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St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy 6th Form Open Evening 2020

Welcome







Applied General Science What is the level of course I will take? Who is this qualification for?A Level Art and Extended Certificate in Applied Science Design with OCR. Level 3 with AQA This qualification is aimed at learners who wish to progress to higher education and /or persue What level GCSEs do I need? a career in the applied science sector. 4 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including Science, Maths and English Student Comments A Level Art and Design with OCR. “I have really enjoyed studying the first year of this course. It has allowed me to develop my passion for science and build on the knowledge I had acquired during GCSE’s. It will also allow me to fulfil my ambition to attend university at the end of Year 13. I would highly recommend it to any students wishing to undertake a science career.”

Course Content How will I be assessed? A Level Art and Design with OCR. A Level Art and Design with OCR. Applied Science is a broad-based qualification which gives Portfiolio work 50% (33% in Year 12 and 66% in Year 13) a general vocational introduction to science. Candidates can experience the scientific environment through work Written exams 50% ((66% in Year 12 and 33% in Year 13) experience, case studies, research and vocational visits. Learners will cover topics such as: The course is graded using the Pass, Merit, Distiction and Scientific principles associated with the application of Bi- Distinction* system. ology, Chemistry and Physics experimental and practical techniques the roles and skills of scientists, and hte public The Extended Certificate is equivalent to one A Level and and media perception of science. the course carries UCAS points Each unit within the qualification has an applied purpose which acts as a focus for the learning in the unit. Year 12 units studied How will the course help me after the Sixth Form? Three mandatory units: Key concepts in science - written exam This qualification has been developed in collaboration with Applied experimental techniques - portfolio higher education and other stakeholders in the science ed- Science in the modern world - written exam with pre-re- ucation sector. Therefore the knowledge and skills gained lease material will provide the best possible opportunity for progress to It is possible to certificate at the end of Year 12 with a Lev- higher education or employment el 3 Certificate in Applied Science Year 13 units studied Further Information Two mandatory units plus an optional one: The human body - written exam The course at St Thomas More is taught by three very ex- Investigating science - portfolio perienced teachers who share 10 hours across two weeks. Optional unit on Microbiology, Medical Physics or Organic Chemistry - portfolio

Art What is the level of course I will take? A Level Art and Design with OCR. Fine Art Endorsement. What level of GCSE ‘s might I need to take this course? Minimum of 5 x GCSE grade 5’s including a Grade 6 minimum in GCSE Art.

personal strengths and preferences as and 40% examination. This means an artist. Whilst fulfilling the demands that continuous hard work will pay off. of the exam board. The ‘exam’ which is in fact an external We believe in allowing each student to develop as an individual artist, working ly set task, is worked on over a period in their own way. of around 4 months until completion in the examination. Staff will work very closely with students and give con- stant support . Course Content How will the course help me after Sixth Form? At the beginning of the course all stu- Art will give you many skills for future dents follow the same course, divided study. You will learn to be inventive, into two areas, producing two sepa- resourceful, independent and creative. rate bodies of work which will form the You will problem solve, set your own foundation of their coursework. This briefs, and work with a wide variety of will include printmaking, mixed media different media. You will develop confi- experimentation, and the production dence, resilience and a set of practical of a visual art journal. Around Easter skills. of year twelve students will negotiate their own brief for their portfolio and begin to develop work for this, and will then continue to work on their portfoli- os until January of the second year. How will I be assessed? We will teach you new skills and ways of working in the first term of the Assessment takes place continuously course, and then when you select your throughout the course, including writ- own focus to develop for your portfolio ten and verbal feedback. you will be able to work to your own The A Level course is 60% coursework

