The Art Department is provided with specially equipped Art studios, maintained by a dedicated Art technician. The curriculum is delivered by exceptionally experienced, highly qualified Art teachers – each one a recognised specialist in their field.
At KS3 (Years 7-9), Art and Design is studied for two periods a week. The course has been carefully designed to introduce students to an exciting and varied range of art, artists and cultures. Projects include working with clay, painting, drawing, printing and paper mache.
The Business and Social Studies Department is a vibrant and exciting place to study. We offer a range of courses which cater for a whole array of abilities and age groups. These subjects include Business Studies, Economics, Health and Social Care, alongside Travel and Tourism. The nature of the subjects that are taught means that lessons tend to be dynamic and reflect any changes that are taking place in the real world.
At Key Stage 4, we offer GCSE Business Studies, Economics and our most recent addition, Health and Social Care. Our offer at Key Stage 5 is very broad, allowing students to choose courses ranging from BTEC (Level 2 and 3), AS/A2 and Applied courses. We are currently piloting the Diploma in Business, at both Level 2 and 3. This is a very exciting opportunity and allows us to offer an all inclusive range of qualifications to our Post-16 students.
As well as offering a wide choice of courses, we also ensure that students are given the opportunity to practice what they have learnt in the classroom. Therefore we allow students to partake in such things as Young Enterprise, The Young Apprentice, students Dragon’s Den and other such activites which allow those involved to explore the exciting concept of enterprise. We always encourage the use of real-life examples, allowing students to draw on their own experiences. Because of this we also try and encourage all students at Greenford High School to consider the exciting opportunities that world of business offers.
Citizenship education at Greenford High School is changing and evolving. It involves timetabled lessons in KS3 and whole school themed days in KS4.
The key themes in Citizenship are:
Students further study, crime, personal rights, the role of Government, democracy, the Media, Britain's economy and poverty and the global village.
Many of the themes also allow for a cross curricular approach with areas being also examined in other subjects.
The key skills students develop are critical thinking and enquiry, learning how to take part and taking informed and responsible action.
Students are encouraged to take part within the school and wider community and recognize ways that they can be a better, more informed citizen.
PSHE is taught through Citizenship lessons in KS3. Students understand key aspects of their personal social and health education. Here students learn about the dangers of alcohol and tobacco and other illegal drugs. They also learn about SRE. Some elements of PSHE are taught through a cross curricular approach. For example, students may learn about the economy, work and finance through their other subjects particularly at GCSE.
For more information about the curriculum visit:
Citizenship curriculum PSHE (non statutory curriculum) The Citizenship Foundation
Students study Product Design at Key Stages 3, 4 & 5. Product Design equips students with many core skills which can be used in future careers: independent and team working, oral and written presentation skills, critical analysis, creative thinking, time management, numeracy, literacy and computer skills. All of these in addition to skills needed as a designer: drawing, presentation, creativity, developing an idea, testing and evaluation.
At Key Stage 3, students are given a foundation in designing and making skills across a breadth of material areas: wood, metal, plastics and fabric, to capture their imaginations and prepare them for choosing to study further at GCSE or even towards a rewarding career in the design industry.
At Key Stage 4, students study AQA GCSE Product Design (Coursework 60% Exam 40%) but specialise in either New Product prototyping or Fashion and Textiles.
New Product Prototyping is for students interested in design and innovation and dreaming up the products of tomorrow. The course covers all aspects of new product design and manufacture through practical making activities, drawing and writing.
Fashion and textiles looks at designing textile products such as fashion clothing and accessories or interior furnishings. Working with fabrics, learning about their properties, manufacturing techniques and processes and making textiles products you have designed yourself.
All topics require pupils to have a knowledge and understanding of industrial practises and an awareness of how real designers and manufacturers work including technology.
At Key Stage 5, all students study AQA GCE Product Design (3D) which again includes design and manufacture projects and examinations. Students go on to foundation and degree courses in Higher Education and to National Diploma courses in Further Education. Students can go on to study for design careers or use their points towards non design related degree courses.
Under Construction...
English is a vital subject for all students. Our aim in the English Department is to ensure that students secure the basic literacy and communication skills that they will need to succeed in school and throughout their lives. We are determined that all students should have high expectations of themselves and try their best to develop these key skills, irrespective of ability.
We are also passionate about reading and an important focus at key stage 3 is encouraging a lifelong love for literature. Students also study drama as part of the English curriculum. Literacy in the 21st century includes the ability to ‘read’ media texts and engage with new technologies like digital video and the internet. As we are closely linked with the Media department, students have the opportunity to complete exciting media projects throughout the key stage.
