Sibford
Year 11 into Year 12 Preparation for September 2026
Art & Design (Fine Art) Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 To ensure you make the best possible start to Year 12 it would be useful if you could complete the tasks below and bring these to your first lesson back after the holidays. The tasks I have set will be the starting point for your project next term and will form your primary research for our experimental drawing week in September. Project theme: Task One: Task Two: Task Three: Task Four:
Connections. Click here for inspiration. Create a mind map linked to the theme ‘Connections’. Use my Pinterest board to help support you with your ideas. Take 20 good-quality, well-edited photos of ‘Connections’. Create one A4-sized, high-quality tonal pencil drawing related to these themes. Create an A5 pen study based on your photos of ‘Connections’.
Extension If you have the opportunity, please visit a gallery or museum to support your studies, take photos, make sketches and write brief notes on your visit. This can be created into a double sketchbook page in September.
Biology Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 1.Consolidate work from GCSE Biology – read through the following topics, making a list of questions for concepts you are unsure of; Pathogens & Disease The Heart Lungs and Cystic Fibrosis
Transport methods (Diffusion, Osmosis, Active Transport Enzymes)
2.Purchase a ‘Head Start to A-Level Biology’ CGP book (ISBN = 978-178294279-5) and complete Sections 1,6 and 9. Bring in evidence of your answers/notes when we start in September. 3.Read two of the books/articles listed in the recommended reading section, and then write a book review (one side of A4) for the one you enjoyed the most.
Required Reading Look at the A Level Biology reading page here.
Recommended Reading Any scientific journals (Biological Science Review, New Scientist, Nature) ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ Bill Bryson ‘The Selfish Gene’- Richard Dawkins ‘Genome’ - Matt Ridley
‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ – Rebecca Skloot ‘Diversity of Life’ - E. O. Wilson ‘Seven Daughters of Eve’- Bryan Sykes ‘Amazing Tour of the Human Anatomy’ Robert Winston
Notes There are three components of the Year 12 course, outlined as follows: 1. Paper 1 – ‘Lifestyle, Transport, Genes and Health’ (Topics 1 & 2). 2. Paper 2 – ‘Development, Plants and the Environment’ (Topics 3 & 4). 3. Core Practicals (8 core practicals in Year 12). Each of these components provides the foundation for the topics and core practicals that follow in Year 13. The content from Topics 1-4 will be assessed during Year 12 by means of two internal exams. There are three components of the A2 course, outlined as follows: 1. Paper 1 – ‘Lifestyle, Transport, Genes and Health’ (Topics 1-6). 2. Paper 2 – ‘Development, Plants and the Environment’ (Topics 1-4 & 7&8). 3. Paper 3 – ‘General and Practical Applications in Biology’ (Topics 1-8 plus a pre-released article 8 weeks before the exam). 4. Core Practicals (8 core practicals in A2 - 16 in total including the 8 from Year 12). Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 are each worth 33.3% of your A2 Biology grade. These are externally assessed. The exam board for Biology is Edexcel – we follow the Salters Nuffield A syllabus.
Business BTEC Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Select a marketing advertising campaign of your choice, e.g. NIKE, M&S, Costa coffee and write a 500 word report based on the following: What is the campaign about? What is the marketing message to the customer? What product is being sold/promoted?
What is the business hoping to achieve through this marketing activity? What is significant about the colour/language/imagery used in the campaign? Where is the campaign seen and by who?
Required Reading Familiarise yourself with the Edexcel examination board website. Subscribe to tutor2U and read through the course specification: BTEC National Level 3 Extended Certificate in Business. Unit 1: Exploring Business Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign Unit 3: Personal and Business Finance Unit 8: Recruitment and Selection
Recommended Reading The Economist BBC News: Business section
Chemistry Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Preferred average working at grade of a 7 or above in GCSE Chemistry or Combined Science (Grade 6 will be considered on an individual basis) and at least a grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics. Go through the GCSE Chemistry topics listed in the ‘required reading’ section in the ‘Year 12 AS Chemistry’ folder on SharePoint to ensure you are confident with those areas listed. Make a list of the concepts/ideas you are not sure of to bring in to lessons in September.
