In year 10 students have 30 lessons a week, these are allotted as follows:
Number of lessons per subject
Below is a general overview of the topics students are taught throughout the year in each subject.
Year 10 students study English, maths, science, physical education, philosophy and ethics and either history or geography, they also opt to pursue three further subjects.
For a more in depth outline of each subject please click on the link for the subject page.
If you would like to speak to us about any aspect of our curriculum, or to request a printed version of our topic map, please get in touch.
Core subjects
Students study all of the below, with the exception of history and geography where they must choose to pursue one or the other.
English Language and Literature
English Language
- Paper 1: Creative reading and writing: unseen fiction reading text and describe/narrate writing
- Paper 2: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives: unseen non-fiction reading texts and viewpoints writing
English Literature
- Paper 1: Macbeth
- Paper 1: 19th century novel (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or A Christmas Carol)
- Paper 2: Poetry comparison: Power and Conflict
- Paper 2: Unseen poetry
- Paper 2: An Inspector Calls
Maths
Foundation
- Compound interest, growth and decay
- Sequences
- Trigonometry and Pythagoras
- Similar shapes
- Vectors
- Volume and surface area
- Sectors
- Loci
- FDP recap
- Error intervals and bounds
- Probability
- Quadratics
- Types of graph
- Rates of change
Higher
- Compound interest, growth and decay
- Iteration
- Sequences
- Trigonometry and Pythagoras
- Similar shapes
- Algebraic proof
- Vectors
- Volume and surface area
- Circle theorems
- Equation of a circles
- Sectors
- Loci
- Recurring decimals
- Error intervals and bounds
- Complex probability problems
- Transformations of functions
- Cumulative frequency and histograms
- Quadratics
- Types of graphs
- Composite and inverse functions
- Rates of change
Physical Education (non-assessed)
• Preparing for exercise
• Movement
• Developing technique
• Teamwork
• The benefits of physical activity
• Scoring systems
• Competition
• Officiating
• Tactics and strategies
• Methods of training
• Achieving a personal best
• Valuing physical activity
• Analyse a performance
• Fitness testing
• Leadership
• Making informed choices
Combined Science
Biology
- Human interaction
- Feedback and control
- Genetics
Chemistry
- Structure and bonding
- Controlling reactions
- Making substances
Physics
- Newton’s law
- Force fields
- Home electricity
- m radiation
Geography
- The changing economic world
- Economic development and quality of life
- Strategies for closing the development gap
- NEE case study: Nigeria
- The UK economy
- The living world
- Ecosystems
- Tropical rainforests
- Hot deserts
- The UK landscape
- Coasts
History
- American West
- The plains Indians
- Early settlers
- Settling on the great plains
- The end of the plains Indians way of life
- Norman Invasion
- Anglo-Saxon society
- The battles of 1066
- Securing the Kingdom
- The Normanisation of England
Philosophy and ethics
- Terrorism and cults
- End of life
- Relationships, sex and health education
- Ethics in the media
Optional subjects
Additionally students choose to study three of the subjects listed below.
Art
- Skills building unit; theme food and drink
- Personal portfolio; self-selected theme within the title ‘Distortion’
Business studies
- Enterprise and entrepreneurship
- Spotting a business opportunity
- Putting a business idea into practice
- Making the business effective
- External influences on business
Child Development (Cambridge National)
- Health and wellbeing for child development
- Create a safe environment and understand the nutritional needs of children from birth to five years
- Understanding the development of a child from one to five years
Visit our social sciences page for more information
Computer science
- Programming fundamentals
- Algorithms
- Producing robust programs
- Memory and storage
- Systems architecture
- Ethical, legal and cultural issues
Creative i-Media (Cambridge National)
Unit R081 & R082
- Purpose and properties of digital graphics
- Creating preproduction documents
- Creating digital graphics
- Reviewing preproduction documents.
