Students will build upon their Key Stage 3 knowledge as they begin their AQA GCSE Geography course.  Our focus for year 10 is our first paper ‘Living with the physical environment’ which begins with exploring Our living world; section B of the exam.

We explore food chains, interdependence and biomes before focusing on two key biomes; the tropical rainforest and hot deserts. Our case studies explore the Malaysian Rainforest and the Thar Desert, which develops student’s knowledge on adaptations along with methods to evaluate sustainable options to manage these fragile environments.

Students will intersperse one unit of the human paper- Section A: urban issues and challenges which explores two contrasting cities; Lagos and London as they navigate rapid urban growth. We compare the opportunities and challenges of this growth and look at how urban planning can reduce certain social, economic and environmental challenges. 

We continue in the spring term to look at extreme weather events such as tropical storms and heat waves, reducing their effects and the effects of climate change. Finally, we prepare for section C of paper 1; fluvial and coastal processes and their impacts upon the landscape. We visit Walton on the Naze as part of our compulsory fieldwork in Paper 3, along with Essex University to look at the sustainability of their campus. 

In Year 10 PE, students will study a coursework unit, titled “Taking part and improving other participants' sporting performance”.  In this component students will continue to develop skills and techniques in a variety of sports but will specifically focus on one selected sport for their own assessment.  Students will learn the rules and regulations of their selected sport and must practically demonstrate their performance in a range of skills, techniques and tactics in both practice and competitive situations.  Students will learn about the role of different officials in sport and how the officials apply selected rules.  Students will study the components of physical and skill-related fitness.  They will be able to define each component and link these to practical examples to match a scenario provided by the exam board, showing how each component of fitness can impact on performance.  Finally, students will learn how to plan a series of progressive drills for a sports skill within their selected activity and will be able to justify their choice of drills.  This culminates in students leading their drills to a small group to demonstrate their knowledge of the key teaching points.  They will provide both demonstrations of the drills and feedback to the participants to help them to improve their technique.

Students will also begin to study a further coursework unit, titled “Preparing participants to take part in sport and physical activity”.  In this component students will explore different types of sport and physical activity, considering the benefits of participation.  They will investigate the needs of different participants and consider barriers to participation that they may face, along with methods to overcome these.  Students will also learn about different sectors that provide sport and physical activity within the UK.

In Year 10, students will look at three set works throughout the year, exploring them practically and through research tasks. Students will gain a knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in the sector, such as roles, responsibilities, performance disciplines and styles. They will look into the different roles and responsibilities within the performing arts and take on the role of a dancer, choreographer and experience costume design, directing and producing. All students will get the experience of taking part in at least two performances throughout the year, one of which will be in front of a large audience. 

Students will commence Component 1 - Exploring Enterprise, which is broken into three distinct assignments. Here they will be able to identify a different business types, such as sole traders, partnerships and corporations and will develop skills that will enable them to explain how they work and their associated benefits and drawbacks. They will also learn about other business characteristics including how business size is measured, location as well as the difference between products and services. The students will choose two local enterprises and for their first assignment will analyse these types of business characteristics.

Assignment 2 is based around the concept of market research and the different types, these being primary and secondary along with quantitative and qualitative data. Students will consider how market research is used in order to improve business profitability and efficiency and will apply their learning to their two chosen businesses.

Assignment 3 will follow the same two chosen businesses but will consider how both internal and external factors, whether these be political, economic etc. will impact on the success of these businesses. This will also include conducting two types of situational analysis on one of their chosen businesses, these being a SWOT analysis and a PEST analysis.

Students will commence the exam unit, this being Component 3 - Promotion and Finance for Enterprise.

Here the students will consider the different aspects of the promotional mix, such as sales promotions and public relations, will consider the different types of each, including their associated advantages and disadvantages of each. This theme will continue with looking at different types of market, such as B2B and B2C as well as Market Segmentation, including Demographic, Geographic, Psychographic and behavioural segmentation methods. This theory will be taught through case study and learning will be applied to different enterprise contexts.

Moving on from promotion, the students will develop skills in finance. This will include learning about the different sources of finance, methods of payment as well as being introduced to the concept of accounting, such as through Statements of Financial position and Statements of Comprehensive Income as well as Cash Flow Forecasting. In addition the students will be introduced to the concept of Break Even, how to calculate this and how to construct and analyse Break Even charts. Finally the students will consider how businesses can improve their financial position and the different types of action that can be taken. Again this learning will be applied through case study and practice exam questions.

Students will study the physical, intellectual and social developmental norms from birth to five years. They will look at the benefits of learning through play and will work with an individual child (from birth to five years) and their family to plan some different play activities for a chosen developmental area with their chosen child.  They will then carry out and evaluate their different play activities for the chosen developmental area with their child. 

Students will study the process of reproduction and the roles and responsibilities of parenthood. They will look at standard and specialised antenatal care and how a family prepares for the birth of a child. They will also study how postnatal care is delivered including the postnatal checks of the mother and postnatal provision and conditions for development for the child. They will learn how to recognise, manage and prevent childhood illnesses at home and when children have to go into hospital. They will also learn about child safety in the home and outside.