Required Reading Purchase ‘Head Start to A Level Chemistry (CGP A Level Chemistry)’. Read and complete the exercises. If you have any difficulties, go back to your GCSE notes. Focus particularly on: The structure of the atom in terms of Protons, Neutrons and Electrons Bonding types and properties of substances Moles, including calculations Balancing equations Organic Chemistry: Alkenes, Alkanes, Alcohols, Carboxylic Acids & Polymers
Recommended Reading ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’- Bill Bryson ‘Mendeleyev’s Dream’- Paul Strathern ‘From Atoms to Infinity ’- Mary & John Gribbin Any relevant magazines and journals such as Science Focus, New Scientist or Catalyst magazine
Computer Science Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 It would be helpful to familiarise yourself with the fundamentals of Computer Science at GCSE level if you have not studied the subject previously. Watch the Craig n Dave OCR GCSE playlist on YouTube for access to the specification’.
Required Watching Watch ‘Learning Python with Mosh’ on YouTube. This will teach beginners the basics and reinforce trickier concepts with more experienced programmers.
Required Summer Work Complete a beginner’s Python course online. There are many to choose from, such as FreeCodeCamp. Sign up to Harvard Universities CS50 course, specifically the Python and Cyber Security courses. These are free to enrol and are a ‘gold standard’ Computer Science course delivered by one of the best Universities in the world. These courses are long, but get through what you can.
Design Technology: Product Design Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Research the work of the following architects and designers: Tom Dixon, Thomas Heatherwick, Ron Arad and Tom Wright. Select one of them as inspiration for designing a coffee table for your home; practice your 3D hand-drawn design skills. Can you draw inspiration from anything else?
Extension Work Visit a museum (such as The V&A in London) to inspire creative designs or take photographs of any interesting architecture you see during your holiday - what shapes, forms or styles can you incorporate into your designing process.
Required Summer Work Develop a level of competence with the CAD programmes Google SketchUp, TechSoft Design V3, and Tinkercad.
Drama and Theatre Required Reading/Watching The following three set texts will be studied in the written examination and should be read before starting the course: The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare (Penguin edition) Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca, translated by Marina Carr (Faber & Faber) The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman, adapted by Bryony Lavery (Nick Hern Books) Students are also strongly encouraged to watch productions of these plays where possible. In particular, the National Theatre Live recording of The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage is highly recommended, as it provides an excellent introduction to the play and a strong foundation for Year 12 study.
Recommended Reading/Watching Watch additional productions of the set texts where available. Attend live theatre performances whenever possible. See as much theatre as you can; exposure to a wide range of productions will be invaluable preparation for A Level Drama and Theatre.
Economics Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 A short report on the current cost of living crisis. (See below for more guidance).
Required Summer Work Write a short report (2/3 pages) summarising the current cost of living crisis, which includes current inflation, the energy crisis, and the current mortgage crisis. In your report, you should focus on the causes, current impact and government intervention to address the issues. Support your report with relevant research from institutions such as the ONS (Office for National Statistics), IFS (Institute of Fiscal Studies), OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility), news reports, podcasts and any other sources that are credible and trustworthy. Please use diagrams, graphs, pictures, data and pictures to enrich your report. Try to explain and draw conclusions by using relevant research that supports your arguments throughout. There is no right or wrong answer; this assignment is designed to help you achieve a comprehensive understanding of several variables that are contributing to the current economic landscape. Make use of the links below for further support: ONS (Office for National Statistics) BBC News – Business Section The Economist
Required Reading Copies of ‘The Economist’ will be very useful to you, as will financial sections of broadsheet newspapers (for example, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph or The Independent). It will be important to you throughout the course to keep up to date with current economic issues. Make a note on any key things you find from reading these. Awareness of the AQA economics website is crucial Freakonomics Podcast Collection of videos introducing a range of Economics topics from Tutor2U
English Literature Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Make research notes on the following to submit in your first lesson: Tragedy as a genre – Greek/Classical/Shakespeare/Modern/Domestic Aristotle’s Poetics Victorian (around 1890) society – education, the role of women, poverty, rural and urban lifestyles A sense of what ‘Romantic’ poetry means
Required Reading Read these texts and make ‘initial thoughts’ notes ready for September (if necessary, see your teacher for exact details before the summer holidays): Othello by William Shakespeare (The New Cambridge Shakespeare, updated) Any poetry by Keats, Hardy Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Penguin Classics recent edition) Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller ESSENTIAL READING of a set text The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (warm-up text)
