At present the staff of the department are as follows:
- Mrs C Flint - Head of English
- Mrs K Wilcox - Second in department, i/c KS3 and A level English Language
- Ms C Iley - part-time i/c Year 9
- Mrs L Nolan - part-time i/c GCSE coursework
- Miss H Campbell
- Mr A Hopper
- Mrs H Maddison - part-time
We teach in C block, at the heart of the school and have a well-resourced department. Three of the five classrooms we use have interactive white-boards. Also we have recently purchased contemporary fiction for Key Stage 3, notably Benjamin Zephaniah’s Refugee Boy and Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime.
From when our students join us in Year 7 we teach all students in school up to the end of Key Stage 4 in setted groups. Each student has four English lessons per week with two pieces of homework being set per week. All of our lessons are planned and delivered according to the National Curriculum, the Literacy Framework, the school’s focus on Assessment for Learning and the Effective Learning Framework as well as with the individual and specific needs of all of our students.
At GCSE we follow the AQA A syllabus and have traditionally had great success in ensuring that all of our students gain the best qualifications they are able to.
We have an excellent take-up rate of both AQA A level English Language B and English Literature A where we support our students with expertise and enthusiasm so that they achieve some of the best results in the school at both AS and A2. Part of the departments successes are due to having a highly specialised team of experts delivering the curriculum as well as the many enrichment activities we offer. Over the past year these have included:
- Library Induction for Year 7
- Visits by published authors: Melvin Burgess
- Theatre visits: RSC Midsummer Night’s Dream at Newcastle; The Duchess of Malfi at Bretton Hall
- Enrichment activities: Visit to the Imperial War Museum,London ; Durham Cathedral; English Language student support course; production of a study guide for A Level English Literature text ‘The Spire’
- Debating Society held each week- Debating Matters Competition: English Public Speaking Union competition.
- Poetry competitions
- A new school newspaper, produced by Year 13 English Language and Literature students.
We aim above all to enable our students to become better writers, readers and speakers of the English language, recognising that an enthusiastic and positive study of their own literature from all countries and cultures is an essential element of their development as young citizens. We welcome visitors to the department and any enquiries about our courses.
The Science department is housed in 8 newly refurbished labs located over two floors. Promethean interactive white boards are used throughout for interactive modelling, assessment, showing film clips, starters and plenary activities.
Keystage 3 lessons are 4, 50 minute periods a week and keystage 4 and 5 are 6, 50 minute periods per week.
We offer Triple and dual award GCSE science as well as dual award Applied Science.
At A’ Level we run the traditional Physics, Chemistry and Biology courses as well as Environmental Science and Applied Science (from 2006). We also provide for a GCSE in Astronomy which is run outside the timetable.
Why we study…….ICT is relevant to everything that we do in real life. No matter what we do, computers are likely to play a part in it. Whether you work in an office, have a practical trade or just use them for pleasure, being confident in using ICT is an asset to everybody. What we offer in ……In Key Stage 3, we follow a modified Key Stage 3 strategy. In Year 7, pupils develop their skills using presentation software, spreadsheets, word processing, control and using the Internet. In Year 8, these skills are then expanded on, especially with spreadsheets as students start to transfer from purely skills to that of producing models. Students also learn how to make simple web sites using Macromedia Dreamweaver, the world’s leading web design software. In Year 9, students have an introduction to multimedia with Macromedia Flash. Following on from this, they learn how to analyse data using Excel, develop their word processing skills to enable them to use mail merge, and further refine their modelling skills using Excel. All of this is designed to prepare them for the Key Stage 3 tests towards the end of Year 9.
At Key Stage 4, every student takes the NewCLAIT course. This gives all students the opportunity of gaining a nationally recognised qualification in ICT, especially favoured by employers. Currently students cover word processing, spreadsheets and databases. In addition to this, some students opt to choose ICT as a GCSE. This gives them a more detailed knowledge of how computers work as well as developing their software skills, especially with regard to spreadsheets and databases. As part of their GCSE course, students are required to produce two pieces of coursework worth a total of 60%, with the remainder of the marks being gained in a written examination sat at the end of Year 11.
At Key Stage 5, students can opt to take the new Applied GCE in ICT. This course is aimed at users of ICT rather than developers of ICT. Students develop an understanding of the use of how the Information Age has affected people’s lives. They also study how databases and spreadsheets can be used in real-life situations and develop skills in how to create models and analyse data. In the second year of the course, students develop skills in Project Management, multimedia production as well as further developing their skills in databases.
Through studying Art and Design we aim to encourage students to develop the practical skills, subject knowledge, and imagination to be able to express themselves visually. Through the study of other artists, an exploration of materials and processes, and an awareness of the world around them students develop and ability to formulate and communicate their experiences, ideas and feelings effectively to a range of audiences.
Students are involved in a range of activities in the art rooms at lunch times. These include ceramic work, painting, completing coursework and art work on computers. Students have worked with artists recently on a number of projects, most recently through The Bowes Museum on a project as part of architecture week.
Students explore and develop their ideas in a wide range of media, techniques and processes.
A student’s guide to the GCSE in Physical EducationWhat is GCSE Physical Education all about?
PE will offer you the opportunity to develop your skills in a wide range of sports and activities and help you improve your own performance. You will learn about exercise, how the body works to help you exercise and then through training how performance can be improved.
Will I enjoy this course?
The course is practically based and involves participating in a range of practical activities as well as developing the knowledge to improve your own ability in these activities. For pupils who enjoy sport this will therefore be a very enjoyable course.
How does it follow on from what I have learned before?
You will have already been taught a variety of different activities in your PE lessons. This course will help you to build upon these basic skills. You will develop the analytical skills necessary to look at and improve your own performance.
What about exams?
There is one exam at the end of the course, which will test your knowledge and understanding of the theory element of the course. The exam will be 1 hour and 45 minutes and involve short questions that enable you to apply your understanding of the factors affecting participation.
Is there any coursework?
Throughout the course you will be learning and developing new skills and techniques through a range of different activities. The final coursework mark is worth 60% of the total mark and you will need to offer four activities for assessment. The course is also designed to develop your ability to observe and analyse different performances. In the final assessment you will need to analyse performance in one of your four chosen practical activities.
What other skills might I develop?
Physical education allows you to develop a wide range of personal skills through the involvement in physical activity. At the same time the need to analyse performance will often involve using ICT as a basis for studying and reviewing different performances.
What could I do next with GCSE Physical Education ?
Any AS, Advanced GCE or Advanced VCE course. If you enjoyed your Physical Education GCSE, you might want to continue with the subject onto the Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Physical Education course. Alternatively, you may wish to consider a more vocationally related course such as Leisure and Recreation. Employment opportunities where your skills will be particularly valued include the sport and leisure industry, travel and tourism and teaching. Or you may wish to follow this course for its own sake because you are interested in fitness and health and enjoy physical activities.
Teesdale also offers the Sports Leaders UK Level 1 & Level 3 award courses. Please follow the links to find out more.
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