Student Comments ‘It’s brilliant. I love the supportive teach- knew it was the right choice. The staff are ers, the facilities, and being creative.’ always supportive, and having an art tech- nician is great. ‘We get to explore lots of themes. You have lots of independence, but also lots of Over the course we have learnt many in- support from staff. I love it!’ teresting experimental techniques and have taken part in local art community projects ‘It’s fantastic. It lets you express all the like The Stoke 2000 things you want to. I would do it all over again if I could.’ I think arts in St Margaret Ward is very enjoyable. Teachers are very nice and sup- It’s a self influenced subject, quite relaxed portive towards our ideas. It also gives us in what you are able to do. It’s enjoyable a chance to be creative and show our ar- and varied day to day. tistic skills. It is very broad as well: we get to try out a lot of different methods. I enjoy doing art at SMW because the staff are so supportive and always help you I think art as SMW has been very good so when you need it. far. I have learnt new techniques and met new people. Miss Terry’s nice and a good teacher. The class is small and quiet. Getting the min- Art is a lot of work, but rewarding ibus is fine and the year 13s on the bus are nice. I’m enjoying the course. Both teachers have been extremely welcoming and the Very welcoming environment topic of Architecture has been good so far. I was apprehensive about coming to SMW- A level art is a great way to explore and CA to do art, but as soon as we started I develop yourself as an artist.

Q&As Who will be teaching me? Where can I work on my practical standard of written English. In addition there is an extended piece of writing Miss Terry and Miss Leese teach A art in school when I am free? in the form of an essay which is em- bedded in your coursework. This is Level. The division of the 5 lessons is Sixth form artists are always welcome between 1000-4000 words long, and so is about the average length of an usually 3/2 split but can vary from year in the art rooms and you will be en- essay in any other subject. to year dependent on timetabling. couraged to spend your study peri- What type of student is best suited to study art at this level? ods working in them if they are empty. Hardworking, passionate and dedicat- ed students who really want to do well, How much support will I get? When the rooms are all in use you will with a minimum of GCSE grade 6 at GCSE. As much as you need. In addition to be welcome to come and work in with What skills can art give me for my future? the art teachers we are also lucky to the classes studying, space permit- You will learn to be inventive, re- sourceful, independent and creative. have an art technician Mr Cartwright, ting. We can always find room for you You will problem solve, set your own briefs, and work with a wide variety of who frames your work, displays it and to work. In addition there are breakout different media. You will develop confi- dence, resilience and a set of practical also prepares boards, armatures and spaces and Mr Cartwright’s room. skills. anything else you need practical assis- Any other questions? See art staff or email hterry@smwca. tance with. org.uk visit the SMWCA Art & design to look at the artwork we produce too. How will I use my personal strengths as an artist? We will teach you new skills and ways of working in the first term of the course, and then when you select your own focus to develop for your portfolio you will be able to work to your own personal strengths and preferences as an artist. Whilst fulfilling the demands of the exam board. We believe in al- lowing each student to develop as an individual artist, working in their own way. How much of art is written? You are expected to annotate your sketchbooks intelligently using a good

Biology What is the level of course I will take? A Level Art and Design with OCR. A Level with AQA What level GCSEs do I need? Minimum of 5 x GCSE grade 5’s includ- ing a Grade 6 GCSE Biology or Grade 6-6 in GCSE Combined Science How will I be assessed? A Level Art and Design with OCR. 3 written exams are in year 13 Throughout the 2 years students are also assessed for their practical skills. A pass in this is required by most Universities, regardless of your choice in course. Written assessments include questions about practicals, a range of question types, including extended answers, comprehension, critical analysis and an essay.

Course Content A Level Art and Design with OCR. Biological molecules: Structure and function of the building blocks of life including monosaccharide’s, DNA, ATP Cells: the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and how scientists study them Organisms exchange substances with their environment: Gas exchange, digestion and absorption and mass transport in plants Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms: Cell division, mutations, protein synthesis, adaptations, diversity in environments Energy transfers in and between organisms: Photosynthesis, respiration, food chains and nutrient cycles Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments: Nervous coordination and homeostasis Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems: Inheritance, evolution and ecosystems. The control of gene expression: Transcription ,translation, recombinant DNA technology, DNA and cancer and DNA fingerprinting. Further Information A Level Art and Design with OCR. All the teachers at A level are very experienced and eager to help with problems. Lessons are all laboratory based with many opportunities to develop practical and investigative skills. There are opportunities to learn in many different ways including presentations to the class, discussions, independent research and group work.