Recommended Reading You should read as widely as possible from a variety of different time periods and genres. Anything that particularly interests you from the following recommendations would also be good: ‘All My Sons’ & ‘A View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller ‘Hamlet’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Titus Andronicus’, ‘King Lear’, by William Shakespeare ‘Saturday’ & ‘On Chesil Beach’ by Ian McEwan ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseni ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ by Moshin Hamid ‘Invisible Man’ by Ralph Ellison ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ by Zora Neale Hurston ‘Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph Conrad ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte ‘A Doll’s House’ by Ibsen Poetry by Byron, Wordsworth, Shelley, Blake ‘Case Histories’ by Kate Atkinson
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Log into or register with FutureLearn and complete the free online course. The course is designed to help students prepare for the EPQ qualification. How to succeed in your EPQ: the nuts and bolts of completing your project: How to do an EPQ - online course (futurelearn.com) The online course covers: Reasons to do an EPQ The research process What the assessors are looking for in an EPQ Writing the project report Finding and evaluating sources Time management Doing your EPQ presentation Bringing your project together
Food Science and Nutrition Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Register and complete the Food Standards Agency free online allergy training course: Food Standards Agency food allergy online training. Identify an article from the website below, evaluate the article, giving your thoughts on the reasons and consequences of the topic being in the news. We will discuss these topics at the start of term: https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk.
Geography Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Part 1 - Human Geography Download the BBC News app (or something equivalent). Find articles relating to Disease over the course of the summer. Summarise and save these articles in the following headings: ‘Spread of Disease’ & ‘Management of Disease’. In particular, look at the following diseases: Malaria, HIV, & Diabetes (although you can look at others). Part 1 - Physical Geography For the first lesson back after the summer holidays, you must have written a fact file on the Nile Delta. You must include information about: The location (including a map) Formation of Delta Physical characteristics of the Nile Delta Landforms of the Nile Delta Causes of high erosion in the Nile Delta
History Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 AQA History (7042) Component 1C: The Tudors: England 1485-1603 Core textbook: Oxford AQA History The Tudors: England 1485-1603 Listen to this podcast on Henry VII: Reign of Jeopardy - Not Just the Tudors | Acast. Pupils should make notes on the podcast and biography and be prepared to share their views on the strengths and weaknesses of Henry VII's reign. Read this short biography on Henry VII Henry VII - Historic UK (historic-uk.com) Create an information leaflet on Henry VII using the podcast and article Component 2N: Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia, 1917-1953 Core textbook: Oxford AQA History Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia, 1917-1953 Watch this documentary on YouTube: Last of the Czars: Last of the Czars - 01 - Nicky and Alix (1996) - YouTube Research Karl Max and the meaning of communism – you can choose how to present this research Starting point for research; BBC - History - Historic Figures: Karl Marx (1818 - 1883)
Recommended Reading Component 1C: The Tudors: England 1485-1603 Tudor Fiction series by Phillipa Gregory Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies or The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel or BBC series of Wolf Hall Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England by Thomas Penn Component 2N: Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia, 1917-1953 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (book/film) Ten Days That Shook the World by John Read (book/film)
Mathematics and Further Mathematics Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 GCSE grade 6 standard in Mathematics is required, though a 7 or above is preferred (and recommended). The A Level course will be extremely challenging (and perhaps not possible) if a grade 7 level of understanding or above is not achieved at GCSE. Students wishing to study Further Mathematics are advised that a grade 8 standard or above is desirable. Students must have completed as much of the ‘Head Start to A Level Maths’ pack as necessary. This can be found here. An exam will be given approximately two weeks into the course, which will test whether students have understood the work from the pack and will enable us to gauge the appropriateness of the course for each student. MyMaths.co.uk can also be used to assist in reviewing GCSE materials. Notes It is important to remember that at A level, much of the work deemed to be ‘7 or above’ at GCSE becomes a standard expectation, so reviewing using the ‘Head Start to AS Maths’ pack towards the end of the summer holidays is essential. The new A Level course requires a specific kind of calculator (the GCSE ones are, in general, not high enough spec). We will provide this at the beginning of the course so that everyone has the same version, so please do not feel that you need to get one in advance. Those taking Further Mathematics need to appreciate that not all the combinations of subject options will be available. The options will need to support the strengths of the majority of the class and will be finalised in September.
