Subject Information

The study of business is relevant to the real world and much of the content focuses on many of the current issues such as digital technology, e-commerce, globalisation and business ethics.

Course Content
• Exploring business
• Developing a marketing campaign
• Personal and business finance
• Managing an event
• International business
• Principles of management
• Pitching a business idea
• Recruitment and selection
• Work experience and employability

Entry Requirements
• 5 GCSE/Level 2 grades – 4-9/ pass-distinction
• Grade 4 Mathematics & English
• A merit in Level 2 Enterprise (if studied)

This is equivalent in size to two A Levels. It has been designed as part of a two-year programme, normally in conjunction with one or more qualifications at Level 3. Students who study this subject may go on to university to study courses in Sports Science, Physiotherapy, Sports Therapy, Sports Management and many more.

Course Content
The mandatory content allows students to concentrate on the development of their practical skills and the broad knowledge required for entrance into higher education programmes in
sport. Learners will study six mandatory units:
• Unit 1: Anatomy and Physiology
• Unit 2: Fitness Training and Programming for Health, Sport and Well-being
• Unit 3: Professional Development in the Sports Industry
• Unit 4: Sports Leadership
• Unit 22: Investigating Business in the Sport and Active Leisure Industry
• Unit 23: Skill Acquisition in Sport.

Learners choose three units from a range of optional units that have been designed to support progression to a variety of sport courses in higher education and to link with relevant occupational areas. This allows learners either to choose a specific specialist area in which they wish to develop their skill, or continue on a broad programme.

Entry Requirements
• 5 GCSE/Level 2 grades – 4-9/ pass-distinction
• Minimum grade of a pass in BTEC Level 2 Sport

A Level chemistry studies the material world. From baking a cake to developing medicines to recharging your mobile phone, chemistry is involved in everything we do.
You’ll be studying topics you’re already familiar with such as atoms and bonding but in much more detail. You will also study completely new topics and delve into why and how reactions happen and how this chemistry is vital to the world around us and
life itself.
A Level Chemistry can lead to a wide range of university courses and careers including medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, pharmacy, pharmacology, and biochemistry.

Course Content
Learners will cover topics such as:
Physical chemistry
• Atomic structure
• Kinetics
• Thermodynamics
Inorganic chemistry
• Periodicity
• Transition metals
Organic chemistry
• Alkanes
• Alcohols
• Organic analysis
• Aromatic chemistry
• Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Entry Requirements
• GCSE Maths grade 5
• GCSE Science grade 6

This course gives a comprehensive overview of how 0-8 year olds grow and develop and what early years practitioners need to provide in order to fully promote this process. Students need to complete hours in different placement settings over the year, so this course is a really good insight into what it is like working in early years.

Course Content
Over the two year course students will typically study:
• Patterns of Child Development
• Physical, emotional and social, communication and language and the cognitive development of children
• Safeguarding
• Working with parents and other professionals
• Early Years Foundation Stage
• Observation, Assessment and Planning
• The importance of play.

Entry Requirements
• Grade 4 in English
• Grade 4 in RE desirable
• Level 2 Children’s Play, Learning and Development desirable.

This is a one year course, equivalent to an AS Level. The qualification is designed to consolidate and build on your mathematical understanding at GCSE, as well as develop your mathematical understanding and skills further in the application of mathematics to authentic problems.

Course Content
Over the year students will study a range of topics which link into many real-life scenarios. These topics include:
• Analysis of data
• Maths for personal finance
• Estimation
• Critical analysis of given data and models
• The normal distribution
• Probabilities and estimation
• Correlation and regression

Entry Requirements
• Grade 4 Mathematics & English

This course encourages students to be aware of the different crimes that can happen within societies and the response to these crimes. It helps them consider why people commit crimes
and the systems that we have in place to deal with crimes and criminal behaviour.

Course Content
In year one, students are introduced to Unit 1: Changing Awareness of Crime. In this topic they will learn about society’s awareness of different crimes and how the media and campaigns influence this. Next, students will study Unit 2: Criminological Theories. This is where they will learn and evaluate different explanations for why people commit crimes. They will then apply criminological theories to past and current policies for controlling crime.

In year two, students are introduced to Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom. They will learn about the roles of the personnel involved from the minute a crime is detected to the minute a suspect is found guilty. Students will also review criminal cases and draw their own conclusions on the verdicts. Unit 4: Crime and Punishment is the last topic where students will develop their
skills in evaluating the effectiveness of our current legal system in controlling crime.