- Reviewing digital graphics
Dance
- Set phrase performance
- Duet/trio performance
- Knowledge and understanding of choreographic processes and performance skills
- Critical appreciation of set works
Digital information technology (BTEC)
- User Skills
- Interfaces
- Design principals
- Project methodologies
- Project tools
- Data and information
- Spreadsheet formula
- Presentation methods
- Data validation
Drama
- Derek Bentley
- Live theatre: semiotics
- Devising: building blocks
- Exploring stimuli
- Live theatre: production designer
- Devising: research
- Devising: log
- Devising: performance
Engineering Design (Cambridge National)
- Principles of engineering design – 40% exam
- Design strategies and processes
- Design requirements
- Evaluating design ideas
- Communicating designs – 30% NEA coursework
- Sketching
- Engineering drawings
- Computer aided design (CAD)
- Design evaluation and modelling – 30% NEA coursework
- Product evaluation
- Modelling design ideas
- Virtual modelling
- Physical modelling
Engineering Manufacture (Cambridge National)
- Principles of engineering manufacture- 40% exam
- Manufacturing processes
- Engineering materials
- Manufacturing requirements
- Developments in engineering manufacture
- Manufacturing a one-off product – 30% exam
- Planning the production of a one-off product
- Measuring and marking out
- Safely use processes, tools and equipment to make products
- Manufacturing in quantity – 30% exam
- Preparing for manufacture
- Develop programmes to operate CNC equipment
- Safely use processes and equipment to make products in quantity
Food and nutrition
- Practical
- Factors influencing food choice, food culture, food hygiene
- Practical
- Nutrition & food science
- Practical
- Nutrition, food safety, food labelling
- Practical
- Nutrition, food labelling, food sustainability
- Cooking methods, calcium, processing, raising agents, meat and fish production
- Practical
- Practical
- Afternoon tea project
Health and social care (Cambridge National)
- Milestones
- Autism
- Safety in and early years setting
- Risk assessments
- Design your own nursery
- Types of communication
- Factors for positive communication
- Barriers to communication
- Personal qualities
- Planning for interactions
- Role play
Marketing and enterprise (Cambridge National)
Unit RO65: Design a business proposal
- LO1: Be able to identify the customer profile for a business challenge
- LO2: Be able to complete market research to aid decisions relating to a business challenge
- L03: Be able to develop a design proposal for a business challenge
- LO4: Be able to review whether a business proposal is viable
Modern Foreign Languages
French or German or Spanish
Identity and culture
• Me, my family and friends
• Free-time activities
• Technology in everyday life
• Customs and festivals
Local, national and international areas of interest.
• Local area
• Social issue
• Global issues
• Travel and Tourism
Visit our modern foreign languages page for more information
Music Practice (BTEC)
- What and how to?
- Musical genres
- Using music software to compose
- Planning for progression
- The cover version
- Exploring music products and styles
Physical Education
- Paper 1 – The human body and movement in physical activity and sport
- Applied anatomy and physiology
- The structure and function of the cardio-respiratory system
- Anaerobic and aerobic exercise
- Movement analysis
- Physical training
- Use of data
Or
- Paper 2 – Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity and sport
- Sports psychology
- Socio-cultural influences
- Commercialisation of physical activity & sport
- Ethical issues
- Health & fitness
- Use of data
- Non examined assessment – analysis and evaluation of one practical sport
Philosophy and ethics
- Christian beliefs and practices
- Muslim beliefs and practices
- Existence of God
Product Design
- Technical illustration techniques
- Mechanical devices
- Materials and their working properties
- Developments in new materials
- New and emerging technologies
- Energy generation and storage
- System approach to designing
Sociology
- Key sociological concepts
- Families and households
- Education
- Research methods
- Applied research methods
Sport (BTEC)
- Unit 1 – fitness for sport and exercise
- Know about the components of fitness and principles of training
- Explore different fitness training methods
- Investigate fitness testing to determine fitness levels
- Unit 6 – leading sports activities
- Know the attributes associated with successful sports leadership
- Undertake the planning and leading of sports activities
Sport Studies (Cambridge National)
- Contemporary issues in sport
You will understand a range of topical and contemporary issues in sport, including learning about participation in sport and barriers to completing sporting activities.
- Performance and leadership in sports activities
In this unit you have an opportunity to develop your skills both as a performer in two different sporting activities, and as a leader, developing a range of transferrable skills. You will work both independently and as part of a team.
- Increasing awareness of outdoor and adventurous activities
You will understand how to find out information about what opportunities there are in your local area as well as nationally in the UK for all different types of outdoor/adventurous activities. You will learn how to enjoy activities safely by finding out what equipment, clothing, facilities and technology you need.
