Below is a general overview of the topics students are taught throughout the year in each subject.

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, please get in touch.

Core subjects

English language and literature

Autumn term

Modern Prose: Lord of the Flies

  • Focus on text analysis, GCSE questions, knowledge and understanding of plot, themes and contexts, guided focus on extended responses.

Novel: A Christmas Carol

  • Focus on text analysis, GCSE questions, knowledge and understanding of plot, themes and contexts, guided focus on extended responses.

Spring term

Poetry Anthology – Power and Conflict

  • War
  • Identity
  • Power of Nature

Summer term

Shakespeare: Macbeth

  • Revision of Macbeth.
  • Focus on text analysis, GCSE questions, knowledge and understanding of plot, themes and contexts, guided focus on extended responses.

English Language paper 1 and paper 2

  • Paper 1: explorations and creative reading and writing
    • Section A: reading
    • Section B: writing
  • Paper 2: writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
    • Section A: reading
    • Section B: writing

Geography

Autumn term

  • Section A Natural Hazards
    • Tectonic hazards
    • Weather hazards
    • Climate change

Spring term

  • Section B The Living World
    • Ecosystems
    • Tropical Rainforests
    • Cold environments

Summer term

  • Section C Physical landscapes in the UK
    • UK landscapes
    • Coastal landscapes
    • River landscapes

History

Autumn term

  • The Development of the UK – 1920s, 1930s, build up to war and the Home Front, Post war years and the 1950s, 1960s

Spring term

  • Development of the UK Continued – 1970s and 1980s.
  • Changes and developments in Medicine – A study of the Ancoats district of Manchester, Causes of illness and disease, prevention of illness and disease

Summer term

  • Medicine continued – Treatment and cures, Advances in Medical knowledge, Patient care and Public health developments
  • The Elizabethan Age – Elizabethan government and society

Mathematics

Foundation

Autumn term

  • Number revision
  • Algebra revision
  • Analysing data
  • Fractions
  • Coordinates & linear Graphs
  • Pythagoras

Spring term

  • Ratio & proportion
  • Manipulating quadratics
  • Percentages
  • Transformations

Summer term

  • 2D Shape
  • Angles
  • Probability
  • Quadratic graphs
  • Trigonometry
  • Solving quadratics
  • Constructions

Higher

Autumn term

  • Percentages
  • Probability
  • Graphs
  • 2D shape
  • Solving quadratics

Spring term

  • Simultaneous equations
  • Comparing data
  • Rearranging formula
  • Surds
  • Advanced trigonometry

Summer term

  • Circle theorems
  • Inequalities & regions
  • Transformations
  • Sampling and Histograms
  • Algebraic fraction & proof

Modern foreign languages

Spanish

Autumn term

  • Family and Relationships
  • Technology

Spring term

  • Free time / Sports
  • Food
  • Customs and Traditions

Summer term

  • My local area
  • Poverty and Helping others

French

Autumn term

  • Family and Relationships
  • Technology

Spring term

  • Free time / Sports
  • Food
  • Customs and Traditions

Summer term

  • My local area
  • Poverty and Helping others

Religious studies*

Autumn term

  • Christianity Beliefs
  • Christianity Practices

Spring term

  • Judaism Beliefs

Summer term

  • Judaism Practices

* Parents and carers have the right to request their child is withdrawn from all or parts of religious studies. Requests can be made by contacting the academy at office@retfordoaks-ac.org.uk

Science

Autumn term

  • Chemical bonding, Structure and properties
  • Quantitative Chemistry
  • Organisation Part 1
  • Energy Changes

Spring term

  • Energy (Physics)
  • Forces
  • Organisation Part 2

Summer term

  • Hydrocarbons
  • Homeostasis
  • Waves
  • Revision for End of Year Exams

Optional subjects

Art

  • Portfolio work
  • Set task

Business studies

Theme 1: Business Activity: (written exam, 50%)

  • Business activity
  • Marketing
  • People
  • Operations
  • Finance
  • Influences on Business

 

Theme 2: Building a business (written exam, 50%)
• Growing the business
• Making marketing decisions
• Making operational decisions
• Making financial decisions
• Making human resource decisions

Child development and care

Autumn term

  • Studying appropriate equipment for a nursery, specifically changing equipment and outside play equipment.
  • Designing a floor plan for a feeding area of the nursery and analysising it for safety hazards

Spring term

  • Students will be analysising two types of formula (lacto free and goats)
  • Looking at dietary requirements for toddlers
  • Making a bottle of formula then evaluating it

Summer term

  • Theory of birth
  • Job roles
  • Antenatal testing

Computer Science

Unit 1 – Computer Systems (written exam, 50%)

Computer systems focuses on some of the key theory studied over Year 10 and Year 11. The units of study are categorised into 6 key units with sub topics included in each of these. These units will be worked on through Year 10 and Year 11.

