[IGCSEOPTIONS] 1

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TableofContents

Introduction...............................................................3

ENGLISH(CIE/Edexcel)................................................6

MATHEMATICS(Edexcel)............................................8

SCIENCE(CIE)............................................................10

ICT(CIE)....................................................................11

GEOGRAPHY(CIE).....................................................12

HISTORY(CIE)...........................................................13

ECONOMICS(CIE)......................................................14

TRAVELANDTOURISM(CIE).....................................15

BUSINESSSTUDIES(CIE)............................................16

PE(CIE).....................................................................17

DRAMA(Edexcel)......................................................18

MUSIC(Edexcel).......................................................19

ART(CIE)...................................................................20

MEDIASTUDIES(AQA)..............................................21

LANGUAGES.............................................................22

EAL...........................................................................23

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 3

iGCSEOptions

Introduction In Years 10 and 11, Bromsgrove students are able topersonalisetheirlearningpathwaybychoosingsomeoftheirsubjects.Thesetwoyearsarevitalandprovidethefoundationforsuccessat iGCSEandalsoapathwayforfurtherstudyintheSixthFormandatuniversity.Weareproud of the breadth and depth of the curriculum onofferatBromsgrove,andwebelievethatitprovidesallstudentswiththeopportunitytodeveloptheirpassionsin a range of disciplines and prepare them for theirfuture.DuringYears7,8and9,yourchildhasfollowedabroadand balanced general curriculum where they havelearnt skills and knowledge across all the subjectsofferedatiGCSElevel.In Year 10, students will follow a core curriculum ofEnglish,MathsandScienceandthenchooseafurther4subjectstostudyatiGCSElevelfrom‘optionblocks’.AtBromsgrove, we believe in a broad and balancedcurriculumand,therefore,theoptionblocksincludeanArts block and also a Languages block. Students will

4 [IGCSEOPTIONS] study8or9iGCSEsoverthecourseofYear10andYear11,withfinalexamsattheendofYear11.Studentsshouldchoosetheiroptionalsubjectscarefully,as changing options subjects is not recommended andonlyallowedinthefirsttwoweeksofYear10.Studentsshould consider the following when choosing theiroptions: their enjoyment of the subject; their aptitudeand ability in the subject; the balance between theother subjects chosen; and their future study plans.Students should start to think about theA Levels theywouldliketostudyandensurethattheiGCSEstheypickarecompatiblewiththeirplan.Pleasenotethatlessonsinallthesubjectsinoneoptionblock are taught simultaneously, and, therefore, onlyONE subject may be taken in each block. We will setoptionblocksafteraninitialsurveytogaugenumbers.Ifastudentisunabletostudythesubjectoftheirchoice,the Assistant Principal (Academic) will discussalternatives with them. It may be possible to makechangestosubjectchoicesinthefirsttwoweeksofYear10,butanychangeswillhavetoconformtotheoptionblocks in place and take into account the size of thegroup.Details of all the courses, including the compulsorysubjects, are in this booklet to help students andparentsmake the correctdecision. It canbeadifficult

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 5 decisionandtutorsandacademicstaffaretheretohelpsupporttheprocess.

6 [IGCSEOPTIONS] ENGLISH (CIE/Edexcel) EnglishiscompulsoryforallKeyStage4students.InKeyStageFourEnglishLanguage,moststudentswillfollow the Cambridge IGCSE English Languagequalification (0500). Students will study traditionalEnglish skills, accessed through a number ofinternational and multicultural texts. The unitsacknowledge the importance of literacy andcommunication in modern society, and place anemphasisonempathy,inferenceandsummaryskills,aswellaswritingforspecificaudiencesandpurposesandinarangeofgenres.Some students will also be invited to study EnglishLiterature as an additional GCSE and will cover theEdexcelInternationalGCSEinEnglishLiterature(4ET0).This course provides students with the opportunity toexploretheir literary interestsandencouragesthemtodevelop the ability to read, understand and respondcritically to drama, poetry and prose. All students willstudypre20thCenturyPoetry,ContemporaryProseandDrama from a British Heritage. This unit is 100%examination based, and is tested as a terminalexamination.A small number of students may be better suited tostudying Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 7 Language, in order to develop their proficiency inspokenandwrittenEnglish.Inthiscourse,studentswillstudy a variety of topics designed to developvocabulary, comprehension and creativity in usingEnglishbothconversationallyandacademically.Thisisaterminalexamination,takenateithertheendofYear10orYear11.

