Widening Horizons 2019 - 'True education goes on throughout your life in many different ways and places' - King Edward VI High School for Girls
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Widening Horizons
2019
‘True education goes on
throughout your life in 2008-2009
many SEASON
different ways and places’
Beyond the Examination
“Never just learn to
pass exams. Learn for
the sake of acquiring
knowledge.”
Much of what you do in class over the next few years will inevitably be focused on external
examinations. But we all know there is much, much more to your education than just doing as well as
you can in exams. True education goes on throughout your life in many different ways and places.
Your teachers will often be able to take you way outside the examination syllabus but we want you to
be able to find areas of academic interest that mean a lot to you personally and are not always
restricted to the subjects you have chosen to study.
This booklet is to help you think about areas that may spark off individual interests for you. They may
cross subject boundaries and may help you develop areas of specialisms that you will be able to follow
throughout your life, either as a professional interest or as an absorbing hobby.
Take some time to read through subjects you may think you are not very interested in as well as those
you are. Just because you have not chosen to follow a subject to GCSE or A Level does not mean that
there will not be aspects of the subject that could absolutely fascinate you.
We want you to find endless stimulation and challenge in intellectual areas. That has nothing to do
with examination but everything to do with a full life. This booklet is a starting point.
Page 2
Art
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
• Saturday and Sunday broadsheet newspapers have an Art/Culture section.
• Magazines- Such as Art Review, Art Forum, Creative Review, Tate Etc magazine, Printed Pages.
Are all full of interesting artist references and articles.
• Workshops- often held during the holidays at museums and galleries- try the MAC and the RBSA.
The chance to try something new.
• Visit exhibitions- BM&AG, The Ikon Gallery, Custard Factory- Digbeth, The Barber Institute of
Fine Arts. Nearby is Wolverhampton, Coventry and especially The new Art Gallery, Walsall. Take
any chance you have to visit London for Tate Modern, Tate Britain, The Royal Academy and The
Saatchi Gallery.
• Television programmes- The Culture Show, Imagine, Channel 4 documentaries, Front Row on
Radio 4.
• Art blogs-include, It’s Nice That, Creative Review, booooooom.com, ebsqart.com, these provide
current information about exciting exhibitions and up and coming new artists.
• When on holiday explore your surroundings and inquire about the local arts and crafts of the
area. Visit museums, take photographs and do drawings of what you see.
• Bookshops- second hand charity shops are great for finding interesting and cheap art books.
• Take your camera and sketchbook everywhere!
Page 3
Biology
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
• Look at a science magazine e.g, Catalyst (lower
school), Biological Review (upper school), New
Scientist (Lower Fifth upwards).
• CREST awards and Nuffield Bursaries in Lower
Sixth.
• Read the science sections of good quality
newspapers.
• Watch science on television... Horizon,
Attenborough etc.
• Visit museums (Natural History Museum
(London), nature reserves, RSPB sites, Think
Tank and Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI).
• Conservation work with local Wildlife Trusts.
• Read the Biology notice boards, they are full of
relevant up to date science.
Page 4
Chemistry
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
Read around the subject as much as possible. Any
science based book or magazine is appropriate, but
below are some suggestions.
Books:
Molecules, P W Atkins, published Scientific American
Library, ISBN 0716750198, library class no 541.6
The Periodic Kingdom, PW Atkins, published
Weidenfeld & Nicholson, ISBN 0297816411, library
class no 546.8
Molecules of Murder, John Emsley, published RSC,
ISBN 9780854049653, library class no 615.9
Uncle Tungsten, Oliver Sacks, published Picador,
ISBN 033039027, library class no 509.2
Magazines:
Catalyst, New Scientist, Chemistry Review.
Also make use of all the opportunities available to
you; some ideas are given below.
Miscellaneous:
The Royal Society of Chemistry (www.rsc.org) has a
large number of resources for students.
Look out for science talks and activities open to the
public at the University of Birmingham and museums
such as Think Tank.
‘Compound Interest’ (www.compoundchem.com) in
order to subscribe (free) to receive news of the
latest developments in Chemistry.
Page 5
Classics
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
From the Lower Fifth onwards we suggest that you broaden your experience of the ancient world by
reading in translation some of the works of major Roman and/or Greek authors. We would suggest
different genres of literature, but we would particularly recommend the following:
Virgil: Aeneid
Livy: History of Rome
Suetonius: Lives of the Caesars
Ovid: Metamorphoses
Catullus: Poems
Homer: Odyssey and Iliad
Herodotus: Histories
Aristophanes: Plays
We also regard it as important that you try to visit major Roman and Greek sites and museums. We
would recommend: Hadrian’s Wall; Fishbourne; The British Museum; The Museum of London; and The
Ashmolean Museum. There are also major sites abroad throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle
East. There are wonderful displays of artefacts in museums throughout the world, notable collections
being in the Metropolitan in New York and the Hermitage in St Petersburg. Classical plays are
commonly performed, usually in English, in London, Stratford, Oxford etc.