Biology How will the course help me after Sixth Form? A Level Art and Design with OCR. Careers for biologists exist in areas other than medicine, veterinary science, dentistry or farm- ing. Biologists find employment in horticulture, pharmacy, biochemistry, microbiology, brewing and distilling. For courses in medicine and veterinary science it is not sufficient to be good at Biology, you must excel in all your sciences at A-level and across the board at GCSE. For medicine some universities require you to take Biology alongside the compulsory Chemistry A-level. Student Comments A Level Art and Design with OCR. “This is when Biology really starts” “This is a wonderful subject that explains many questions about our human body” “Biology allows you to analyse underlying principles in greater depth providing an opportunity to develop” “Genuinely intriguing and fun”

Student Comments n with OCR. “Hello, my name is Lucy and I chose to do Biology as one of my A level subjects. I decided to choose biology because it’s an interesting subject which can lead to a wide range of great and successful careers. During my GCSEs I really en- joyed biology, especially learning about the topics relating to the human body and its functions. I decided that I wanted to expand my knowledge so I had a more in-depth understanding of what I learnt at GCSE. Learning about biology has meant that I now want to pursue a career in nursing, and a biology A level will provide me with the skills and education needed for nursing. Biology is an incredibly content rich course which requires a lot of dedication and hard work, but it is also extremely re- warding when you begin to understand a topic which you had previously struggled on. My favourite parts of biology are when we do practicals, for example in y12 we did a heart dissection which allowed us to physically see the structure of a sheep heart in real life. I also like how biology easily relates to my other two subjects, chemistry and geography. It al- lows me to link topics across my subjects which gives me a deeper understanding of each topic. It provides many trans- ferable skills, so that even if you don’t want to have a biology related career, it is not a waste. Furthermore, the teach- ers are always reliable and are always willing to explain concepts and give additional support throughout the year. Overall, if you chose biology as an A level you need to be prepared to work hard throughout the entire course. Learning about each topic is incredibly interesting and rewarding.” A Level Art and Design with OCR. “Doing A-Level Biology has really helped with my knowledge and understanding as a medical student. The Foundation of being a doctor is knowing your basic core knowledge which doing biology really helped me achieve. I felt like I was already at an advantage because once they taught us certain topics that we had already covered at A-Level it made more sense and was easier to see clinical relevance of diseases. My peers at Medical School who had not done Biolo- gy A-Level admitted that it would have been easier to understand the concepts better if they did. In general, being a student of St Margaret Ward sixth form was a privilege, where all the staff especially the sixth form team and my A-Level teachers were extremely supportive. There was plenty of stress (I am sure any of my teachers can collaborate that!) but we worked through it together and ultimately, I achieved my goal of studying medicine at uni- versity. “ Malyka.

Business - A Level What is the level of course I will take? A Level Business Studies with AQA. What level of GCSE ‘s might I need to take this course? 5 x Grade 5 (and above) GCSEs Student Comments Business Studies is a fantastic subject and I’m glad I chose it! Business studies is really interesting. It is difficult at first but Mr Dudley really helps in lessons I didn’t do business studies at GQSE and even though it is a tough subject I’m really enjoying lessonJ and learning so much

Course Content How will the course help me after Sixth Form? Year 1 Studying towards a business A level will support you in • What is a business? your understanding of the world around you and allow you • Managers, leadership and decision making to critically analyse decisions from a number of different • Decision making to improve marketing performance perspectives. A business studies A level is very popular • Decision making to improve operational performance with students who want to go onto university or take up • Decision making to improve financial performance degree apprenticeships. • Decision making to improve human resource perfor mance Year 2 • Analysing the strategic position of a business • Choosing strategic direction • Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies • Managing strategic change How will I be assessed? During your studies you will undertake routine assess- ments during lessons. This will be at the end of a topic and will be based around a case study followed by exam style questions. These assessment will inform your working at grade as well as your predictions. At the end of the two year course you will sit 3 synoptic written exam papers lasting 2 hours each.