Castle Hall School - Specialist Language College

We believe that Art and Design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of responding to the world. Through Art and Design activities, students learn to make informed valued judgements, aesthetic and practical decisions, becoming actively involved in shaping environments.

At Castle Hall School, Art and Design is taken by all students in Key Stage 3, and work through a range of projects in which they explore colour, form, texture, pattern and different materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think. Many students then successfully take Art and Design as a GCSE.

The department offers short courses for after school or at lunch times. Through this pupils secure more individual attention and have the opportunity to achieve their best possible potential.

We are currently developing our photography syllabus as we already have a dark room and we intend this to be in operation in the near future.

Asdan is an award scheme progressing through Bronze, Silver and Gold. The aim is to develop key skills by:
- Improving own learning
- Working with others
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Application of numbers
- Information Technology

This is achieved by completing challenges from 12 modules. These challenges may be completed in school, in the community and also in the home.

There are trips from school to:
- The Magistrates Courts
- The Crown Courts
- West Yorkshire Police air Support Unit and Mounted Section
- Coca Cola Enterprises
- Theatre
- Skiing
- Cycling

The students aim is to keep a well ordered file full of evidence including action plan/review sheets, written work, drawings, photographs, tapes or certificates duly signed by tutors.

Business Studies is offered as an option for Key Stage 4 students.
We currently offer full and short GCSE courses.

The course gives an insight into business organisations.

Areas of study include:
Business Ownership
Human resources
Finance
Marketing
Production
External Influences.

Castle Hall Careers department is particularly proud of holding the Quality Standard in Careers Education and Guidance. This is awarded to schools that meet certain criteria including cross curricular careers links, have a comprehensive and up to date careers library and involve outside agencies - either bringing them into school or taking the students out on visits.

In the Careers department we:
- Make students aware of their choices, both with Year 9 options and at post Year 11
- Have a two week Work Experience placement, with full preparation in lessons and a de-brief session at the end
- Have a comprehensive and up to date Careers Library, with books, leaflets, computer programmes and videos
- Introduce Year 9 students to the Careers Library and show them how they can use the resources to help themselves
- Organise a 'Post 16' evening for Year 11 students and their parents, inviting representatives from local colleges, universities and training providers
- Recruit Year 9 students to act as Careers Librarians for a year.

For the future we are hoping to find time in the school timetable to be able to have a short introduction to the Careers Library for Years 7 & 8.

Castle Hall School will deliver English to its pupils in an interesting and purposeful way and will ensure that all pupils have full access to Standard English, given its role as an international language throughout the world.

The English department has a vision consistent with that of the school in that the pupils will be encouraged to achieve the highest possible standards and to use their minds well.

The pupils will be expected, in English, to demonstrate moral and spiritual awareness as well as values of trust, fairness and mutual respect for themselves and their community.

The department emphasises high achievement and encourages the development of enquiring minds and also we hold it to be true that success comes from commitment on the part of pupils, parents and staff.

The English department runs regular visits to the theatre, which give students the opportunity to see productions relevant to their work in English. Other key aims of these visits are to encourage students to develop an interest in theatre and to interact with other students and staff in a way not possible in school.

We aim to show that the subject is alive, fascinating, relevant and essential. We believe that religion plays a major role in societies around the world. We believe that it has been a major influencing factor (for good or bad) in history and it continues to influence the life and the world we see around us.

We believe that this department has been in the forefront of establishing positive community relations within the locality and also in engendering staff, parents and pupils' awareness of the need for mutual understanding and tolerance. We aim to continue this success.

Geography is concerned with the study of places, the human and physical processes which shape them and the people who live in them. It helps pupils make sense of their surroundings and the wider world.

The main aims may be identified as:

To help pupils develop geographical knowledge and understanding.

To acquire and apply skills and techniques and to carry out further geographical enquiry (fieldwork for GCSE)

To help pupils develop a sense of identity through learning about the UK and its relationship with other countries.

To understand and evaluate the attitudes and values of other people throgh the study of selected themes and places.

Year 7 topics are:- Medieval Realms covering: How the Monarchy developed and what life was like in the middle ages. Also, Islamic Civilisation is studied looking at what caused the development of Islam and the culture and scientific impacts of Islam.

Year 8 topics are:- The making of the UK, looking at what life was like and what changes took place in government. The French Revolution is also studied looking at such things like the causes, important events and the effects.

Year 9 topics are:- The Industrial Revolution and the 20th Century World. Some of the areas, which are covered, are why did it happen, what changes took place, what were the effects etc.

What Pupils study at KS4

GCSE Papers cover Conflict in the Modern World and Death Studies. Coursework covers The changing role and status of Women in Britain since 1900 and The Second World War.

What else happens in History?

All students at Castle Hall School are taught ICT as a discrete subject. At Key stage 3 students follow a course which meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. The majority of students at Key stage 4 follow a short GCSE course leading to a nationally recognised qualification.

ICT is seen as a tool to help in all areas of the curriculum, and students will, from time to time, make use of ICT facilities to support their work in other curricular areas.

We have 4 ICT suites and at least one computer in each classroom. Students are usually able to work on their own PC during an ICT lesson.

ICT facilities are available for students to use at lunchtime. Students can use the computers to complete school work or to follow their interests.

We have a school wide network with restricted broadband Internet access. We have a purpose built filtering system, which will only allow sites that have been approved by a member of staff to be viewed. Students are able to request additional sites, and these are vetted before being approved.