It is important to us that through their study of English students enjoy a wider cultural education. Trips last year included visits to many theatre productions, including the Globe Theatre and we regularly invite poets and writers to come into school to help develop the creativity of our students. We also offer extra-curricular activities such as reading groups and the scrabble club.
Geography is a popular subject at Greenford High School which achieves good results whilst encouraging students to make sense of their world through active learning and enquiry.
At Key Stage 3, all students study geography in tutor groups, twice a week. In Year 7, students learn core geographical skills and start to build a knowledge and understanding of places and processes around the world, such as Bangalore, Capetown and Las Vegas. This is enhanced through Years 8 and 9 with the study of such contemporary issues as: Is globalisation something to celebrate? And, Is nuclear power the answer to our energy crisis?
We have a large GCSE department, with good results. All GCSE students attend a fieldtrip, currently to West Wittering beach in West Sussex to study coastal processes and management. At A Level, we have a growing number of students in both Year 12 and 13 and our results are consistently improving – our latest A2 results are our best ever; 50% of our A2 students have just gone to study the subject at university.
A Level Government and Politics is a popular and successful subject at GHS. In Year 12 students study how the United Kingdom is governed; the powers of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, the function of the UK Parliament, how the legal system operates and the implications of UK membership of the European Union. In addition students need to keep up-to-date with current affairs studying the major Political Parties, what they stand for and the promises they make especially during major elections.
At A2 students study how the United States government operates and the political systems within the U.S. Constitution. In particular students study the Presidency of Barack Obama and review the Presidency of George W. Bush. To supplement students’ learning outside speakers including representatives from the U.S. Embassy in London regularly visit the school.
This is a dynamic subject which is suitable for all students with an interest in the democratic process who find the news (especially Politics) interesting.
History is a popular, innovative subject area where students are encouraged to develop their own ideas, whilst learning from events, people and places that have shaped our world. We are proud of the excellent results that History students have achieved at GCSE and A-level, and aim to nurture amongst all students a life-long interest in discovering about the past.
In Year 7 students are first asked to think about what History is all about and the skills they will need to be historians. We go on to carry out an enquiry about the history of the local area and put together a ‘Diversity Project’ about Ealing and their own family’s links to the area. We end the year with units on medieval England, investigating why the country was taken over in 1066 and what it was really like to be a medieval peasant.
We believe in using a wide range of resources and activities to stimulate our students’ understanding of the past and have arranged trips to the Tower of London, medieval workshops and walks of the local area in previous years to inspire pupils in Year 7.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is used throughout the school in the course of learning and teaching. ICT is expanding rapidly and finds a place in every area of the curriculum. Greenford High School believes that ICT is a powerful tool to enhance learning, and to assist communication within the School and within the community. The effective use of ICT enhances the learning power of students by developing their creative and thinking skills, collaboration and independent learning.
In Year 7 students develop their skills within the context of the Integrated Curriculum and Thinking Skills. From Year 8 ICT is developed with separate ICT lessons, ultimately leading towards every student taking the Functional Skills qualification in Year 10. In Key Stage 4, ICT is also a GCSE option.
ICT in the Sixth Form is well developed and courses offered include AQA AS and A level ICT and AS and A-level computing. Sixth Formers have open access to the Learning Resource Centre for their academic studies and the use of e-mail. A number of our Sixth Form students also support main school classes as part of the school mentoring programme.
Students are set according to Key Stage 2 data at the beginning of Year 7. They follow a Programme of Study that is tailored to their ability that could see them working at any level from 2 to 7. Our class sizes are relatively small in Y7 with approximately 80 students split into four teaching groups in each of three bands. We have specialist teachers throughout the range of age and ability including Special Needs help where appropriate.
Some of our most gifted students are entered for GCSE a year early and can begin AS-Level in Year 11. Our philosophy is geared towards personalised learning with various pathways to GCSE available. In Year 12 we have 110 students enrolled on A-Level courses and we offer all possible combinations of courses including full, discretely taught Further Mathematics.
The Mathematics Department offers a range of extra-curricular activities including Chess, Code-Breaking and Homework Clubs. More are being added and suggestions are always welcome.
During Year 7 students have the opportunity to study three languages – French, German & Spanish! These are taster courses where pupils get a fantastic introduction to the languages and insight into the countries where the languages are spoken. They will find out what the countries are like, who lives there, what the people eat, and all about their customs and festivals. Students will also find out why learning a language is so important.
Students will also start to learn a little of the language so they can greet people, introduce and describe themselves. They will be involved in some great projects which they will research themselves and they will have plenty of chance to use our excellent IT resources and equipment!
At the end of Year 7 all pupils will choose the language that they have enjoyed the most during the year and they will then continue to study this one language from Year 8 until Year 11 when they will take their GCSE in their chosen language.
