Senior School Curriculum

“Every aspect of the world today, even politics and international relations, is affected by chemistry” Linus Pauling (1901 – 1994)

In the Chemistry department we believe that learning should be enjoyable so we incorporate as much practical work into lessons as possible.

We have grown up in a world where technology is constantly evolving, creating new fields to explore and changing the way we work in every area, from engineering and medicine to economics, fashion or design. Whatever your career plans, Computer Science is vital to develop your grasp of these ideas and concepts that will shape our world.

At Portland Place School we offer IGCSE Computer Science, where students delve deeper into the theoretical side of these technologies, while developing skills in problem solving and programming. Computer Science explores the principles of digital technology and a way of working that is called “computational thinking”, coding being in the core of this course. To succeed, you have to be able to think logically, solve puzzles and be tenacious when the going gets tough. This course is really creative and we are sure you will get a real buzz out of creating something yourself, especially when programming on Python.

If you enjoyed Scratch, GameSalad, HTML or Python in previous years, then you will find Computer Science ideal for you.

Making a computer dance to your tune is very rewarding!

Economics is an extremely enjoyable and interesting subject to take at GCSE. It will really open your eyes and challenge you to think in different ways about the world around you.

The Economics GCSE is designed to help you gain a good understanding of the major issues in Economics and how these affect us in our daily lives and in the future. If you thought that Economics was all about Maths, then think again. If you’re a naturally curious person and love to find out how things work, then studying Economics at GCSE could be a great choice for you.

In the first year you will be taught to think from a micro-economic perspective and learn about the fundamental problem of how best to allocate your scarce resources like time and money. Knowledge and understanding of how the laws of supply and demand affects the price of things like oil, gold, shares, cars and houses will also be provided.
You will learn about the dynamics of the Government’s macro-economic policy and how this affects things like interest rates, exchange rates, inflation, taxation and unemployment. In your second year you will build on the knowledge gained from Year 1 and also look at trade and its implications at a local, national and global level.

Every lesson will be interesting and hopefully challenge you to think and ask questions about what’s really going on in the global economy.

‘Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.’ Joyce Carol Oates

The English Department at Portland Place School is a vibrant and successful team, offering pupils a broad and enriching experience, and a chance to nurture creativity and confidence. Not only does English allow us to explore complex issues and engage in topical debates, it also equips us with essential tools which enable us to understand and interact with the world around us, linking to other disciplines, such as History, Politics and Philosophy.

At Portland Place School, we want all students to share our view that success in English is fundamental to success in adult life. Our Department endeavours to instil a passion for the subject which extends beyond the remit of the classroom, as well develop communication and literacy skills which are fundamental in all aspects of life.

Reading
Promoting a love of reading for pleasure is a key focus for the English team. Students in Years 7-8 are given library lessons to promote regular reading habits, stimulate discussion about themes and narrative techniques and allow students to share their passion for their chosen book or genre.

Due to the small class sizes, teachers can work individually with students to help them discover their own love for reading. We expect all students to read widely and often share reading lists which will stimulate a love for classics as well as contemporary texts.

Key Stage 3
Our Key Stage 3 syllabus is engaging and inspiring as we study a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts. We are proud of the diversity and challenge of our programme of study; exposure to a wide range of texts begins in Year 7 as our students out introduced to the Gothic genre, as well as a variety of Shakespeare plays. The curriculum is enhanced by a range of extra-curricular activities, including an annual trip to the Globe Theatre, Poetry Live in Year 11 and a variety of clubs and societies, including Debating Society, Creative Writing Club, to name but a few.

All English lessons across the key stages have a strong focus on developing and maintaining students’ skills in spelling, grammar and punctuation. At Key Stage 3, this takes the shape of weekly homework activities, whilst at Key Stage 4, we buy our students workbooks which helps to improve their writing skills.

Key Stage 4
Throughout Years 10-11, students follow the AQA syllabus. All students will study GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature.
English Language includes the study of literary and non-fiction texts from the 19th-21st centuries and tests students on comprehension, analysis and writing skills. English Literature requires students to analyse an anthology of poetry, a Shakespeare play, a classic English text and a modern play.

At all Key Stages, we aim to develop an appreciation and understanding of the English Language, a love of literature and a confidence in all forms of communication skills.

Drama is a skill for life. This skill is explored creatively whilst allowing students to develop and express ideas around a range of topics and stimuli. At Portland Place School, we build on the students’ prior knowledge and continue to build confidence in a safe, controlled space. Students learn to work collaboratively, developing their use of voice, movement, gesture and facial expression, in acting, mime, physical theatre and through exploring contemporary and classic texts.

Extra-curricular opportunities during in KS3/4 include the school musical and school plays.

At GCSE we deliver the AQA syllabus. Within this we cover three units:

1. Living with the Physical Environment: The challenge of natural hazards, Physical landscapes in the UK and The living world. This has a 90 minute examination worth 35% of the total grade.

2. Challenges in the Human Environment: Urban issues and challenges, The changing economic world and The challenge of resource management. This has a 90 minute examination worth 35% of the total grade

3. Geographical Applications: Issue evaluation (decision making questions using a pre-released source booklet) and Fieldwork (questions based on a fieldwork enquiry and the use of fieldwork materials in an unfamiliar context). This has a 75 minute examination worth 30% of the total grade.