Entry Requirements
• 5 GCSE grades 4-9

The aim of this course is to strengthen students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills within a creative environment, enabling them to develop and make prototypes/products that solve real world problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants, aspirations and values.

Course Content
• Identify market needs and opportunities for new products
• Initiate and develop design solutions
• Make and test prototypes/products
• Acquire knowledge in how a product can be developed through the stages of prototyping, realisation, and commercial manufacture
• Confidently critique products, situations, and society • Develop and sustain imagination, innovation and flair when working with concepts and materials
• Develop an understanding of contemporary design and technological practices and consider the uses and effects of new technologies and modern materials
• Develop thinking skills, financial capability, enterprise and entrepreneurial skills.

Entry Requirements
• Grade 5 in GCSE Technology, English, Mathematics and Science
• Students without these grades may be considered based on their design folder work from other creative subjects and their enthusiasm.

The course will support students in learning about real economic issues and focuses on contemporary themes that are structured in a coherent, logical way. This includes financial markets, development and behavioural economics.

Course Content
Over the two years students will study the operation of markets and market failure which includes:
• Economic methodology and the economic problem
• Price determination in a competitive market
• Production, costs and revenue
• Competitive and concentrated markets
• The market mechanism, market failure and government intervention in markets.
They will also study the national economy which includes:
• The measurement of macroeconomic performance
• How the macro – economy works
• Economic performance
• Macroeconomic policy

Entry Requirements
• Grade 5 Mathematics & English
• Desirable to have a Grade 6 in a Humanities course

The course develops students’ understanding of a range of literary and non-literary texts, including factors that affect their production and reception. Students will develop a detailed understanding of the stylistics branch of linguistic analysis.

Course Content
Over the two years, students will develop their understanding of stylistics based analysis including:
• How to apply linguistic frameworks
• Factors that affects text production and reception
• Understanding how writers use language to convey meaning
• Understanding how literariness, semantic density and other factors affect the linguistic choices made by writers.
Students will study the following texts:
• The Paris Anthology – a collection of literary and non-literary texts about Paris
• ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood
• A collection of poetry by Carol Ann Duffy
• ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams
• ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Students will also complete a non-exam assessment based on a literary and non-literary text of their choosing.

Entry Requirements
• Grade 5 in GCSE English Language
• Grade 5 in GCSE English Literature

Throughout this course, you will; develop, review and refine ideas; analyse contextual and other sources to inform your investigations; explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes; record your ideas, observations and insights; present personal and meaningful responses. A level Art and Design is a broad and flexible course.

Course Content
Students will study:
• Painting
• Printing
• Mixed Media
• Artist research and written material of a critical and analytical nature linked to practical work between 1,000 – 3,000 words
Assessment:
Personal Investigation
This component is worth 60% of your A level. It requires you to produce portfolio of practical and written work based on personal starting points.
Externally Set Assignment (ESA):
This component is worth 40% of your A level. It requires you to produce preparatory studies and personal outcome(s) based on a theme set by Edexcel.

Entry Requirements
• GCSE Art grade B

French will enable students to develop their linguistic skills alongside their understanding of the culture and society of countries where French is spoken.
Students study technological and social change, looking at diversity and the benefits it brings. They will study highlights of Frenchspeaking artistic culture, including francophone music and cinema, and learn about political engagement and who wields political power in the French-speaking world.
Students also explore the influence of the past on present-day French-speaking communities. Throughout their studies, they will learn the language in the context of French-speaking countries and the issues and influences which have shaped them. Students will study texts and film and have the opportunity to carry out independent research on an area of their choice.
Assessment tasks will be varied and cover listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

Course Content
Social issues and trends
• Aspects of French speaking society, current trends: The changing nature of family, The cyber society, the place of voluntary work.
• Aspects of French speaking society, current issues: Positive features of a diverse society, life for the marginalised, how criminals are treated.
Political and artistic culture
• Artistic culture in the French speaking world: A culture proud of its heritage, Contemporary francophone music, Cinema: the 7th art form
• Aspects of political life in the French speaking world:
Teenagers, the right to vote and political commitment, Demonstrations, strikes – ‘who holds the power?’, Politics and immigration
Grammar
Literary texts and films
Individual research project

Entry Requirements
• Grade 5 in GCSE French

A Level further mathematics builds from GCSE and A Level mathematics, as well as building on algebra and calculus introduced in A Level mathematics. It provides students with a coherent course of study to develop mathematical understanding, encouraging them to think, act and
communicate mathematically.