8 [IGCSEOPTIONS] MATHEMATICS (Edexcel) MathematicsiscompulsoryforallKeyStage4students.However, different abilities study different levels ofMathematics and qualify with different grades inMathematics. All students will study for the EdexcelInternational GCSE in Mathematics. It is assessedthrough two papers, focusing on mathematical skills,techniquesandconceptsandhowtousethemtosolveproblems. It is designed as a two-year course forteaching in international schools and colleges and UKindependentschools.TherearetwotiersofEdexceliGCSEMathematics:Core&Extended.Core: This level of entry is aimed at students whostruggle with certain aspects of Mathematics but arewishing to achieve a grade C. This course encouragesthe development ofmathematical knowledge as a keylife skill, concentrating on percentages, ratios, andsimpletrigonometry.Thecourseaimstobuildstudents'confidencebyhelpingthemdevelopafeelfornumbersand patterns, and places an emphasis on solvingproblems and presenting and interpreting results.Students also learn how to communicate with andreasonusingmathematicalconcepts.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 9 Extended:This levelofentry isaimedat studentswhoenjoy higher level aspects of Mathematics and areaiming for a grade C, B, A or A*. This course aims tochallenge studentswho enjoymathematics and find itrelativelyeasy.Thecourseisforthosestudentswhoarecurrently obtaining grades of grade C or higher. Theywill acquire a goodunderstanding of number, algebra,geometry,trigonometry,statistics.Themostablestudents inKeyStage4have theaddedopportunity of studying for an extra Mathematicsqualification: a GCSE in Additional Mathematics. Thisextraqualificationisspecificallyintendedforhighabilitycandidates who have achieved, or are expected toachieve, grade A* or A in the iGCSE examination.Wehope students will enjoy the course and use it todevelop more advanced techniques (logarithmic andexponential functions, binomial expansions,differentiation & integration), devise mathematicalarguments, develop creativity and satisfaction inmathematicalpursuitsand,ultimately,buildupontheirexisting appreciation of the beauty, power andusefulness of Pure Mathematics. We fully expectstudentsconfidently tousethisextraqualificationasaspringboard towards A level Mathematics and A levelFurtherMathematics.

10 [IGCSEOPTIONS] SCIENCE (CIE) Science is compulsory forallKeyStage4 students,butthere are two pathways available, both leading toCambridge iGCSE qualifications. Both pathways allowstudyatALevelandbeyond.Bothcoursesaredesignedfor teaching in international schools and colleges andUKindependentschools.Students who follow the Coordinated Award (DoubleScience) coursewill studya combinationofChemistry,Physics and Biology. Topics that they will study willinclude:cellmovementandbodysystems,theperiodictableandchemicalreactionsandelectricityandwaves.Theywillbeassessedattheendofthecoursethroughthree exams all ofwhichwill contain some Chemistry,BiologyandPhysicsquestions.OveralltheywillachievetwoiGCSEgrades.StudentswhochoosetostudytheTripleSciencecoursewill study Chemistry, Biology and Physics separately.They will cover topics such as chemical reactions andtesting unknown substances in Chemistry, the kidneyandexcretioninBiologyandradiationinPhysics. TheywillbeassessedineachScienceattheendofthecoursethroughthreewrittenexamsandwillbeawardedthreeseparateiGCSEgrades;oneforeachScience.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 11 ICT (CIE) Technology has challenged our way of life in the 21stCentury.BychoosingICT,studentswilllearnhowtouseappropriate software tomeet this challenge.Whetherthroughcomplexdata-handlingtasks,usingspreadsheetand databases software, analysing and evaluatingdifferent types of IT network system, understandinghowthehardwareandsoftwareinteractinacomputersystem, designing stunning web pages or usingappropriate search techniques to locate and selectrelevant informationontheweb,studentswillbecomeincreasinglyadeptinthistechnologicalage.ThecourseisassessedbythreeexamstakenattheendofYear11coveringboththeoryandpracticalapplication.