The course is contemporary and engaging. Throughout the curriculum there are opportunities to use map skills (traditional and digital) alongside extending literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. Our students are global citizens. We celebrate our ethnic diversity, learning reasons for inequality in the world whilst considering the type of actions to be taken to make the world a better place.

Fieldwork is a really important part of geography. Day trips and a UK residential take place at GCSE in order to build on the topics taught in class and prepare for the Geographical Applications paper. A European trip is also organised as well as a bi-annual trip to Tanzania.

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

In life, when faced with History topics one can be met with, ‘Oh, why does it matter what happened so long ago?’ From the moment students enter a History lesson at Portland Place we ensure that History never feels like a ‘dead’ subject. We bring the subject alive, both inside and outside the classroom, through interactive, engaging and stimulating ways. The question ‘but what’s the point?’ is never uttered or thought. This is because we open student’s minds up to the excitement of discovery. At GCSE we wrestle with contentious and thought provoking questions, such as:

-How far can the policy of appeasement be justified?
-What happened to the process of de-nazification?
-Why exactly did people follow Hitler?
-Just quite how paranoid were Britain and America during the Cold War?
-Did Elizabeth 1st change the landscape of British warfare?
-What factors can we attribute the rise of Al Qaeda to and -how far back do they go?
-What really is a Total War and long can its impact be felt -for?

Big historical issues from as early as 770 to as late as 2012 are confronted and approached through a variety of different learning techniques, such as debate, active discussion, role play and presentations. This is also made accessible to students who may not have studied History within the English system before. These equip students with the key skills to then enable them to confidently approach the more advanced exam questions. These are delivered under careful direction from the teacher who helps to guide each individual student with their own enquiry, argument and conclusion.

As a department we achieve fantastic results and value added. This is namely because the progress of each and every student matters to us. We ensure every child leaves us at the end of their GCSE having not only reached their full potential, but also having gained a life-long love of the intriguing, bizarre and fantastic world of History!

Mathematics is not only an intellectual discipline in its own right, but it also has essential applications across science, engineering, telecommunication, information technology and many more areas. Students are sometimes surprised to see how much mathematics is needed in other GCSE subjects. At Portland Place, we work actively with other departments to help staff and students see the applications of mathematics and help them to become more able with this.

In a world of instant access to most things, we are working to build students’ resilience and independence and equip them with the tools needed to tackle difficult problems. We praise accuracy ahead of pace and work to develop their written and oral communication skills, to help them become successful in their future work place and able to play an active part as citizens.

We work collaboratively as a department to ensure students have the key skills needed to progress well. It is in the centre of our ethos to start the learning from where the students are, and we check prior knowledge before starting a topic so we can make differentiation and our teaching more effective. We have a number of students completing their Maths GCSEs early and we are keen to work with students and parents to ensure we set up a plan for those students to further their knowledge and maintain their enthusiasm.

At PPS, we make sure that the 3 main languages we teach as part of the curriculum –French, Spanish and Italian -are pushed and reinforced, via teaching and learning, but also through extra and cross curricular activities such as clubs and trips abroad for each of them. We run trips to Paris (Disneyland), Salamanca, Canada or Venice this year. We have many workshops such as flamenco classes, cheese shop visit or pizza making day with chefs in London.

We also aim to provide a more supportive, stimulating environment in which EAL children are enabled and encouraged to attain the highest standard of achievement of which they are capable of.

Recognising that our children have a variety of needs means that we also ensure that this will be reflected appropriately our teaching, and in turn provide long term provision for Russian, Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese, as part of our new exciting project of after-school classes; for both advanced and beginner students. Providing these languages reflects the richness of our multicultural society and the wide range of international students that we have at PPS.

Our aim is to make sport interesting, enjoyable and varied. All of our pupils are encouraged to participate in a comprehensive physical education programme.  The emphasis of sport at Portland Place is that of inclusion.  We recognise that sport instils self-confidence and develops leadership and therefore focus on giving our pupils the opportunity of participating in as many different activities as possible in the hope that they find and develop a sport that each individual is suited to.  Competitive and recreational sport has always had a special place in Portland Place and whilst some pupils have gone on to represent their county and country we also take pride in stating that most of our pupils have represented Portland Place in an inter school fixture whether that be A, B or C team.

The Lower School (Years 7-9) enjoys sports lessons 4 days per week whilst the Yr 5 & 6 participate in sport every day.  The Senior School have one afternoon of sport per week.   Pupils in Yr 10 also have an additional afternoon every other Friday where they alternate with Enrichment lessons. Many of our first team matches against other schools are scheduled during these afternoon lessons.

Outdoor sports, which include, football, rugby, netball, tennis, cricket, cross-country, softball and rounders take place in neighbouring Regent’s Park ­ just a ten minute walk from the school.  Other activities, such as basketball, fitness, dance and athletics, are held at venues nearby including the Seymour Leisure Centre, Oasis Sports Centre, Parliament Hill Athletics track and the Paddington Recreation Ground.

The Physical Education department is staffed by dedicated sports teachers. Most have represented their country and all are Physical Education graduates.