Course Content
Over the two years students will study a range of pure and applied topics in A-Level Mathematics which include:
Pure mathematics
• Proof
• Complex numbers
• Matrices
• Further vectors
• Further algebra
• Series
• Hyperbolic functions
• Further calculus
• Polar coordinates
• Differential equations
Applied Topics
• Discrete Mathematics
• Statistics

Entry Requirements
• Grade 8 Mathematics & English

A Level Geography will excite students’ minds, challenge perceptions and stimulate their investigative and analytical skills. You will get the opportunity to look at a range of elements of both Human and Physical Geography, as well as conduct your own piece of Geographical investigation.

Course Content
Human Geography
• Global systems and global governance
• Changing places
• Contemporary Urban environments
• Population and the environment
• Resource security
Physical Geography
• Water and carbon cycles
• Hot desert systems and landscapes
• Coastal systems and landscapes
• Glacial systems and landscapes
• Hazards
• Ecosystems under stress
Geography fieldwork investigation (NEA)

Entry Requirements
• Grade 5 in GCSE Geography

This course provides an introduction to the health and social care sector, it builds on prior knowledge students may have concerning lifestages or how society treats a range of people with needs and issues. This includes human lifespan development and the roles and responsibilities of people that work in this sector.

Course Content
Over the two year course students will typically study:
• Human Lifespan Development
• Working in Health and Social Care
• Promoting Public Health
• Supporting people with individual needs
• Sociological approaches to Health and Social Care
• Nutritional Health
• Principles and Practice of healthcare

Entry Requirements
• Grade 4 in English
• Grade 4 in RE desirable

This course will help students understand the significance of historical events, the role of individuals in history and the nature of change over time. Our course will help them to gain a deeper understanding of the past through political, social, economic and cultural perspectives.

Course Content
The Tudors 1485-1603
• How effectively did the Tudors restore and develop the powers of the
monarchy?
• In what ways and how effectively was England governed during this period?
• How did relations with foreign powers change and how was the succession secured?
• How did English society and economy change and with what effects?
• How far did intellectual and religious ideas change and develop and with what effects?
• How important was the role of key individuals and groups and how were they affected by developments?
International Relations and Global Conflict 1890-1941
• The political structures of the Great Powers: liberal democracies in Britain and France and autocracies in Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary; the effect of political structures on
decision-making
• Economic strengths and armed forces: the erosion of Britain’s economic supremacy; the rise of the German economy; economic reform in Russia; the relative strengths of the armed forces of the Great Powers
• Empires and rivalries: the ‘Scramble for Africa’; Russo-Austro-Hungarian rivalry in the Balkans; Russia and the Ottoman Empire
• The state of international relations by 1900: Anglo-French rivalry; Anglo-German relations; the Franco-Russian alliance; Germany’s Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary; potential for conflict
Non Examined assessment: An historical research project of 4500 words covering a 100-year period in history in which you will examine the impact of change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance.

Entry Requirements
• Grade 5 in GCSE History

This qualification is aimed at learners who wish to progress to higher education and/or pursue a career in the applied science sector including biomedical, forensic and sports science as well as nursing or midwifery.
It will provide learners with a broad understanding of all three science specialisms of biology, chemistry and physics as well as the key investigative skills to support progress to higher education. It is suitable for studying alongside substantial academic science qualifications, such as A Level sciences or other Level 3 vocational qualifications.
Studying this qualification will enable learners to develop their knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and apply them to real world scenarios and job roles as well as those scientific practical skills valued by higher education institutions and employers.
The qualification also offers learners an opportunity to develop transferable skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and analysis and communication as part of their applied learning.

Course Content
Learners will cover topics such as:
• scientific principles associated with biology, chemistry and physics
• experimental and practical techniques associated with applied science
• the roles and skills of scientists, and the public and media perception of science
• how the human body works
• scientific investigations.