12 [IGCSEOPTIONS] GEOGRAPHY (CIE) Students will cover a wide range of topics and studycasestudies,atbothaglobalandlocal level, thathelpexplainandexemplifysomeofthebiggestworldissues,including: population growth andmovement; flooding;pollution; natural hazards; the destruction of theenvironment;andtheissuesandsolutionstoresourcesshortages.SuccessfulGeographycandidatesdeveloplifelongskills,including:an understanding of the processes whichaffect physical and human environments, anunderstandingoflocationonalocal,regionalandglobalscale, the ability to use and understand geographicaldata and information and an understanding of howcommunities around the world are affected andconstrained by different environments. The course isassessed by three written exams taken at the end ofYear11.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 13 HISTORY (CIE) TheGCSEHistory coursecovers InternationalRelationsfrom 1919 up to 2000, focusing on modern eventswhich have shaped our world, such as: the Treaty ofVersailles; the Second World War; the Cold War; andthe Arab-Israeli conflict. In addition, students willundertake a depth study, which focuses on Hitler’sGermany.Historyisahighlyrespectedqualification,asthecourseallows students to develop essential evaluation skills,such as source analysis and interpretation, and toimprove their essay writing techniques. Thesetransferable skills increase a student's ability tounderstand the modern world, and the content willenable them to appreciate and understand currentworldissuesandtheirorigins.ThecourseisassessedbythreewrittenpaperstakenattheendofYear11;eachtestingadifferentskill.

14 [IGCSEOPTIONS] ECONOMICS (CIE) Learning about Economics will provide you with theknowledge, understanding and skills you will need tosucceed inawhole rangeof careers.Peoplewhohavestudiedeconomicsaregoodatproblemsolvingbecausethey learn to identify problems, to suggest alternativesolutions, to determine what information is relevant,andtoweighupdifferentcostsandbenefitsindecisionmaking.Knowledge of economics also helps usunderstand what determines the prices of differentproducts, why people earn different amounts indifferent jobs and why these change over time, whysome countries are poor and others are rich and howand why governments influence the behaviours ofdifferent groups of consumers and producers. But,aboveall,thestudyofeconomicsmakesusrealisethatwe are all dependent upon one another and thatdecisions we make will affect others. The course isassessedbytwopaperstakenattheendofYear11:onewrittenandonemultiplechoice.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 15 TRAVEL AND TOURISM (CIE) Travel andTourism is designed tohelpmeet theneedforskilledandknowledgeableindividualsinanindustrywhich is rapidly growing. The expansion of travel andtourism businesses makes this course ideal for thoseinterested inourexpandingworld,globalbusinessandthetravelsector.Thesyllabusdevelopspracticalskillsaswellasprovidingaglobalandlocalperspectiveontravelandtourism.Learnersgainanoverviewoftheindustry,andlearnaboutpopulardestinations,thekeyaspectsofcustomercare,workingprocedures, travelandtourismproducts and services, and they learn in depth aboutmarketing and promotion. The content is taughtalongside transferable skills which enhanceindependence, enquiry, analysis, interpretation andevaluation.ThecourseisassessedbyeithertwowrittenpaperstakenattheendofYear11,oracombinationofexamandcoursework.

16 [IGCSEOPTIONS] BUSINESS STUDIES (CIE) The Business Studies course develops learners'understanding of business activity in the public andprivate sectors, and the importance of innovation andchange. Learners find out how the major types ofbusinessorganisationareestablished,financedandrun,and how their activities are regulated. Factorsinfluencing business decision-making are alsoconsidered, as are the essential values of cooperationandinterdependence.Learnersnotonlystudybusinessconceptsandtechniquesbutalsoenhancerelatedskillssuch as numeracy and enquiry. The syllabus providesboth a foundation for further study at CambridgeInternational A Level and an ideal preparation for theworld of work. The course is assessed by two writtenpaperstakenattheendofYear11.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 17 PE (CIE) iGCSEPhysicalEducationcombinespractical sportwiththetheoryunderpinningvarioussportsandfitness.Itisa great opportunity for students to learn, use and berewarded for both their practical ability and theirtheoretical knowledge of the subject. It is designed toencourage enjoyment in physical activity by providinglearnerswithanopportunity to takepart ina rangeofphysical activities and develop an understanding ofeffective and safe physical performance. The practicalaspect of the course is worth 60% of the candidate’soverall grade and allows students to undertake fourpractical activities and look at performanceimprovement. The theoretical element covers threemaintopicareas-factorsaffectingperformance,health,safety and training, and reasons and opportunities forparticipationinphysicalactivity.

