Curriculum Subjects

Unless otherwise stated, all subjects are taught from Year 7 through to Advanced Level.

Art and Design

The Art Department aims to promote pupils’ individuality and creativity, develop their abilities to evaluate work and nurture their visual awareness and sensitivity to the environment.

Art is a curriculum subject for all pupils in Years 7-9. Pupils learn the basic skills of drawing, painting, collage work, printmaking, 3D work and art on the computer. Cross-curricular work, gallery visits, painting scenery and making props are all part of the programme.

Pupils may opt to take Art for GCSE in Years 10 and 11. The Edexcel syllabus offers pupils the opportunity to develop their work to a high level, using a wide range of media, including silk painting, textiles, clay and plaster. Pupils keep a logbook which records thought processes, visual ideas, the development of technical skills and their personal engagement with great art. Coursework makes up 60% of the final marks, whilst examination work (a ten-hour controlled test) comprises the other 40%.

The College’s Art Department gives pupils a thorough grounding in artistic styles and techniques, and pupils from Immanuel College regularly proceed to art foundation courses at the country’s top art institutions.

Biblical Hebrew (GCSE, AS and A Level only)

The Biblical Hebrew course acquaints students with large areas of Tanach (the language of the Bible). It enables students to acquire knowledge of ancient Israel and to make a personal connection historically, politically and religiously with modern Israel. It gives pupils a good Hebrew vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, which will help them in future textual studies at school and beyond. The department is fully aware that not all pupils have the same school or home background and understands that their initial knowledge of Biblical texts and language will vary. Small class sizes ensure that individual needs are catered for. The most able students are stretched and support is given unstintingly to those who require it.

The study of Biblical Hebrew is available for pupils as a GCSE option in Year 10. The course, which follows the OCR syllabus, is taught by the Head of Department, who is also Principal Examiner and Acting Chief Examiner for the examination board that offers Biblical Hebrew at GCSE, AS and A Level.

Design and Technology

Design and Technology is taught to all pupils in Years 7 to 9. It gives pupils the opportunity to design and make quality products, which are the outcome of knowledge and understanding of design and technology and of economic awareness. The course encourages pupils to mature through the intellectual process of problem solving and to apply knowledge and skills from other subjects, particularly science, mathematics, art and ICT.

Pupils in Years 7 learn how to work with wood and plastics. In Year 8, pupils look into the design and manufacture of toys and investigate the workings of mechanisms. The Year 9 syllabus includes metals working and electronics. Pupils are able to continue their studies in Years 10 and 11 through the Edexcel GCSE course, which includes a written examination and the production of a coursework portfolio relating to design-and-make tasks.

Drama and Theatre Studies

Drama and Theatre Studies is taught as part of the core curriculum up to and including Year 9, as a GCSE subject and as an AS and A Level subject. The aim of the department is to give pupils access to the rich, diverse and creative world of drama; to enable them to initiate, explore and communicate ideas, thoughts and feelings in a variety of dramatic formats; and to give pupils an insight into theatrical technique, history and tradition. Pupils acquire a broad range of practical and technical experience, which includes vocal skills, physical skills, technical vocabulary, theatre technique, mime, improvisation and scripted work. They will also encounter a variety of theatrical styles and genres and learn to evaluate their own work and that of others.

The GCSE and A Level syllabuses follow the AQA specifications and give pupils the opportunity to study complete play texts, to write in a critical matter about live theatre and work in groups in order to research, prepare and produce assessed performance pieces. Pupils visit the theatre frequently and learn to write critical responses.

Co-curricular dramatic activities are available to all pupils, and range from the Junior Drama Club to the Sixth Form Theatre Society. Dramatic productions are regularly staged in the Joyce King Theatre, giving pupils the opportunity not only to tread the boards, but also to learn about sound, lighting and play production.

English

The teaching of English at Immanuel College inspires students to enjoy and appreciate literature and the written word in all its forms. The department aims to promote an understanding of oneself and others through the discussion and study of literature and to encourage students to write creatively and in a range of forms. Pupils explore the workings of the English language, for instance its etymology, grammatical structures and literary and rhetorical techniques, and an emphasis is placed on the teaching of grammar and spelling.

