Course Information

At Burnage Media Arts College, we work to ensure that every individual student is empowered to achieve his true potential by providing a positive, motivational and Supportive environment in which to learn.

We aim to deliver the National Curriculum and to enrich it by giving opportunities which we believe are suited to the development of the students in this School. Boys are encouraged to appreciate scientific, linguistic and artistic skills and to understand the historical, cultural and environmental dimensions of life as well as furthering their own, innate aptitudes and abilities.

THE SCHOOL POPULATION HAS STUDENTS WHO ARE IN NATIONAL CURRICULUM KEY STAGES 3 AND 4.

In Key Stage 3 the school follows the requirements of the National Curriculum in providing learning programmes in the core subjects of Mathematics. English and Science, and in the additional subjects of:

• Modern Foreign languages
  
• History
  
• Geography
  
• Drama
• Information Technology
  
• Physical Education
  
• Religious Education
  
• Art
  
• Music
  
• Design Technology (including Food Technology)
  
  

One important lesson every week for each class in both Key Stages is the PSHRE lesson in which students follow a programme of Personal, Social, and Health Education. Citizenship is also a vital part of the Curriculum. Much of the work in Year 7 is taught in mixed ability classes as the year is used to make a thorough assessment of each child's abilities and potential. However setting by ability is used in Mathematics and Science. The way in which we group students is constantly under review and likely to change as we seek to improve the education on offer. From September 2004 GCSE PE will be delivered to all Year 9 students.

In Key Stage 4 the curriculum changes to allow more choice in the subjects studied. The National Curriculum still requires continuation of the core subjects of Mathematics, English and Science, and additional time is given to Physical Education and Religious Education. Subjects which can be chosen in the 'Options Pools' and which can be taken to GCSE/Vocational GCSE level are:

• Design Technology (Electronic Products)
• Design Technology (Resistant Materials)
• Design Technology (Graphics)
  
• Design Technology (Food)
  
• Art
  
• Drama
  
• French
• Law
  
• Applied GCSE Art
• Applied GCSE IT
• Music
  
• Physical Education
• Urdu
  
• History
• E-Media
• Media and Film Studies
  
• Geography
  

In addition some students study Bengali, Dutch, German and Arabic to GCSE level, but these subjects are taken by special arrangement at times which can be suitably time-tabled. As well as six specialist areas for Information Technology there are computer network links throughout the school which support the learning taking place in all subject areas, We now have well over 300 workstations at school which allow for a student to computer ratio of 3:1.

(The nature of option choices and the subjects offered at Key Stage 4 are currently under review).