History, Geography, Modern Languages, Business Studies, Media Studies

History

Bringing history to life is the underlying theme and aim of history teaching at Bredon School. After learning history as part of their normal classes in Years 3-6, children move on to specialist subject teaching in Year 7, when they focus on cathedrals and castles. In Year 8, they take a close look at the English Civil War, while in Year 9, students turn their attention to the Second World War, including a visit to the Imperial War Museum and a study of the Nazi holocaust. At Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11), history is one of the GCSE option subjects. The syllabus covers aspects of British, European and world history from 1870. A and AS Level history is offered in the Sixth Form. The modules chosen by the school expand on the themes covered at GCSE.

Geography

Geography at Bredon School is going places! Students are shown how geography is part of everyday life by looking at topics such as: world weather; food costs; multinational companies; politics; population movements; urban and rural change; maps and even holidays. They find out that geography spans all scales from local issues to global ones. Our aim is that students can:

• Read and use maps, atlases and diagrams
• Analyse and evaluate data
• Develop decision-making skills
• Gain a knowledge of the world and understand current events
• Appreciate different cultures in their own country and abroad
• Become aware of physical and human environments.

We believe that studying geography widens children's horizons and helps them become better world citizens. Geography is an option at GCSE level, where the syllabus includes fieldwork and personal research, as well as written examinations.

Modern Languages

All children from Year 3-9 learn Spanish. Spanish is the school's principal modern foreign language because it is one of the easier European languages to learn and is spoken widely in many parts of the world. French is also available as one of the extra-curricular activities. In all language teaching at the school, the emphasis is on giving children the ability to converse comfortably.

Spanish is one of the GCSE optional subjects at Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11), when students are entered either at Foundation Tier (grades G-C) and Higher Tier (grades D-A*). Depending on demand, Spanish A level may also be offered in the Sixth Form.

In recent years, GCSE and A Level Chinese have proved popular options for native speakers who are pupils at Bredon School. Similarly, Japanese GCSE may also be offered if there is sufficient interest from native speakers.

Business Studies

Business Studies is a popular GCSE option, offering students the basic knowledge necessary to study business at a higher level in the Sixth Form and beyond.

The course is very wide-ranging and covers:

• The external influences and pressures that affect businesses
• How businesses are formed and how they organise themselves
• Finance, including forecasting and results
• Production, looking at methods, costs and the technology involved
• Human resources - what motivates people and how they are recruited and trained
• How businesses make customers aware of their products and other aspects of marketing, including research.

Another Key Stage 4 option is the GNVQ Business Foundation course. Unlike the GCSE, most (two-thirds) of the course is assessed through assignments, rather than by examination. Pupils study six units, including three compulsory units (how a business works, investigating business and finance). The qualification achieved is equivalent to four GCSEs at grades G to D. Students who achieve the Foundation award can then easily progress in the Sixth Form to the Intermediate Award. This, in turn, can lead on to the Advanced Vocational Certificate in Education in Business, which is equivalent to two A levels.

Media Studies

GCSE in Media Studies has a flexible syllabus, which makes it ideal for students who have good creative or analytical skills but experience difficulty with written responses.

A popular option in Key Stage 4, this subject looks closely at media products and develops pupils' critical and creative engagement with them. It covers television, film, radio, photography, popular music, printed materials, books, comics, magazines, press and computer software, as well as interactive multi-media technology.

Students are entered for either the Foundation Tier (Grades C-G) or Higher Tier (A*-D).

GCSE Media Studies forms an ideal complement to GCSE Art or Technology. It also provides a useful springboard to Sixth Form studies including OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media.