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Welcome to Science

The Science Department philosophy is based on high expectations and standards, and the desire to assist all students to achieve their full potential.

We aim to provide lifelong skills and to develop confident individuals who can continue to succeed and enjoy their study of Science through A-Levels and beyond.

The curriculum is delivered in eight specialist rooms.

Departmental staff

• Mrs Holroyd – Head of Faculty
• Mr Holroyd – KS4 Lead
• Mrs Cobain – KS3 Lead

Curriculum

Year 7 - The topics followed are:

Year 8 - The topics followed are:

Year 9 - The topics followed are:

Year 10
Lesson contact time is five hours per week for Combined Science and five hours per fortnight for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students follow the Edexcel GCSE syllabuses for Chemistry, Physics, Biology or Combined Science. 
The topics are as follows:

Combined Science
Biology

• Combined Science GCSE Paper 1 – Key Concepts in Biology; Cells and Control; Genetics; Natural Selection and Genetic Modification; Health Disease and the Development of Medicines.

Chemistry

• Combined Science GCSE Paper 3 – States of Matter; Methods of Separating and Purifying Substances; Atomic Structure (paper 3 & 4); The Periodic Table (paper 3 & 4); Ionic Bonding (paper 3 & 4); Covalent Bonding (paper 3 & 4); Types of Substance (paper 3 & 4); Acids and Alkalis; Calculations involving Masses (paper 3 & 4); Electrolytic Processes; Obtaining and Using Metals; Reversible Reactions and Equilibria.

Physics

• Combined Science GCSE Paper 5 – Motion; Motion and Forces; Conservation of Energy; Waves; Light and the electromagnetic Spectrum; Radioactivity.

Single Science
Biology

• Biology GCSE Paper 1- Key Concepts in Biology (also on paper 2); Cells and Control; Genetics; Natural Selection and Genetic Modification; Health, Disease and the Development of Medicines.

Chemistry

• Chemistry GCSE Paper 1 – States of Matter; Methods of Separating and Purifying Substances; Atomic Structure; The Periodic Table; Ionic Bonding; Covalent Bonding; Types of Substance; Acids and Alkalis; Calculations involving Masses; Electrolytic Processes; Obtaining and Using Metals; Reversible Reactions and Equilibria; Transition Metals Alloys and Corrosion; Quantitative Analysis; Dynamic Equilibria, Calculations Involving Volumes of Gases; Chemical Cells and Fuel Cells

Physics

• Physics GCSE Paper 1 – Motion; Motion and Forces; Conservation of Energy; Waves; Light and the electromagnetic Spectrum; Radioactivity; Astronomy.

Year 11
Lesson contact time is five hours per week for Combined Science and five hours per fortnight for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students follow the Edexcel GCSE syllabuses for Chemistry, Physics, Biology or Combined Science. 
The topics are as follows:

Combined Science
Biology

• Combined Science GCSE Paper 2 – Plant Structure and their Function; Animal Coordination, Control and Homeostasis; Exchange and Transport in Animals; Ecosystem and Material Cycles.

Chemistry

• Combined Science GCSE Paper 4 – Groups of the Periodic Table; Rates of Reaction; Heat Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions; Fuels; Earth and Atmospheric Science; Atomic Structure (paper 3 & 4); The Periodic Table (paper 3 & 4); Ionic Bonding (paper 3 & 4); Covalent Bonding (paper 3 & 4); Types of Substance (paper 3 & 4); Calculations involving Masses (paper 3 & 4).

Physics

• Physics GCSE Paper 6 - Energy – Forces Doing Work; Forces and their Effects; Electricity and Circuits; Magnetism and the Motor Effect; Electromagnetic Induction; Particle Model; Forces of Matter.

