Upper School Team
Welcome to Key Stage 4. We are made up of two classes that are both mixed year group classes.
This is the dedicated staff team that support and guide the pupils through their school day:
Curriculum
In Key Stage 4 our timetable consists of lessons in:
- English
- Maths
- Language Skills
- Social Skills
- Humanities
- PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education)
- Art
- Music
- Design and Technology (which includes Food Technology)
- PE
- Yoga
Below are some highlights of what we’ve been studying;
Art
Students have been working on a project called Altered Images. They have explored the work of a range of artists and discovered how they represent images that have been altered.
They have learnt about the ideas, methods and approaches used by artists who have looked at similar ideas in their work.
Students have been encouraged to develop, refine, record and present their ideas in different ways. They have used their imagination to create a range of art including paint, collage, drawing, 3D modelling and ultimately create their very own altered image final piece using a media of their choice.
PHSE
Our KS4 pupils have been visited by Barclays Bank to practise their interviewing skills and get them ready for adulthood.
Food Technology
We are all so thrilled and delighted that we have a new purpose built Food Technology room which we have now started using. Our pupils have already made great progress in their skills and knowledge of how to use tools safely and prepare home-cooked food – using fresh ingredients, as well as beginning to understand food labelling and a healthy balanced diet.
Design and Technology
Students in upper school first began practising their design and technology skills by making coasters from recycled materials.
They have now moved on to using handsaws and power tools to build wooden bee boxes for us to use around the school.
PE
Upper school have been the first to try out our new trampoline in their P.E. lessons. They have been working hard to perfect their moves and have been having a lot of fun along the way!
Football Training
Pupils in the football team practice and improve their skills in weekly training sessions with their football coach. They are preparing for their first tournament in May 2019.
School Trips
Year 11 students were invited to Chelmsford College in November to experience what a normal working day is like. The session included a tour of the building where they had the opportunity to ask questions about college life and concluded with joining the rest of the college for a break in the refectory.
Accreditations
Pupils in KS4 will have the opportunity to follow accredited courses in Maths, English, ICT, Food Technology, Art, and Personal and Social Education.
Maths – Pupils will follow the Entry Level, Edexcel Award and/or GCSE course as appropriate.
The Entry Level Certificate in Mathematics provides basic and relevant mathematical skills suitable for children of all abilities. It helps to build the children’s confidence in maths. The assessments can be completed at any time, therefore students will not complete assessments until they are ready.
The Edexcel Award in mathematics are small, stand-alone qualifications that help students to understand key concepts and develop core skills in maths before progressing to GCSE. The awards in Number and Measure, Algebra and Statistical Methods offer a choice of levels to match students’ abilities, with clear progression between them.
GCSE Mathematics has a foundation tier (grades 1-5) and a higher tier (grades 4-9). Throughout the course children will develop skills in Number, Algebra, Ratio, Geometry, Measure, Probability and Statistics.
English – Pupils will follow the Entry level, Functional skills and/or GCSE course as appropriate. The English Functional Skills qualifications are designed to equip learners with skills such as comparing ideas and presentation of texts, writing for a specified audience and purpose, and communicating and adapting language. GCSE English Language has a foundation tier (grades 1-5) and a higher tier (grades 4-9). Throughout the course pupils will develop skills in understanding and producing non-fiction texts, speaking and listening and writing creatively.
Art – We offer 2 courses for Art and Design: GCSE Art & Design (Fine Art) and Entry Level Art & Design. The GCSE course comprises of 60% controlled assessment in which the theme or project brief is set by the school and 40% set task (exam project) with a wide choice of briefs set by the exam board. The Entry Level Certificate (ELC) follows a similar course and assessment structure, making it very easy for students to study alongside each other.
ICT – Pupils will have the opportunity to obtain the ECDL/ICDL Computer Essentials IT Fundamentals Level 1 qualification. This qualification will help pupils gain skills in understanding the key concepts relating to ICT, computers, devices and software.
Food Technology – Pupils will follow the BTEC Level 1 Awards in Home Cooking Skills. This aim to give learners the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy cooking meals at home. Learners will gain understanding of how to economise when planning meals to cook at home. The unit is based on the Chef Jamie Oliver’s proposition that being able to cook is an essential life skill which empowers people to make changes that have benefits to health and wellbeing.
Personal, Social and Health Education – Grove House School students in years 9,10 and 11 work towards achieving accreditation in PSHE, by way of Credit or Award at Level 1, Level 2, Entry Level 1, Entry Level 2 or Entry Level 3. Each student is entered according to individual ability.
The specification used is Personal and Social Education 5800. The examining body is AQA.
Full details can be found at www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/work-and-life-skills/award-and-certificate/personal-and-social-education-5800
Homework
Homework will be set for Maths and English each week, this will be accessed through the children’s Active Learn logins. Please also find below a list of websites to support your child’s learning:
Maths;
www.corbettmaths.com
http://www.emaths.co.uk/
www.mrbartonmaths.com/pupils.htm
http://www.studymaths.co.uk/
www.s-cool.co.uk/
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/
www.webmaths.co.uk/pupilindex.html
www.brain-cells.co.uk/bcells7/free.htm
www.supermathsworld.co.uk
English;
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/
Summer 2019 Accreditation’s
| 02.05.19 | AM | Maths Award Level 2 – Number & Measure |
| 08.05.19 | AM | Maths Award Level 1 – Statistics |
| 17.05.19 | AM | English Functional Skills Level 1 – Reading |
| 17.05.19 | PM | English Functional Skills Level 1 – Writing |
| 17.05.19 | AM | English Functional Skills Level 2 – Reading |
| 17.05.19 | PM | English Functional Skills Level 2 – Writing |
| 21.05.19 | AM | Maths GCSE Paper 1 Higher – Non Calculator |
| 21.05.19 | AM | Maths GCSE Paper 1 Foundation – Non Calculator |
| 04.06.19 | PM | Music – GCSE |
| 04.06.19 | AM | English Language Paper 1 – GCSE |
| 06.06.19 | AM | Maths GCSE Paper 2 Foundation – Calculator |
| 06.06.19 | AM | Maths GCSE Paper 2 Higher – Calculator |
| 07.06.19 | AM | English Language Paper 2 – GCSE |
| 11.06.19 | AM | Maths GCSE Paper 3 Foundation – Non Calculator |
| 11.06.19 | AM | Maths GCSE Paper 3 Higher – Non Calculator |
KS4 results will be available for Grove House after the 2019 Summer Accreditation’s.