Entry Requirements
• Grade 4 in English, Mathematics and Science

This course is a good basis for a career not only in the theatre, but in advertising, the film industry, law, public speaking and events planning, among many others.   Studying Performing Arts enables you to increase your confidence and self-esteem, to employ the skills of problem solving, to improve your creativity and to make knowledgeable decisions. 

Course Content
Mandatory Units
Those on the Acting pathway undertake an externally assessed core unit (Performance Preparation), which requires learners to work to a brief, set with input from industry practitioners.  In addition to this they take an internally assessed core unit (Planning for a Career in the Creative and Performing Arts) together with 5 optional units that can develop their acting skills.
Optional Internal Units:
• Approaches to Acting
• Vocal Techniques
• Drama in the Community
• Audition Techniques
• Acting for the Camera
•  Working with Masks or Puppetry
• Elizabethan Theatre
• Contemporary Theatre

Entry Requirements
• 5 GCSE/Level 2 grades – 4-9/ Pass-Distinction
• A passion for the creative and performing arts  

The study of mathematics builds from GCSE mathematics and introduces calculus and its applications. It shows how so many topics are interconnected and how mathematics can be applied to model situations using algebra and other representations.

It helps make sense of data, to understand the physical world and to solve problems in a variety of contexts, including social sciences and business.

Course Content
Over the two years’ students will study a range of pure and applied topics in A-Level Mathematics which include:
Pure mathematics
• Proof
• Algebra and functions
• Coordinate geometry in the x-y plane
• Sequences and series
• Trigonometry
• Exponentials and logarithms
• Differentiation
• Integration
• Numerical methods
• Vectors
Applied Topics
• Statistics
• Mechanics

Entry Requirements
• Grade 7 Mathematics & English

 

A Level Physics explores the fundamental nature of almost everything we know. You’ll be studying topics you’re already familiar with such as forces, waves, radioactivity, electricity and astrophysics but in much more detail.

This course is required for many science and engineering university courses and can lead you into a variety of careers. There are the more obvious paths such as astrophysics, space craft engineer, medical physicist, engineer, but physics also gives you advantage if you wish to go into architecture, game design and even law.

Course Content
Learners will cover topics such as:
• Measurements and their errors
• Particles and radiation
• Waves
• Mechanics and materials
• Electricity
• Further mechanics and thermal physics
• Fields and their consequences
• Nuclear physics
• Astrophysics

Entry Requirements
• GCSE Science grade 6
• GCSE Maths grade 6

 

This course encourages students to look at how people interact with each other, how we all perceive the world around us and how life experiences affect this. We study the influences of biological factors and explore various disorders, as well as applying psychology to gender and forensics.

Course Content
Students will typically:
• Explore conformity and obedience, and how society influences the way we think and behave
• Examine models of memory, explanations of forgetting, and the accuracy of eye-witness testimony
• Discover how early interactions and attachments can affect us in later life
• Explore causes and potential treatments for mental disorders such as schizophrenia, OCD, depression and phobias
• Investigate how biological factors, such as hormones and the nervous system, can influence the brain’s functions
• Analyse established psychological theories and examine case studies to get to grips with key psychological ideas
• Learn how gender develops throughout our lives, including some fascinating case studies
• Apply psychological theory to understand and deal with criminal behaviour.

Entry Requirements
• English, Maths and Science grade 5 desirable

This course encourages students to gain a wider understanding of how societies and the individuals within them function – what makes them successful? What changes have occurred over time? Along with an understanding of contemporary issues.

Course Content
Families and Households:
This module looks into how the family is affected by changing social structures and social change; changing patterns of marriage such as the rise in cohabitation, separation, divorce and the decline of the traditional nuclear family. We also study changing gender roles between women and men; the changing status of children in our society; and demographic trends since 1900.

Education with Research Methods:
This module includes studying explanations of the role and purpose of education; sociological explanations of differential educational achievements of social groups by class, gender, and ethnicity; relationships and processes in schools such as subcultures and the hidden curriculum; educational policies; and sociological research methods.

Beliefs in Society:
This module includes studying different theories of religion, sociological explanations of the purpose and role of religion, religious organisations, religions and social groups, and the debate how relevant religion is to us all in the modern day.

Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods:
This module includes studying theories of crime and deviance; explanations of the social distribution of crime and deviance trends; contemporary issues in the sociology of crime such as effects of globalisation and the mass media; sociological views of the criminal justice system, and the study of research methods and theory.

Entry Requirements
• English grade 5 desirable.