1.1 Systems Architecture

1.2 Memory & Storage

1.3 Computer Networks, Connections and Protocols

1.4 Network Security

1.5 Systems Software

1.6 Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Issues

 

Unit 2 – Computational thinking, Algorithms and Programming (written exam, 50%)

Unit 2 will focus on some of the practical elements of Computer Science and the theory behind programming. They will apply some of the knowledge and understanding that they gained in Unit 1. The units of study are categorised into 5 key units with sub topics included in each of these. These units will be worked on through Year 10 and Year 11 with practical lessons alongside.

2.1 Algorithms

2.2 Programming Fundamentals

2.3 Producing Robust Programs

2.4 Boolean Logic

2.5 Programming Languages and IDE

Construction

Unit 1: safety and security in construction
(external assessment online)
Unit 2: practical construction skills (internal assessment)
Unit 3: planning construction projects

Dance

Autumn term

  • Duet performance
  • Solo Performance
  • Anthology
  • A Linah Curva
  • Artificial Things
  • Emancipation of Expressionism
  • Within her Eyes
  • Shadows
  • Infra

Spring term

  • Duet performance
  • Solo Performance
  • Anthology
  • A Linah Curva
  • Artificial Things
  • Emancipation of Expressionism
  • Within her Eyes
  • Shadows
  • Infra

Summer term

  • Duet performance
  • Solo Performance
  • Anthology
  • A Linah Curva
  • Artificial Things
  • Emancipation of Expressionism
  • Within her Eyes
  • Shadows
  • Infra

Design and technology

Drama

Autumn term

  • Blood Brothers
  • Exploring devising

Spring term

  • Blood Brothers
  • Devised performance and portfolio

Summer term

  • Devised performance and portfolio
  • Blood Brothers

Engineering design

This course is assessed through four units:

25% R105: design briefs, design specifications and user
requirements (exam)

25% R106: product analysis and research task
(how products are made)*

25% R107: developing and presenting engineering designs*

25% R108: 3D design realisation (making task)*

* internally assessed

Hair and beauty

• develop a broad understanding of the hair and beauty sector
• develop significant knowledge, which spans the entire vocational sector and related industries
• develop academic and study skills, that will support progression within the hair and beauty sector and, more broadly, across a range of sectors

Health and social care

• Essential values of care, for use with individuals in care settings
• Communicating and working with individuals in health, social care and early years settings
• Understanding body systems and disorders
• Understanding life stages

Hospitality and catering

• Meanings of food related terms
• Equipment
• Safety and first aid
• Recipe adaption
• Healthy eating
• Presentation techniques
• Environmental issues
• The hospitality industry
• Types of service
• Planning for functions
• Team work and communication

Media

You will study lots of different media forms, such as:

  • Television
  • Online media
  • Advertising and marketing
  • Film marketing
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Social and participatory media
  • Music videos
  • Radio
  • Video games

Music

Autumn term

  • 4 Genres of Music
  • British Invasion
  • Film Music
  • Brit Pop
  • African Music

Spring term

  • 4 Genres of Music
  • British Invasion
  • Film Music
  • Brit Pop
  • African Music
  • Development of 3 products (composing, Performing, DAW)

Summer term

  • 4 Genres of Music
  • British Invasion
  • Film Music
  • Brit Pop
  • African Music
  • Development of 3 products (composing, Performing, DAW)

Physical education

  • Improving social skills and enhancing social behaviour
  • Focus on wellbeing, positivity and appreciation of healthy body and mind
  • Choice of PE pathway
  • Developing components of fitness
  • Outdoor pursuits and awareness of outdoor activities – OCR
  • Performance and sports leadership – OCR

Photography

  • Portfolio
  • Set task

Psychology

  • Aggression
  • Learning
  • Memory
  • Attention
  • Language
  • Culture
  • Groups

Sociology

Autumn term

  • Key concepts and processes of cultural transmissions
  • Families

Spring term

  • Families continued
  • Education

Summer term

  • Education continues
  • Sociological research
    Methods

Triple science

Biology

Autumn term

  • Organisation
  • Homeostasis

Spring term

  • Inheritance and Variation

Summer term

  • Revision of Infection and Response
  • Revision of Bioenergetics
  • Revision of Ecology
  • End of Year Exams

Chemistry

Autumn term

  • Bonding, Structure and Properties
  • Quantitative Chemistry
  • Chemical Changes

Spring term

  • Energy Changes
  • Rate and Extent of Chemical Change
  • Hydrocarbons

Summer term

  • Chemical Analysis
  • Chemistry of the Atmosphere
  • Using Resources
  • Revision for End of Year Exams

Physics

Autumn term

  • Forces Part 1
  • Forces Part 2
  • Energy

Spring term

  • Electricity
  • Waves

Summer term

  • Waves
  • Magnetism and Electromagnetism
  • Revision for End of Year Exams