Single Science
Biology

• Biology GCSE Paper 2 – Key Concepts in Biology; Plant Structures and Functions; Animal Coordination, Control and Homeostasis; Exchange and Transport in Animals; Ecosystems and Material Cycles

Chemistry

• Chemistry GCSE Paper 2 – Groups of the Periodic Table; Rates of Reaction; Heat Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions; Fuels; Earth and Atmospheric Science; Hydrocarbons; Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids; Polymers; Qualitative Analysis: Tests for Ions; Bulk and Surface Properties of Matter Including Nanoparticles

Physics

• Physics GCSE Paper 2 - Energy – Forces Doing Work; Forces and their Effects; Electricity and Circuits; Static Electricity; Magnetism and the Motor Effect; Electromagnetic Induction; Particle Model; Forces of Matter.

Equipment / Kit
Scientific calculator

Resources
www.samlearning.com
www.peasonsactivelearn.com

Qualifications
In years 10 and 11 pupils follow the Edexcel course for either Combined Science or separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  These course are assessed by examinations only at the end of Year 11.  The Combined Science GCSE is based on six exam papers (paper 1 & 2 Biology; paper 3 & 4 Chemistry; paper 5 & 6 Physics). Biology, Chemistry and Physics GCSE qualifications are each based on two papers. Further details are available from the examination boards, as shown below.
http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/sciences-2016.html

Welcome to Religious Education

To ensure that your son or daughter develop a deep and broad understanding of religious beliefs and traditions in the UK and our local community the RE curriculum at Great Academy Ashton has been developed in line with the Tameside Locally Agreed Syllabus.

Departmental Staff

• Mrs L Leech 
• Ms K Heavey 

Lesson contact time at KS3 is 1 hour per fortnight in year 7 and 1 hour per week in years 8 and 9. The topics followed are:

Year 7

Introduction to Religion - Looking at the basics of the six major world religions such as symbols, places of worship and practices

• Judaism - An overview of the main teachings and celebrations
• Buddhism - The main teachings and how to live a Buddhist Life

Year 8

• Islam - The main beliefs and practices
• Hinduism - The main beliefs and practices
• Sikhism - The main beliefs and practices
• Humanism - An alternative to religious belief.

Year 9

Edexcel Religious studies GCSE Spec B

• Christianity and Living the Christian life
• Marriage and the family according to Christianity.

Year 10

Edexcel Religious studies GCSE Spec B

• Islam and Living the Muslim life
• Peace and Conflict according to Islam

Year 11 - Edexcel legacy GCSE

• Religion and community cohesion
• Matters of Life and death.

If your child chooses to opt for RE as an option subject in Year 9 lesson contact time is 3 hours per week.

If your child does not choose RE as an option subject they will be taught RE  in a 7-10 week block of 1 hour per week. In these lessons your child will apply their understanding of religion developed at KS3 to consider topical issues such as religious views on war.

As an Option Subject

You do not have to be religious to study this course. You simply need to be interested in ethical questions, current issues and what others think. You need to be willing to think deeply about your own opinions, and the beliefs and responses of different religious people.

Qualifications

We follow the new Edexcel GCSE (9–1) in Religious Studies Specification B. 

Students will study two different religions- Christianity and Islam. Their understanding of each religion will be assessed through two separate 1 hour and 45 minute examination papers at the end of Year 11. 

The current Year 11 are studying the Edexcel: Unit 2 (Religion and Life: Christianity) and Unit 8 (Religion and Society: Christianity and Islam).

Welcome to PE

Departmental staff:

• Mr N Simpson- Head of Faculty
• Mrs L Stapleton – Teacher of PE
• Mrs L Houlgrave – Teacher of PE 
• Mr R Scully – Teacher of PE
• Mr Kennerley - Teacher of PE/Transition
• Mrs Kennerley - Head of Inclusion
• Mrs Wain – Professional Mentor

Curriculum
Year 7
Lesson contact time is 4 hours per fortnight. The topics followed are:

Year 8
Lesson contact time is 4 hours per fortnight. The topics followed are:

Year 9
Lesson contact time is 4 hours per fortnight. The topics followed are:

Year 10
Core PE
Lesson contact time is 4 hours per fortnight. The topics followed are:

GCSE PE

Students will follow the Cambridge National courses.
GCSE Option contact time is 5 hours per fortnight. The theory topics followed are:

Applied anatomy and physiology
Movement analysis
Physical training
Sport psychology 

BTEC Sport

BTEC contact time is 5 hours per fortnight.
Students will complete Unit 1 – Fitness for Sport and Exercise and Unit 2 – Practical Sports Performance.