We also run a club for Years 7 & 8 students to learn Japanese. There are also Panjabi, Gujerati and Hindi classes after school for those students who speak these languages at home to learn how to read and write them. If you speak, read and write another language at home then you might be able to take a GCSE exam in this, so let us know!
At Keystage 3 we develop listening, performing, and composing skills through a variety of topics. In year 7 we study Experimental Music, Gamelan, March, Dance music and Horror. In year 8 we study Rap, African drumming and the Blues and in year 9 Theme and Variations, Samba and Film music.
We use a variety of music technology in all key stages which students use to edit and manipulate their own music. We are also equipped with our own recording studio where students can record their performances to a very professional standard as well as learning how to use the equipment themselves.
Instrumental lessons are available at an extra cost and are taught in small groups with a specialist teacher. The instruments available are drum kit, piano, keyboard, dhol, guitar, violin, flute, tabla, vocal, saxophone and clarinet. As well as instrumental lessons students take part in a variety of extracurricular clubs including two choirs, a music tech club, string ensemble, jazz band, saxophone ensemble and a variety of rock bands and guitar groups. These groups are given the opportunity to perform at a variety of events including the musical production, popular music concerts and many more.
Greenford High School’s PE department is a young, dynamic department where pupils are encouraged to participate in a range of activities both individual and team. The PE department pride themselves on the quality of provision we offer our pupils. At key stage 3 pupils experience numerous sports including netball, football, badminton, table tennis, swimming, trampolining and gymnastics. The main focus in Year 7 is to understand the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and participating in sport; pupils focus on their diet and fitness and follow a programme aimed at improving their core skills for participation in sport and physical activity. At key stage 4 pupils are given option blocks and so follow the sports they favour and in doing so encourage lifelong participation.
In our extra-curricular timetable pupils have the opportunity to experience new and exciting sports such as street dance, fencing, trampolining and self defence as well as more traditional sports of netball, football and gymnastics. Students can join lunch time and after school clubs run by teachers and specialist coaches in a stress free environment with the focus on participation.
We also run GCSE PE and BTEC sport qualifications. Our results in both qualifications are amongst the best in the school. Within our GCSE course we run a trekking trip to Wales where pupils have the opportunity to trek and camp in the Welsh countryside for a week each year. This trip is all about getting back to nature and personal development and is a great success with students returning with a great sense of achievement and focused for their Year 11 examinations. The trekking trip also counts towards all pupils receiving a bronze award in Duke of Edinburgh.
In Religious Education at Greenford High School we investigate the big questions that affect our whole lives. We look into the key beliefs of the major world religions and how their ideologies shape the lives of their followers.
Our first unit in year 7 is all about how the world was created. We compare and contrast the different religious stories about Creation to discover how the world began. Next we look at the birth of Jesus and its significance to Christians today. We then move across the world to another religious founder the Buddha and we learn the reasons why a Prince gave up his wealth to become a spiritual leader. Our fourth unit will be on the different Holy Scriptures and how they guide worshippers to lead a life that would please their God. Next we investigate what different religions teach their followers about the environment and why we should save the planet from pollution and global warming. Finally at the end of the year we investigate the lives of individuals who allowed their faith to guide them and this in turn made the world a better place.
If you like thinking about ultimate questions and what the meaning of your life is all about then RE is for you and we look forward to seeing you soon.
The Science department aims to teach Science to a high standard whilst highlighting the importance of science in everyday life. Students are given the opportunity of hands on experience in a safe environment with an aim to developing their interest and enjoyment of the subject. Science is popular at GHS with a significant proportion of students choosing to continue the subject after GCSE.
In Years 7-9 (KS3) students study a variety of topics across Biology, Chemistry and Physics; such as the environment, microbes, compounds, mixtures, sound and electricity.
Sociology is a fascinating, ever-changing and highly relevant discipline which explores the way in which society shapes our lives and the role we as individuals play in constructing and maintaining a society. By studying Sociology, students will develop a range of skills which will benefit them immensely both in their personal and professional lives – these include the ability to think critically, to convey information persuasively, to construct a clear and logical argument and to use evidence to support their points of view. Students of Sociology will never again take anything for granted and will constantly question the way in which the world works. They will learn to think outside the box, to consider a range of alternative perspectives and will become skilled in analysis and evaluation – two qualities which will benefit them greatly throughout their academic career.
Sociology is a challenging and conceptual subject which complements a range of traditional fields such as English, Sciences, Mathematics, Economics, History & Geography. It can prepare students for a range of careers – which typically include business, law, politics, teaching, social work, journalism, administration and many many more!
Sociologists ask important questions about society, such as:
At Greenford High School we follow the AQA specification for both GCSE and A-Level Sociology.
Areas of study at GCSE include:
Area of study at A-Level include: