Subjects: Key Stage 4
(Years 10 & 11)
KS4 subject specific information and useful revision links.
Computing
Revision
Easy-to-understand homework and revision materials for your GCSE Computer Science OCR ‘9-1’ studies and exams.
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Drama
Resources
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Digital Theatre plus - please see the Drama team for the login details
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Things I know to be true revision guide
Blood Brothers
English Faculty
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Home Learning
Film Studies
Revision Materials and Tasks
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Section A:
Rebel Without a Cause
Ferris Bueller's Day Off -
Section B: Key Developments in Film History
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​Section C: The Hate You Give
Geography
At GCSE we study the AQA course (8035). Students will complete detailed written notes in lessons and we often class their exercise books as their first place to look for revision support. For anyone wishing to purchase a revision guide there are various publications and even flashcards to revise from so students are encouraged to review these resources in school to make a decision about what to purchase. The school finance office stocks CGP revision guides which can be bought for revision support.
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​There are 3 exam papers for Geography, see below for details about these:
​Paper 1
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Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
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88 marks (including 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology (SPaG))
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35% of GCSE
Questions
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Section A: answer all questions (33 marks)
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Section B: answer all questions (25 marks)
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Section C: answer any two questions from questions 3, 4 and 5 (30 marks)
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Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose
Paper 2
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Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
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88 marks (including 3 marks for SPaG)
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35% of GCSE
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Section A: answer all questions (33 marks)
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Section B: answer all questions (30 marks)
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Section C: answer question 3 and one from questions 4, 5 or 6 (25 marks)
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Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose
Paper 3
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Written exam: 1 hour 15 minutes
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76 marks (including 6 marks for SPaG)
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30% of GCSE
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Pre-release resources booklet made available 12 weeks before Paper 3 exam
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Section A: answer all questions (37 marks)
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Section B: answer all questions (39 marks)
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Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose
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The following websites are excellent sources of additional revision, resources and research
History
We are now using the Edexcel exam board for History, 9-1 grades. There are three exams in total which students will sit at the end of Year 11:
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Paper 1 – worth 30%; one exam lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and it covers Crime and Punishment from 1000-present.
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Paper 2 – worth 40%; one exam lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and it covers one section on Superpower Relations and the Cold War from 1941-91 AND one section on Henry VIII and his ministers, 1509-40.
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Paper 3 – worth 30%; one exam lasts 1 hour 20 minutes and it covers Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-39.
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Revision materials are available to purchase through the finance office using ScoPay.
* SENCA logins required (provided by teachers)
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Crime and Punishment
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Henry VIII GCSE
Germany and Cold War
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History and Learning
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History Resources
Maths
In Maths we recommend buying CGP Mathematics 1-9 Complete Revision and Practice. There are two tiers, Higher and Foundation so make sure you get the one relevant to your tier of entry. These can be bought from school or online.
Maths GCSE Revision
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Useful Websites
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www.mathsgenie.co.uk
*My Maths & Maths Watch VLE logins required (provided by teachers)
MFL
At KS4, we follow the AQA GCSE courses in French, German and Spanish.
The examinations are tiered at Foundation and Higher.
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Foundation tier is aimed at grades 1 to 5, whilst Higher is aimed at grades 4 to 9.
The full specifications can be found on the AQA pages and brief summary is below.
Themes
The vocabulary covered in all three languages is grouped into three main themes as follows:
Theme 1: Identity and culture
Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest
Theme 3: Current and future study and employment
Paper 1: Listening (25%)
Students listen to passages of varying length and complexity. In Section A, the questions are in English, whereas in Section B the questions are in the target language. The type of answers required include multiple choice, true/false/not mentioned and longer written answers.
Paper 2: Speaking (25%)
Students will take part in: -
a role play, taken from a card with written prompts;
a discussion of a photo, taken from a card;
a general conversation based on two themes, one of which is chosen by the candidate in advance.
The speaking examination is conducted by the teacher, recorded, and uploaded to the exam board.
Paper 3: Reading (25%)
Students read passages of varying length and complexity. In Section A, the questions are in English, whereas in Section B the questions are in the target language. The type of answers required include multiple choice, true/false/not mentioned and longer written answers. In Section C, students complete a short translation into English (approx. 35 words at Foundation and 50 words at Higher).
Paper 4: Writing (25%)
At Foundation tier, students complete a short description of a photo (4 sentences), a 40-word essay, a translation of 5 sentences and a 90-word essay.
At Higher tier, students complete a 90-word essay, a 150-word essay and a translation into the target language (minimum 50 words).
Subject-specific information:
Revision and study guides
We do not recommend or stock any particular revision guide, as we prefer to produce our own resources. However, students may wish to purchase a revision guide such as one of the AQA books from CGP.
Further resources
We use the following subject-specific resources for learning and revising vocabulary.
German
French
PE & Dance
KS4 PE
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Arts Pool Online Resource - The e-learning hub is designed to assist teachers and students of GCSE Dance in preparing for the C2 section of the examination.
KS4 Dance
Religious Education
Intent:
RSC at Crofton School equips students to become the change they wish to see in the world by building mutual respect, understanding, and promoting the importance of world views.
Implementation:
At GCSE, we use the same pedagogy and base our Religious Studies programmes of study around the guidelines found in the Educas Religious Studies Syllabus. Students will study the beliefs and practices of two religions: Islam and Christianity, interleaved with four ethical themes.
Impact:
Through our broad and balanced curriculum many students opt to take RE at GCSE. This highlights the level of interest, and evidence of students understanding the importance and impact of learning Religious Education. As a subject we promote a love of learning, and this is evidenced through our positive level of progress at GCSE.
Religious Studies GCSE Results:
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Science
In Science we actively encourage you to be an Independent Learner and extend your knowledge outside of your normal lessons.
Below are some useful resources that are a good place to start when looking to develop your knowledge:
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BBC Focus Magazine - An excellent, monthly magazine featuring articles on popular science and technology pitched at just the right level for our pupils. If we could only suggest one resource, this would be it.
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A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson - Often of recommended reading lists for A-level or degree, but certainly accessible to our students. Easy to read and covers many areas of popular science.
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Boffinology - Justin Pollard - A fantastic collection of (short) stories and anecdotes about the successes (and disasters) of a number of scientists.
Useful Links:
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Nelson Thornes AQA GCSE Science books. Now out of print as taken over by OUP (see below) but these are the books that we use in Science lessons
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Oxford University Press - AQA GCSE Science books - Click here
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gg/CroftonScience - Our own web resource with lots of past paper questions
Revision Guides:
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CGP Triple Science (sold as a set) £16.50: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
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CGP Core & Additional Science (sold separately) Core £5.50, Additional £5.50
* SENCA & PIXLIT logins required (provided by teachers)
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