Students will complete Unit 5 – Training for Personal Fitness and Unit 6 – Leading Sports Activities.

Year 11
Core PE
Lesson contact time is 4 hours per fortnight. The topics followed are:

GCSE PE

GCSE Option contact time is 5 hours per fortnight. The theory topics followed are:

• Health, fitness and well-being 
• Types of exercise
• Effects of exercise
• Fitness and training
• Analysing performance
• Personal Exercise Planning

Equipment / Kit
PE t-shirt with Academy badge
PE Hoodie with academy badge (optional)
Black tracksuit bottoms or shorts
Suitable sports footwear

Welcome to MUSIC

In the Music Department we aim to encourage creativity, through a range of compositional and performance activities. There are 2 music rooms, both equipped with Apple Mac computers with the latest music software and midi keyboards. One music room is used for the steel pan ensemble. There is also the access of four practice rooms and an ensemble room.

Departmental staff: Head of Music – Mrs Dines, Teacher of Music - Miss Payne, Head of Department.

Peripatetic Staff:
• Drums/Guitar – Mr Emanual

Curriculum

Year 7 - Lesson contact time is 1 lesson a fortnight
The topics followed are:
• STOMP – rhythm and notation
• Elements of Music
• Indian Music
• Instruments of the Orchestra
• Rap Music

Year 8 - Lesson contact time is 2 lessons a fortnight
The topics followed are:
• Jazz Music
• Intervals
• The Beatles
• Film Music
• Musicals

Year 9 - Lesson contact time is 1 lesson a fortnight
The topics followed are:
• Blues Music
• Reggae
• Pop Music
• Club Dance Music

Year 10 - Lesson contact time is 5 hours.

The two year GCSE course is with the OCR examination board. The qualification for music is comprised of 40% examinations and 60% controlled assessment. The controlled assessment is focused on individual and group performance and also composition. Students must record and submit one solo performance, 1 group performance and 2 pieces of composition.
The examination is comprised of 40% listening exam. All GCSE students receive free instrumental tuition.

The topics followed are:
• My Music
• The Concerto through Time
• Rhythms of the World
• Film Music
• Conventions of Pop

Year 11 - Lesson contact time is Lesson contact time is 5 hours.

The two year GCSE course is with the AQA examination board. The qualification for music is comprised of 40% examinations and 60% controlled assessment. The controlled assessment is focused on individual and group performance and also composition. Students must record and submit one solo performance, 1 group performance and 2 pieces of composition. The examination is comprised of 20% listening exam. All GCSE students receive free instrumental tuition.

The topics followed are:
• The Western Classical Tradition
• World Music
• Popular Music from the 1950’s

Equipment / Kit
If the students are receiving peripatetic lessons, then they have the option of using their own instrument that can be stored safely in the music store room.

Resources
www.musictheory.net
www.GCSEBITESIZE/Music.co.uk

Welcome to Languages

Welcome to the curriculum page for Modern Foreign Languages. The curriculum is delivered by teachers using the language immersion model wherever possible, which means that most lessons are focused on practical communication skills. Lessons are delivered in specialist rooms, supported by interactive whiteboards and a range of websites to which we subscribe.  We hold celebrations in school to mark the European Day of Languages and we have regular outside speakers in lessons.

Curriculum

Year 7 The topics followed are: School, Where you Live and My Free time

Within the topic areas, students will gain an understanding of a range of grammar including the use of qualifiers adjectives, connectives, negatives, time phrases and tenses. They will also learn how to construct extended sentences and express opinions.