The department provides opportunities for pupils to develop confident speaking and listening skills by narrating, discussing, arguing and persuading in a range of activities, and they are encouraged to discuss the implicit meanings of literature and its relevance to social, historical and cultural issues. Students are exposed to the range of literary genres, ranging from Shakespeare to contemporary newspaper features. The influence of the media is studied explicitly through the analysis of newspapers, magazines, advertising, film and television. The English course at GCSE develops candidates’ ability to read with insight, distinguish between fact and opinion, evaluate how information is presented, follow an argument, recognise inconsistencies, and understand linguistic and structural devices. Pupils must show their competence and confidence in speaking and listening in a range of situations. They will need to read literary and media texts, including contemporary and pre-twentieth-century literature (including Shakespeare), and write in a wide variety of styles and forms, including critical and imaginative responses to literary and factual material.

The English Literature GCSE encourages pupils to develop critical and analytical responses by studying prose, poetry and drama from diverse literary periods. There are two prescribed set texts: one post -1914 prose, the other pre- and post -1914 poetry.

The English Department is responsible for preparing pupils for debating and public speaking competitions in the school. All year groups are involved and pupils compete both internally and in external Public Speaking Leagues.

Geography

Geography is the study of place, space, environment, climate and culture, and as such enables pupils to make sense and order of a world that is in constant flux. The department develops their understanding of how physical and human processes interact and promotes the study of a range of communities and regions.

Through these studies, pupils acquire knowledge and understanding of different environments and geographical patterns, becoming aware of how decisions affect people and the environments in which they live. The department also aims to develop students’ understanding of what constitutes sustainable development.

The Geography department makes widespread use of audiovisual facilities and computers for simulations (including geographical information systems), word processing, data handling and research involving specialist books, journals, and CD-Roms.

History

The study of History at Immanuel College encourages pupils to develop a stronger sense of their own identity in place and time, capable of making objective decisions about contemporary and past events through analysis and evaluation and by learning how to distinguish between fact and opinion. The department aims to foster in pupils an understanding of different cultures and traditions, while assisting them to appreciate their own heritage and customs.

History is part of the core curriculum up to and including Year 9. Pupils in these years study the major features of England’s medieval and early modern past. They are encouraged to write analytically, using writing frames and sentence starters, and to become independent learners. The department seeks to interweave elements of Jewish history where appropriate, as in the Year 7 study on whether Jews were always in danger in medieval England. In Year 8, pupils explore the English Reformation and its impact on ordinary people. Here, pupils study Eamon Duffy’s work on Morebath. In Year 9, pupils cover topics such as the history of the British Empire, the slave trade and twentieth-century
history.

Many pupils continue their study of History in Years 10 and 11 by following the IGCSE (University of Cambridge) course. The syllabus concentrates on the 20th-century world, including studies of international relations between the wars, the Cold War and the US policy of containment. Pupils also undertake a depth study on Germany 1918 – 1945.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Pupils need to be prepared for a society that is increasingly dominated by ICT applications. As such the department aims to develop pupils’ information-handling skills, their understanding of the effects of increasing computer use within society and their ability to apply ICT techniques effectively and selectively. Through their study of ICT, pupils will develop an understanding of computers as two-state machines, capable of executing a wide range of software. At the same time, the department engenders in pupils an appreciation of the benefits and dangers inherent in the use of computers as well as teaching the theoretical and practical fundamentals of software design and hardware use.

ICT is part of the core curriculum in Years 7 to 9 and pupils cover a range of subjects including ICT theory, solving problems through flowchart techniques, and multimedia technologies including podcast creation and web design. Their achievement is monitored through their ability to communicate information, to manage information, to control, monitor and measure, and to model. In addition assignments are posted on PRISM enabling pupils to continue working on tasks commenced in class at home, thereby promoting independent learning.

At the end of Year 9 all pupils take a public examination, ‘Functional ICT’. If successful, pupils are awarded a certificate indicating their competence in the use of a range of applications software including email, database, modelling and presentation programs. The qualification forms an excellent preparation for GCSE ICT, but for those pupils who do not wish to take the subject at GCSE, it also provides a formal conclusion to Key Stage
3 Information Technology.

