastel drawing) Unit 4: Visual dictionary (the formal elements of line, shape, form, colour, tone, texture and pattern) |
Drama
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Music
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