Year 8 - The topics followed are: Self, Family and Leisure time, Healthy lifestyles and Holidays

Year 9 -Helping at Home and Pocket Money, School and Daily Routine and Global and Social Issues

Year 10 The topics followed are: Technology in every-day life; Free time activities; Social issues; Me,my family and friends; Global issues; My studies and life at school/college; Travel and Tourism
Within the topic areas, students will study a wide range of grammar aspects as identified by the AQA examining board, as well as building up their exam techniques across the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Year 11 The topics followed are: Home, town, neighbourhood and region; Education post-16 and jobs; Career choices and ambitions; Customs and festivals in Spanish-speaking countries and communities; Exam skills, Revision and Exam Practice

Equipment / Kit
French or Spanish Dictionary

Resources
www.languagesonline.org.uk
www.linguascope.com
www.kerboodle.com
www.teachitlanguages.co.uk
www.memrise.com

Welcome to Media at Key Stage 4

Departmental staff: Mrs Fisher

Curriculum

Year 10
Lesson contact time is 5 lessons over two weeks
The topics followed are:
Advertising (Media Form and Audience)

Music (Representation and Institution)

Year 11
Lesson contact time is 5 lessons over two weeks
The topics followed are:
Film Trailers (Research and 800-word Evaluation)
Exam Prep: Game Shows
Year 10 Exam will be TV Drama

Equipment
Black, red and green pen. Camera if you have one.

IT skills needed
In Design, IMovie, Final Cut

Qualifications
In years 10 and 11 pupils follow the WJEC course for Media Studies.

Welcome to Mathematics

Here at Great Academy Ashton we have a large mathematics department with members of staff delivering updated specification across all key stages. The curriculum is delivered in 12 specialist rooms, supported by interactive whiteboards, visualisers, mathematics specific software and a number of dynamic resources.

Departmental Staff

• Mr Sowler – Head of Faculty
• Mr Cartwright - Teacher
• Miss Snape - 2nd in Department
• Mr Dennon - Teacher
• Mr Dawodu - Teacher
• Miss Ladley
• Miss Cox
• Miss Baird
• Mr Ismail
• Mr Shahid

Curriculum
Year 7 - Lesson contact time is 8 hours over 2 weeks.
The topics followed are:

• Number – Whole numbers and decimals; Fractions decimals and percentages; Operations; Decimal Calculations; Factors and Multiples
• Algebra – Expressions and formulae; Graphs; Equations; Sequences
• Shape – Measures, perimeter and area; Angles and 2D shapes; Transformations and symmetry; Construction and 3D shapes
• Statistics – Collecting data; Interpreting data and averages; Representing data
• Ratio and Proportion – Proportion; Direct proportion; Ratios
• Probability – Probability scale; Theoretical probability; Expectation; Sets

Year 8 - Lesson contact time is 8 hours over 2 weeks.
The topics followed at increased difficulty from the previous year are:

• Number – Whole numbers and decimals; Fractions decimals and percentages; Mental calculations; Written and calculator methods
• Algebra – Expressions and formulae; Graphs; Equations; Sequences
• Shape – Measures, perimeter and area; Angles and 2D shapes; Transformations and symmetry; Constructions and 3D shapes
• Statistics – Collecting data; Interpreting data and averages; Representing data
• Ratio and Proportion – Division; Proportion; Direct proportion; Percentage increase and decrease
• Probability – Probability scale; Theoretical probability; Expectation; Sets

Year 9 - Lesson contact time is 8 hours over 2 weeks.
The topics followed at increased difficulty from the previous year are:

• Number – Whole numbers and decimals; Fractions decimals and percentages; Mental calculations; Written and calculator methods
• Algebra – Expressions and formulae; Graphs; Equations; Sequences
• Shape – Measures, perimeter and area; Angles and 2D shapes; Transformations and symmetry; Constructions and 3D shapes
• Statistics – Collecting data; Interpreting data and averages; Representing data
• Ratio and Proportion – Division; Proportion; Direct proportion; Percentage increase and decrease
• Probability – Probability scale; Theoretical probability; Expectation; Sets