The GCSE ICT course covers both the information-handling aspects of using computers and their use as programmable machines. Students learn to apply applications software to a series of coursework tasks and also learn to write their own software.

Jewish Studies

The Jewish Studies department aims to ensure that when any student leaves Immanuel College, he or she is a proud and identifying Jew and demonstrates this through religious commitment, continued Jewish learning and involvement in the Jewish community. The department teaches pupils the skills to read and interpret primary Jewish texts, emphasising how these have relevance and meaning for the modern world, and to express religious and philosophical ideas in writing and in speech. At the same time, students are guided in their spiritual development and prepared for the religious, moral and ethical dilemmas of adulthood. A love of and identification with Israel is fostered, and pupils develop a sense of religious duty founded on a personal relationship with G-d.

In Years 7-9, pupils study Torah SheBa’al Peh (Rabbinics) and Torah SheBichtav (Bible). In Torah SheBa’al Peh, pupils inquire into the practical side of the Jewish festivals, Shabbat, Kashrut, the Jewish life-cycle, Jewish history, Hebrew reading and Tefillah. Pupils have the opportunity to delve deeply into the sources, exploring topical issues through the linear perspective of Biblical, Talmudic, rabbinic and contemporary Jewish texts. In Torah SheBichtav, all pupils gain an historical and sequential overview of Biblical text. Depending on pupils’ previous level of knowledge, they begin an in-depth exploration of different parts of the Bible, studying, for example sections from Bereshit, Shemot, Vayikra, Bamidbar and Devarim, with many pupils continuing their studies throughout Nach. During their studies, pupils learn translation and analysis skills, emphasising the value and significance of interpretation in the Jewish tradition.

For GCSE, pupils follow the Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics) OCR syllabus, and explore issues such as ‘Proofs for the Existence of G-d’, ‘Science and Religion’, 'Sexism’, ‘Racism’ and ‘Medical Ethics’.

During their time at Immanuel College, pupils undertake a number of inspiring educational journeys, integral to the Jewish studies curriculum, that foster their personal and spiritual growth and create a deep understanding of the place of the Jew in the modern world. Year 7 pupils visit Clifford’s Tower in York to explore a tragic episode in British Jewish history; Year 9 pupils take part in a transformational three-and-a-half week trip to Israel at the end of the summer term; and Lower Sixth Form students undertake a challenging but life-affirming one-week journey to Poland in December as part of their Holocaust education.

Mathematics

The Mathematics Department fosters the development of skills that are transferable to all classrooms and which focus on the active involvement of pupils as learners. Teaching methodology includes problem solving and work-based learning in order to develop not only the mathematical skills needed for further study, but also the learning power, tools and techniques required for pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge in their future studies and careers.

In Years 7-9, all pupils follow a core scheme of work. They are led through the four main areas of mathematics: algebra, shape and space, data-handling, and number. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of arithmetic is extended and they are exposed to the fundamental concepts of algebra. Pupils also learn basic geometry, co-ordinate geometry, probability, statistics, standard form, the laws of indices, and trigonometry.

During the second half of Year 9, pupils embark on the modular GCSE course, focussing on statistics in the first instance. In Years 10 and 11 pupils further develop their logical powers of prediction and deduction and an appreciation and understanding of axiomatic systems. They build skills in algebra, synthesis and analysis and encounter topics such as surds, quadratic equations and vectors. Pupils who show exceptional ability may also be taught the IGCSE course to extend their knowledge and skills.

Modern Foreign Languages (French and Spanish)

All pupils take French in Years 7 to 9 and begin to learn Spanish in Year 9. GCSE,
AS and A Level courses are offered in both languages. The aims of the department are to nurture pupils’ linguistic skills so that they can use language effectively for practical communication and to develop their insight into the culture and civilisation of French and Spanish-speaking countries, including the Jewish dimension. We expect all pupils to develop a sound base in the skills, language and attitude required either for further study, or for work and/or leisure and derive enjoyment, intellectual stimulation and cultural enrichment from a wide variety of language tasks, including extended reading of magazines, newspapers and books, watching television programmes, films, plays, and so on. Extensive use is made of audio-visual activities and dedicated language websites, and each class has a lesson once a fortnight in the College’s ICT suite.