Media (Creative Digital Media Production BTEC National Level 3) Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Research and prepare a short presentation (no more than 10 slides) or poster on one of the following: A favourite scene/s from a film or television series A film director of your choice A career that interests you in the media world (film) A media organisation of your choice (BBC, Sky, BBFC)
Suggested Visits BFI British Film Institute in London, Southbank BBC Studios, MediaCity, Salford or Birmingham – need to book online Go and see a film you wouldn’t usually watch
Useful equipment and reading A pair of comfortable headphones (no need for expensive ones, labelled The Digital Filmmaking Handbook (Brindle), Quercus Your own 32GB high-quality SD card for filming, labelled Useful additional reading: Making Short Films: The Complete Guide from Script to Screen (Thurlow), Bloomsbury In addition, if you have completed any practical work for GCSE media or as your own project, please bring this with you to the first lesson you attend.
Music
BTEC and A Level Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Learn a new piece of music/song Try a new style/genre Complete an audit (shortlist) of what you know and what you don’t know with the theoretical aspects of how music works. For example, notation, Tab, Graphic Scores…. Play with other musicians (your ensemble skills with be assessed during the course)
Suggested Listening Coverage of summer music festivals/new releases/BBC Proms Expand your musical horizons!
Suggested Watching Watch BTEC Level 3 Music Performance a reminder of the course and the 4 Units that you will be studying. For A Level, - visit www.ocr.org.uk for the OCR H543 A Level specification to remind you of the set areas of study and requirements.
Physics Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Consolidate work from GCSE Physics, particularly: Waves and the Electromagnetic spectrum, Forces, Electricity. Websites such as ‘Pass My Exams’ are good for this.. A handy Physics Pocket guide is available alongside many other resources from the Institute of Physics website.
Required Reading New Scientist magazine (available here) One of the following popular Science books: - ‘The Big Bang’ by Simon Singh - ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything Parts I - III’ by Bill Bryson
Recommended Reading Work through the Student Maths Support pdf from Edexcel .
Notes The exam board for A Level Physics is Edexcel. There are four assessment components to the A level course. Paper 1 Advanced Physics I (worth 30% of the A level grade). This covers topics in Mechanics, Electricity, Fields and Particles Physics. Paper 2 Advanced Physics II (worth 30% of the A level grade) This covers topics in Materials, Waves, Oscillations, Thermodynamics, Nuclear Radiation and Space. Paper 3 All topics and Practical Principles (worth 40% of the A level grade) Core Practicals (PASS noted on your A2 Certificate)
Psychology A Level AQA Psychology introduces students to the scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes. Core topics include: Social Influence Memory Attachment Psychopathology
Research Methods Approaches in Psychology Biopsychology
Students also explore the optional topics of: Schizophrenia, examining symptoms, explanations and treatments Forensic Psychology, investigating criminal behaviour and offender profiling the Psychology of Relationships, studying attraction, relationship formation and breakdown. The course develops critical thinking, research, data analysis and essay-writing skills, and is assessed through three written examinations at the end of Year 13.
Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 1.The class will begin the year looking at social influence and why people behave in certain ways in social situations. Whilst out and about during the summer, observe how people behave in social situations and create a short journal about your findings. E.g; Behaviours lots of people exhibit whilst at a BBQ, at a festival or whilst at an airport. Behaviours that only people of a certain demographic (people group) display. E.g – are the shopping habits different between males and females? 2.Write an answer to the following question – “ People will always follow the crowd and conform to what the majority of people do – to what extent do you agree?”. Your answer should be between 300-500 words. 3.The class will also study different elements of mental health throughout the course. Research a phobia and create a short set of notes about this phobia, the typical causes, as well as the likely treatments for the phobia.
Sociology Sociology is the study of human social life. There are many different aspects of Sociology, so you must be curious and attentive to looking at the world in a different way! Look at this photograph; not everything is as it seems. There is usually another way of looking at things – and that is what we do as sociologists. We take normal, taken-for-granted life and turn it upside down, looking for meanings. And very often we end up seeing things very differently. The social world is changing. Some argue it is growing, others say it is shrinking. The important point to grasp is that society does not remain static over time; it constantly changes - through decades and centuries and across countries and societies.
Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Task 1 Watch an introduction to Sociology. Task 2 Some sociologists argue that individuals are moulded like putty and formed by institutions and structures in our society - like schools, religion and our families. Others argue that there are decisions we make that are driven by our own internal motivations. These behaviours come from within us. This act of free will is called agency. Sometimes we can challenge and oppose structures, and in this way we help construct a part of our identity. Does society create us as individuals, or do we create society? Write up your response. You should consider points that go for and against the question. You should offer evidence and examples. You should come to a clear conclusion.
Spanish Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 1.Make a PowerPoint in Spanish about Spain/the Hispanic world. Include each of the following areas to be presented to the class in September: Geography – research population and regions. History – key historical dates in the 20th century. Music and Art- research an artist, musician or band from the Hispanic world. Politics- outline the main political parties and current political events. Sport – choose a significant sport and give details about a team/sportsperson. Food and drink – research a regional speciality. Entertainment – give a short review of a Hispanic TV series or film. Here are some film and TV series recommendations : Films Ocho apellidos vascos El orfanato Perfectos desconocidos También la lluvia Padre no hay más que uno Arrugas Encanto (Spanish version)
Films La casa de papel Élite Gran Hotel El Ministerio del Tiempo Las chicas del cable Paquita Salas Club de Cuervos Velvet 2.Buy: AQA Spanish A Level and AS Grammar & Translation Workbook
Recommended tasks Grammar -Tenses that you should know before we begin the course: Present tense (regular and irregular verbs) Near future tense Preterite tense (regular and irregular verbs) Simple future tense Imperfect tense Conditional tense If you are not confident using these tenses, you should use the resources listed below to ensure that you are in a position to begin the A level course. Useful websites for grammar revision: https://conjuguemos.com/ languages online News - Download a Spanish news app and read/listen to the news regularly. www.20minutos.es Noticias - BBC News Mundo Podcasts - Listening to podcasts is an excellent way of developing your listening skills. It will also help you with your speaking exams! Here are suggestions (all available on Spotify and most online) Notes in Spanish Hoy Hablamos News in slow Spanish Coffee break Spanish
Sport & Physical Activity Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 Unit 1 1. Create a model of the skeleton and label all of the bones that you need to know for your syllabus. Be creative in your design and bring it to the first lesson back. Axial skeleton Appendicular skeleton Cranium Scapula Sternum Clavicle Ribs Humerus Vertebral column - to include Radius cervical/thoracic/lumbar/sacrum Ulna /coccyx Carpals Metacarpals
Phalanges Ilium Ischium Pubis Femur Patella Tibia
Fibula Tarsals Talus Metatarsals
2. It will really help you to learn early on all the muscles that you are expected to know for this course. These are listed below: Deltoid Latissimus dorsi Pectoralis major Trapezius Teres major Biceps brachii Triceps brachii Radio-ulnar
Pronator teres Supinator muscle Wrist flexors Wrist extensors Rectus abdominus Erector spinae group Internal and external obliques Iliopsoas
Gluteus maximus Gluteus medius Gluteus minimus Adductor longus Adductor brevis Adductor magnus Rectus femoris
For each one learn where it is as well as its function (what action it performs). Unit 2 - Sports Coaching For your chosen sport research the following: 1. Identify and describe the skills, tactics and fitness requirements for your sport. 2. Identify the main coaching points and the progressive practices for at least 3 skills in your chosen sport. 3. Observe a coach and identify what their strengths and weaknesses are. Explain what could be done differently and how this would progress the session further. Produce your work in a written report ready to hand in the first week back.
Art & Design (Textiles) Pre-course tasks to complete by September 2026 To ensure you make the best possible start to Year 12 it would be useful if you could complete the tasks below and bring these to your first lesson back after the holidays. The tasks I have set will be the starting point for your project next term and will form your primary research for our experimental drawing week in September. Project theme: Task One: Task Two: Task Three: Task Four:
Connections. Click here for inspiration. Create a mind map linked to the theme ‘Connections’. Use my Pinterest board to help support you with your ideas. Take 20 good-quality, well-edited photos of ‘Connections’. Create one A4-sized, high-quality tonal pencil drawing related to these themes. Create an A5 pen study based on your photos of ‘Connections’.
Extension If you have the opportunity please visit a gallery or museum to support your studies, take photo, make sketches and write brief notes on your visit this can be created into a double sketchbook page in September.
Sibford School +44 (0)1295 781200 office@sibfordschool.co.uk sibford.org.uk