KS3 & KS4 subject specific information and useful revision links.
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At KS3 the main work in geography is to continue to explore various places, patterns and processes and to deepen and broaden students’ knowledge of the world. We do not require students to purchase any particular text or revision guide.
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The following points are aspects of our learning that you will want to continue to develop in order to enhance your geographical knowledge and understanding.
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Locational knowledge- this is about knowing where places are, being able to interpret maps at different scales, recognising the shapes of countries and within them where significant features are located
Physical processes- these link with scientific knowledge of systems that affect the planet such as weather and the hydrological cycle. We also develop our understanding of the landscape and the processes that can change the shape of different features.
Human processes- this is an understanding of social, political and economic geography. To review settlements and how these change over time, we also review globalisation and development
Sense of place- this is inherent in strong geographers, they are able to make detailed analysis of map, photographic and data evidence to understand what life would be like in particular places
Hazards- understanding various phenomena and how these can disrupt human and physical landscapes, examples includes tropical storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and wild fires.
The following websites are great at providing information, quizzes and research
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
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Paper 1
Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
88 marks (including 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology (SPaG))
35% of GCSE
Questions
Section A: answer all questions (33 marks)
Section B: answer all questions (25 marks)
Section C: answer any two questions from questions 3, 4 and 5 (30 marks)
Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose
Paper 2
Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
88 marks (including 3 marks for SPaG)
35% of GCSE
Section A: answer all questions (33 marks)
Section B: answer all questions (30 marks)
Section C: answer question 3 and one from questions 4, 5 or 6 (25 marks)
Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose
Paper 3
Written exam: 1 hour 15 minutes
76 marks (including 6 marks for SPaG)
30% of GCSE
Pre-release resources booklet made available 12 weeks before Paper 3 exam
Section A: answer all questions (37 marks)
Section B: answer all questions (39 marks)
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
In KS3 we are beginning to cover the topics and skills we require students to gain for GCSE History. A great way to prepare yourself ready for GCSE is to focus on a number of skills:
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Chronological understanding – can you place key historical events in a wider historical context? Are there similarities between time periods?
Change and continuity – can you see what has changed during a time period? Have things stayed the same? Is it a combination of both?
Cause and consequence – what is it that sparks off a historical event? How have historical events affected people and places afterwards?
Interpretations – what do historians think about key events? Why do you think they have this opinion?
Evidence – what source material can help you understand the past easier? Are contemporary sources the most useful for a historian?
Using historical vocabulary – what key words are commonly used within your topic you are studying? Can you use these key words in your answers?
Structuring your knowledge – are you able to show in your written work how events can flow together to form the time period? Can you see what leads on to what?
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There are a number of key websites that are useful to learn more about the past:
When using these websites, try to relate these to your topics that we are studying in lessons.
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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.
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.
Paper 3 – worth 30%; one exam lasts 1 hour 20 minutes and it covers Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-39.
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
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Germany and Cold War
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History and Learning
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History Resources
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
*My Maths & Maths Watch VLE logins required (provided by teachers)
My Maths
Mathsgenie
Maths Watch vle
onmaths
At KS3, we introduce and develop students’ understanding of the key sounds and spellings, grammatical concepts and most frequently occurring words of the target language.
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We had a longstanding tradition of offering French to one year group and German to the next. We changed this in 2021 in order to give students some choice whilst also introducing Spanish. Current Years 7 and 8 are on the new pathway.
Students now learn German, Spanish and French on a rotation in Year 7 and are given a choice of which language they take from Year 8 onwards, when they continue with one language.
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Students in current Year 9 are on the old pathway. Everyone studies French, where we follow schemes of work adapted from the Allez course book with the NCELP phonics resources included. In addition, some students in Year 9 have the opportunity to learn Spanish as an after-school activity.
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We use the following websites for learning vocabulary and we post links to specific vocabulary sets on Edulink as home learning.
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At KS4, we follow the AQA GCSE courses in French and German and we will be introducing 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
Help with understanding music theory can be found under the ‘lessons’ tab of the following link:
The following documents contain all information needed for the GCSE Music Exam:
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.
RE at Crofton is taught in accordance with the Agreed Syllabus for Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, Living Difference 3. This document can be accessed: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/education/hias/curriculumsupport/living-difference.htm
This syllabus confirms our commitment to an education that takes seriously the importance of children and young people exploring their own lives in relation to what it can mean to live with a religious orientation on life and other ways of life, including those informed by a non-religious perspective, and to engage with this intellectually. It is intended to provide the basis of good teaching in religious education and, as a result, be open to the plurality of ways in which people live within our local and national communities and the world. It gives guidance to teachers regarding what religious education should aim to achieve in a plural society, identifying how teaching in religious education will open educative environments where children and young people can become better able to discern what is desirable for their own life and, with others, for the wider world. Living Difference III therefore recognises a link between religious education and rights respecting education (RRE). (Living Difference 3, 2016:Foreword)
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The approach taken at Crofton is one that is conceptual and follows an enquiry led approach that aims to help students understand what it means to exist in the world. We start with the feelings, attitudes and experiences of the students and what the concepts being studied mean to them, before exploring what the same, or similar concepts, mean to a range of other people, from a range of backgrounds, in a range of situations.
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As the teacher brings the child to question and enquire further they become able to discern what may be valuable in these matters. The Living Difference III approach is a process of enquiry into concepts, where a concept is understood as a name for, or way of referring to, an idea that exists or has the possibility of existing in a particular time or place.
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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.
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.
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
Oxford University Press - AQA GCSE Science books - Click here
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
CGP Core & Additional Science (sold separately) Core £5.50, Additional £5.50
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* SENCA & PIXLIT logins required (provided by teachers)
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