In Year 8, the Modern Languages Department organises, together with the Geography Department, a 4-day visit to Paris. In Year 10, pupils of GCSE Spanish visit Madrid, in conjunction with the Centro Ibn. Gabirol Jewish Secondary School, whilst the highlight of the GCSE French course is a five-day educational, cultural and social visit to Strasbourg. Lower Sixth Form French students are encouraged to undertake work experience at placements in Brussels.

Mandarin is also taught as a co-curricular activity for Sixth Formers.

Modern Hebrew (Ivrit)

The Modern Hebrew Department is central to the school’s vision of Torah Im Derech Eretz. The study of Modern Hebrew enables pupils both to secure a better understanding of Biblical, historical, modern and contemporary Hebrew texts and to acquire knowledge of the history of modern Israel and of current affairs in the Jewish state. The specific aims of the department are to develop pupils’ ability to communicate in Ivrit, to deepen the appreciation of their Jewish roots, and to acquire a good understanding of the history, geography and culture of Israel, whilst gaining an insight into the place of the Jewish people in the modern world.

The department aims at developing the Modern Hebrew skills of all pupils to a level that will enable them to benefit linguistically from the Israel Trip. As part of their preparation for the trip, pupils are directed to the Hebrew books, videos and audio-visual aids in the school library. Use is also made of the Sony Soloist/Audacity ICT software in the
language laboratory.

Israeli pupils have the option of sitting the GCSE examination at the end of Year 9; other able pupils may take the examination at the end of Year 10, though most pupils who choose the subject as a GCSE option sit the examination at the end of Year 11.

Music

Music is taught as part of the core curriculum to all pupils in Years 7-9. The lessons enable pupils to gain experience in the fundamental activities of performing, composing and listening, to develop their musical literacy, to develop an understanding of the works of the great composers, to learn to identify the hallmarks of musical styles over the last 800 years (from Baroque to Blues!), and to nurtur an appreciation of the musical traditions of other cultures.

In Year 10, pupils may opt to take IGCSE Music. Pupils embarking on this course will have obtained at least grade 4 at Associated Board level or equivalent in their first instrument (a second instrument being optional but an asset) and at least grade 3 in theory at Associated Board level.

Lessons are available in most instruments, including orchestral, voice, jazz and rock instruments. Singing lessons are also available. Pupils may, in addition, opt to have tuition in music theory.

Immanuel College runs an orchestra, singing group, percussion group, rock bands and many other ensembles, all of which regularly perform in school concerts. The busy annual schedule of musical events includes the Music Scholars’ Concert, the Chanukah Concert, the Music Festival, the Purim Concert and an outdoor concert in the Rose Garden in the summer. The annual Music Festival enables participants to perform in front of, and receive feedback from, a distinguished musical practitioner, and the section winners have the opportunity to perform in a Prize- Winners’ Concert at the end of the Festival. Evening outings to concerts and musicals are arranged throughout the year.

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

The PSHE programme prepares pupils for participating positively in the Jewish community and in modern British society. It aims to develop open-minded and well informed pupils, who are prepared for adult life beyond Immanuel College and who will be able to combine a strong and mature Jewish commitment with full participation in a multicultural society.

PSHE is delivered through speakers and activities throughout the year and covers a range of topics, including drugs education, alcohol awareness, emotional and social issues, puberty and health issues. It is also taught through the Religious Studies GCSE curriculum. PSHE contributes to the College’s provision of sex education. Links are forged between PSHE and the work of the pastoral team, the social action department and other curriculum areas such as science.

Throughout the course, pupils are encouraged to listen to each other’s views, to respect each other’s beliefs, to value the differences between people and to work productively within a group.