We at Castle Hall School believe in the entitlement of all children to a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated education within an equal opportunities framework. Approximately 18% of students at Castle Hall are likely to have Special Educational Needs of differing kinds. We believe that school should be a place where students are encouraged to achieve the highest possible standards and to use their minds well. We also believe that students must develop skills that will enable them to enjoy physical and emotional well being. We hold it to be true that success comes from commitment on the part of students, parents and staff. We are working towards a framework where the term Individual Educational Needs (IEN) is used instead of Special Educational Needs (SEN) apart from where statutory procedures require the use of this term.

Castle Hall School aims to provide opportunities for all its pupils, including those with Special Education Needs to:
- Follow a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum for all pupils
- Be involved in recognising their individual needs and ensure that these are met appropriately
- Fully participate in all school activities
- Experience equal opportunities in achieving potential

Our aim is for pupils to enjoy Maths and be able to use their skills throughout life and not only as a means of passing public Examinations.

Throughout the Maths department pupils are put into sets according to their ability. We are keen to stress that these are not fixed and through constant monitoring and assessment pupils move both up and down sets.

Over the past 3 years we have had great success with Set 2's in Year 11 taking their GCSE Intermediate exam in November of Year 11 and then going on to study GCSE Statistics late that year to hopefully help them in their Sixth Form Studies. This is only done with Set 2's as we have found that the higher tier pupils have a much greater workload and it would create too much pressure rather than alleviate it as was planned originally.

The Maths department provides many extra curricular activities. These include:
Maths club which runs every Wednesday lunchtime with all maths staff. Fantasy Football Competition for the whole school, which is a national competition. Year 8 and Year 10 pupils have entered the UKMT Challenges run by Leeds University for the past 4/5 years and in November the department runs a Year 7 Maths Parents Evening where we try to explain how maths is taught today.

We believe that Modern Foreign Languages will encourage students to develop an awareness of, and a respect for languages and cultures other than their own and engender a positive attitude and mutual respect towards speakers of foreign languages. Students will also be encouraged to develop their understanding of themselves and their own culture and develop linguistic and social skills which will enable them to survive and succeed in both familiar and unfamiliar situations.
There are many departmental aims these are just a sample:
- To maintain and/or stimulate lasting curiosity, interest and enjoyment in the chosen Modern Foreign Languages.
- To enable each pupil to achieve his/her potential in a variety of situations, using all available resources appropriately.
- To develop the ability to use the chosen Modern Foreign Language effectively for purposes of practical communication.

The department has also been involved in a number of events, activities and trips.

In making and responding to music, students at Castle Hall School have the opportunities to:

Develop their understanding and appreciation of a wide range of music, extend their own interests and increase their ability to make judgements about music quality.

Acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to make music e.g. in community music making and where appropriate to follow a music related career.

Develop the skill, attitudes and attributes that can support learning in other subject areas and are needed for employment and life. E.g. listening skills, concentration, creativity, intuition, aesthetic sensitivity, perseverance, self-confidence and sensitivity towards others.

Physical Education lessons will develop in all pupils the skills, knowledge and understanding required enabling them to participate in physical activity life-long and enjoy physical well being.

Lessons will provide an enjoyable and satisfying experience with opportunities for every pupil to develop physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively. This will be achieved by participation in a variety of activities, which take place in the context of teaching, and learning designed to meet the needs, abilities and interests of all pupils.

Physical Education at Castle Hall is designed to support, contribute to and complement the aims of the school by providing a broad balanced and relevant curriculum. It offers a varied and comprehensive range of learning experiences to meet the needs of individual pupils and encourage active involvement by all as performers, observers and officials.

The department will develop pupils' awareness of leisure opportunities within the community.

The department aims to:
>Actively support and contribute to the overall vision of the school.
>Promote the development of movement, co-ordination and the acquisition of a range of motor skills.
>Develop the ability of pupils to plan and compose movement sequences in a wide variety of activities.
>Promote an appreciation of physical movement through observation, analysis and appraisal.
>Allow for pupils to work co-operatively and develop interpersonal and communication skills.
>Educate pupils with regard to health, hygiene and fitness.
>Encourage responsible attitudes towards safety.
>Provide learning situations relevant to the levels of ability, experience and maturity of pupils.

We believe that science education should be broad and balanced, that all main areas of science should be encountered by all students. We believe that science education should be accessible and meaningful to all students such that they are encouraged to achieve the highest possible standards. Our aim is that as well as understanding and feeling confident with the science they are studying, our students will see it's relevance to their lives and find stimulus and enjoyment in it. We believe that investigations in science help to achieve this but also play an important part in developing skills in problem solving and help to develop an authentic understanding of the nature of scientific enquiry. We also believe that pupils should develop an awareness of the technological, environmental, social and moral implications of science. We recognise that within the overall curriculum, science must play its part in contributing to the general personal and intellectual development of students. We accept that success can only be achieved through wholehearted commitment by students and staff alike.

Design Technology is designing and making things that people need.

Design Technology is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for students at Castle Hall School. The subject encompasses Food Technology, Resistant Materials, Electronics, Textiles, Graphic Products and Systems and Control. We have five specialist Design Technology rooms, twelve networked PC's running a variety of design, modelling and simulation software, computer controlled milling machine and shared use of an ICT suite with 32 networked PC's.

Students have a chance to make a variety of things and projects tend to change from year to year but the following would be typical in Key Stage Three.
Electronic timer, Personal Organiser, Mechanical Toy, clock and many more.