18 [IGCSEOPTIONS] DRAMA (Edexcel) DramaGCSEisanexcitingcoursethatenablesstudentsto develop their confidence, communication andperformance skills. They will participate in 3 areas ofstudywhichwillbroadentheirknowledgeofdevisingaswell as exploring popular play texts, brought to life inthe formofapracticalperformance.Studentswill alsobe expected to evaluate live theatre performances.Therewill be a high level of practical study aswell asbeingable tobuildupon literacyskills inDrama.Therewillbeaone-offwrittenexamtobetakenattheendofthecourse.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 19 MUSIC (Edexcel) InGCSEMusic, studentswill be encouraged to engagecritically and creatively with a wide range of music,develop an understanding of the place of music indifferent cultures, and reflect onhowmusic is used inthe expression of personal and collective identities.Throughout the course, students will develop theirunderstanding, knowledge and skills in composition,performance and music appraisal. Composition andperformance is internally assessed and there is oneappraisingexamattheendofthecourse.

20 [IGCSEOPTIONS] ART (CIE) Art and Design iGCSE is a practical course that allowsstudents to build on and explore, in more depth, avariety of 2D and 3D art materials and techniques.Through completing the iGCSE Art and Design course,studentswillgainimportantlifelongskills,including:theabilitytocommunicateconceptsandfeelings;recordingfrom direct observation and personal experience; andthe confidence to experiment, be innovative, intuitiveand imaginative, among others. They will also beexpected to research different artists and artmovements to help broaden and develop their ownideasandskills.Thecourseisassessedbyanexamandcoursework. The projects will involve experiments,research and development of ideas through practicalartwork,which eventually lead to the completion of aFinalPiece.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 21 MEDIA STUDIES (AQA)

By studyingMedia Studies, students will learn how toanalyse and deconstruct a range of media texts fromfilm,TV,musicvideoandradiotoplanning,researchingand creating their own media products using smartphones, Digital SLR Cameras and a suite ofMacBooksusing the latestMacOSandAppleMediaSoftware.Aswe live in amedia-saturatedworld, this course allowsstudentstomakesenseofallthemediamessagesthatthey receive on a daily basis and what they arecommunicatingona consciousand subconscious level.From the video clips on phones to TV ads andblockbustermovies,frompostersatthebusstoptothemusic you listen to; students will assess and analysetheir impact. The course is assessed by one writtenexam taken at the endof Year 11 and three pieces ofcoursework.

22 [IGCSEOPTIONS] LANGUAGES Students at Bromsgrove in Year 10 all study onelanguage. The languages offered are: Thai, Chinese,Korean and Spanish. All four languages build the fourkey skills of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.Students learn to apply the language in differentcontexts and to different audiences. They also learnabout the culture of countries where the language isspoken and the traditions associated with thesecountries. All languages are assessed through terminalexamsattheendofYear11.If a student is registered at Bromsgrove as a ThaiNational, then they must follow the Thai LanguageCurriculumuntil theendof Year 11. Studentsof othernationalities are able to choose between Chinese,KoreanandSpanish.

[IGCSEOPTIONS] 23 EAL StudentsinwhostudyEALdevelopfurthertheirskillsingeneral and academic English, with a view toprogressing on to sitting a Cambridge ESOL exam (PETorFCE)attheendofeachyear.Ifsuccessful,bytheendof the course students will have the language skillsnecessarytostudyindependentlyinanEnglish-speakingcountryoroncoursestaughtinEnglish.