Photography

Photography has been added to the Year 7 to 9. The course will give pupils the opportunity to become familiar with the Mac digital system, acquire confidence and expertise in the use of digital compact cameras, and develop basic Photoshop skills. It will engage students in
projects that stimulate creativity and enhance design skills.

In Year 7 pupils will undertake a composition project which requires them to identify facial features within the environment and “jigsaw” them to create abstract self-portraits. In Year 8, pupils will learn about shape and form, through creating a photographic alphabet using shots of differently shaped objects, such as a ladder for the letter ‘A’. In Year 9, pupils will draw with light, creating shapes in the dark using a range of illuminating devices.

Digital resources for the lower school course include 8 iMacs, 4 Macbooks, 6 cameras, and a photographic printer. Pupils in Year 9 will also have an opportunity to use the lighting studio.

Physical Education

The PE Department has ambitious aims for its pupils. Through their study of PE and pursuit of sport, pupils not only develop their psychomotor skills, co-ordination, mobility,
flexibility, strength and fitness, but also develop the capacity to sustain exercise and appreciate the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy life. They also learn the concepts of fair play and sportsmanship and develop an appreciation of creative and aesthetic movement.

Pupils follow a broadly based curriculum in Years 7-10. During the year the activities promoted in these years include soccer, cricket, tennis, rounders, badminton, basketball, volleyball, athletics, dance (girls), fencing, krav maga, uni-hockey, swimming, and outdoor activity adventure. Year 11 and sixthform pupils enjoy a weekly sports afternoon, during which pupils may choose from a variety of sporting activities.

The GCSE Physical Education course is an option open to all Year 10 pupils. The syllabus
covers a number of topic areas, such as ‘developing skills, techniques and motivation’, ‘developing physical and mental capacity’, and ‘informed decision making using the principles of training’.

A large number of lunch-time and after-school clubs are offered in a variety of activities every day, taken by both PE staff and professional coaches. The clubs on offer during the autumn and spring terms include basketball, football, netball, table tennis and badminton. In the summer, athletics, cricket, rounders and tennis are offered. The College fields teams, which regularly participate in competitive fixtures with other schools in the District and in the Maccabi League, in soccer, netball, basketball, cricket, tennis, athletics, trampolining, swimming, fencing and rounders. An athletics team represents the College at the District Athletics meeting.

Science

The teaching of science at all levels of the school is based on an imaginative, creative and hands-on curriculum, which aims at promoting awareness of current developments and applications in science. The department seeks to promote enthusiasm, curiosity and understanding in all its pupils about themselves and the world about them, and to develop the skills of drawing conclusions and evaluating results from detailed observation and analysis.

In Years 7 to 9, pupils are encouraged to adopt an investigative approach, and practical laboratory work forms an integral part of their studies. In Year 7, science is timetabled as a single subject; from Year 8 onwards, pupils study Biology, Chemistry and Physics as discrete subjects and are setted according to ability. In Biology, lower-school pupils study living organisms at a relatively elementary level. They build upon this study during their GCSE course to gain a much deeper understanding of the complexity of cells and organisms and of the interaction of organisms with each other and with the environment.

In Chemistry, lower-school pupils make detailed observations of chemical reactions. In the upper school they build upon their knowledge and are bable to give more detailed explanations of why chemical reactions take place, with reference to atomic structure and bonding.

In Physics, lower-school pupils begin to study the nature of forces, energy, electricity, and waves so that as they move into the GCSE course they can appreciate the effects of these phenomena and their uses.

GCSE courses available are EDEXCEL IGCSE Triple and Double Award Science, while a small number of pupils take AQA GCSE science. These courses provide a firm foundation for the study of Biology, Chemistry and Physics at AS and A Level. Many pupils proceed thereafter to study science-related subjects, including Medicine, Biochemistry and Engineering, at prestigious universities.

For the 2010/11 Year 7-9 Curriculum, please click here.

For the 2011/12 Year 10 GCSE Curriculum, please click here.

Sixth Form Subjects

The following subjects are only taught at AS and A Level: Economics, Further Mathematics, Government & Politics, History of Art, Sociology, Psychology.

Please refer to the Sixth Form prospectus by clicking here for more information.