Year 10 - Lesson contact time is 8 hours over 2 weeks.
The topics followed are:

• Number – Whole numbers and decimals; Fractions decimals and percentages; Mental calculations; Written and calculator methods; Measures and Accuracy; Surds
• Algebra – Expressions and formulae; Graphs; Equations; Sequences; Inequalities; Functions
• Shape – Measures, perimeter and area; Angles and 2D shapes; Constructions and 3D shapes; Circles; Pythagoras; Trigonometry.
• Statistics – Handling Data; Sampling; Grouped and bivariate data
• Ratio and Proportion – Division; Proportion; Direct proportion; Percentage increase and decrease; Units and proportionality
• Probability – Probability scale; Theoretical probability; Expectation; Sets; Combined events

Year 11 - Lesson contact time is 7/8 hours over 2 weeks.
We have schemes of learning in year 11 that are bespoke to the needs of the class and works through the revision and re-teaching of topics that haven’t been retained or that need further development to ensure that target grades are met. We follow a “Diagnose, Therapy and Test (DTT) format which consists of testing pupils to find areas of weakness, providing the therapy through teaching and intervention and then re-testing to ensure they have improved and can apply the skill.

Equipment / Kit
Compass, Protractor, 30cm Ruler, Scientific Calculator

Resources
PiXL Maths App               

Login: NC1327
Username: FirstnameLastname
Password: FirstnameLastname

Kerboodle

Username example for Joe Bloggs: jbloggs
Password: jbloggs            Institution Code: ts5

MyMaths

Username: newcharter
Password: justify

Qualifications
In years 10 and 11 pupils follow the Edexcel course for Mathematics.  This course is assessed by examinations only at the end of Year 11.  The exam is based on three 80 mark papers?, one non-calculator and two calculator papers. There are two tiers Foundation and Higher. Grades achievable on the foundation paper range from 1-5 and on the higher paper from 4-9.

Welcome: ICT and Computing

Welcome to the curriculum page for ICT/Computing.  The curriculum is delivered in 4 specialist rooms, supported by a Graphics suite in Technology, a Mac Suite and two PC suite in Music and mini suites in the PE and SEN departments, with Mathematics, Science, English and Technology having their own sets of Netbooks that make use of the site wide wireless network.

Departmental staff:  Ms Patel Head of ICT and Computing and Mr Mitchell

Curriculum

Year 7 - Lesson contact time is 2 hours a fortnight
The topics followed are:

• Networks
• Leaflets
• Spreadsheets
• Flowol

Year 8 - Lesson contact time is 2 hours a fortnight
The topics followed are:

• Web design
• PC Architecture

Year 9 - Lesson contact time is 2 hours a fortnight
The topics followed are:

• Scratch
• Business Documents and Podcasting

Year 10 - Lesson contact time is 5 hours a fortnight
The courses are

• INGOTS L2/l1
• GCSE ICT
• GCSE Computer Science
• INGOTS L1

Year 11 - Lesson contact time is 5 hours a fortnight
The courses are:

• GCSE ICT
• ECDL
• INGOTS L1

GCSE ICT

• Website: SAM Learning
• Revise Edexcel GCSE ICT Revision Guide and Revision Workbook
• CGP GCSE OCR Computer Science for Grade 9-1 course Exam Practice Workbook

Qualifications

• In years 10 and 11, some pupils follow the Edexcel course for GCSE ICT. This course is assessed by a 90 minute examination weighting 40% and controlled assessment weighting 60%. 
• In year 10 and 11, some students study the Level 1 or Level 2 INGOTS course. This course is assessed by the following coursework: Drawing and Planning, Presentation, Audio, Desk Top Publishing, Word and the following external online examination Improving Productivity.
• We have started a small group of students on the 9-1 Computer Science course in year 10. The Computer Science course is assessed by a 90 minute examination weighting 80% and controlled assessment weighting 20%.