In the Upper Fifth year, in the GCSE course, you will study authors in the original languages, and we
hope that this experience will inspire you to want to read more Latin and Greek literature. The Classics
Department will gladly give advice on this. For work experience, you could try to work in a museum, at
the University, a Roman site (e.g the Lint at Coventry) or take part in an archaeological dig (you can join
Young Archaeologists). Before entering the 6th Form, we provide a list of suggested reading.
In the 6th Form, we distribute the Classical journal, Omnibus to students, which contains articles on a
wide range of topics. Where time permits, we make suggestions as to wider reading, and we expect
Oxbridge candidates to commit to a programme of extensive study in the summer before application.
There exist a number of summer courses, mainly aimed at Sixth Formers, for those wishing to improve
their Latin and Greek. In particular, there is a JACT course for those who wish to learn Greek from
scratch.
Page 6
Economics
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
Text:
• Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner
• Super Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner
• Tescopoly by Andrew Simms
• How I made it: 40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal All by Rachel Bridge
• The Economics Naturalist – Why economics explains almost everything by Robert H Frank
• Happiness: Lessons from a new science. - Richard Layard
• Chew on this. - Charles Wilson and Eric Schlosser
Newspapers/Journals:
• The Economic Review
• The Times & Sunday Times
• The Financial Times
• The Business Review
• The Economist
• The Guardian
Programmes and Movies:
• The news
• Newsnight
• The Politics Show
• The Apprentice
• Dragons’ Den
• Freakonomics
• Black Gold
• A Beautiful Mind
• The Social Network
Websites:
• www.bbc.co.uk
• www.tutor2u.net
• www.bized.ac.uk
• www.statistics.gov.uk
• www.tradingeconomics.com
Extra Curricular:
• Girls are encouraged to
attend talks and events that have been organised by the
department and Economics Society
Girls are encouraged to participate in various competitions that the department will offer.
Page 7
English
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
1. Read as much as you can – try to find books that especially appeal to you and start to establish your
personal preferences. There are some suggestions below.
2. Go to the theatre if at all possible.
3. Go to the cinema – or better still, watch DVDs/videos of important novels/plays made into films.
Some are superb, some are not – you decide!
4. Visit places made famous by writers – Dorset (Thomas Hardy), the Lake District (Wordsworth and
Coleridge), Birmingham (The Rotters’ Club Jonathan Coe) and Bath (Jane Austen).
5. Watch television: comedy programmes (the nature of the comedy), films (structure, visual effect)
and advertising (the power of the media).
THE BIG READ
The BBC’s Big Read began the search for the nation’s best-loved novel, and we asked you to nominate
your favourite books. Here are the top 15:
1 The Lord of the Rings, J R R Tolkien
2 Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3 His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J K Rowling
6 To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7 Winnie the Pooh, A A Milne
8 Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, C S Lewis
10 Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11 Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12 Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13 Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14 Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier
15 The Catcher in the Rye, J D Salinger
Try to cultivate Scout’s attitude to reading!
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
Page 8
English
Top 10 Films
To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee)
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Kesey)
The Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro)
Kes (A Kestrel for a Knave Hines)
Brokeback Mountain (E Annie Proulx)
A Clockwork Orange (Burgess)
Brighton Rock (Greene)
Rebecca (Du Maurier)
Orlando (Woolf)
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Spark)
Top 10 Books
The Odyssey, Homer
Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Paradise Lost, John Milton
Lyrical Ballads, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Portrait of a Lady, Henry James
Ulysses, James Joyce
The Waste Land, T S Eliot
Twelve Books that changed the World - Melvyn Bragg’s choice
Principia Mathematica (1687) Isaac Newton
Married Love (1918) Marie Stopes
Magna Carta (1215) by members of the English Ruling classes
Book of Rules of Association Football (1863) by a group of former English public school men
On the Origin of the Species (1859) Charles Darwin
On the Abolition of the Slave Trade (1789) William Wilberforce in Parliament, immediately printed in
several versions
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) Mary Wollstonecraft
Experimental Researches in Electricity (three volumes, 1839, 1944, 1855) Michael Faraday
Patent Specification for Arkwright’s Spinning Machine (1769) Richard Arkwright
The King James Bible (1611) William Tyndale and 54 scholars appointed by the King
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) Adam Smith
The First Folio (1623) William Shakespeare
Do you agree with Melvyn Bragg’s choices?
Page 9
French
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
Learning a language to a higher level is not merely about acquiring the necessary grammar and
vocabulary. It is about being interested in all aspects of the target country’s culture: history,
geography, politics, current affairs, sport, food, art, music, literature, drama. Only in this way can you
understand the mindset of another nation.
Here are some of the things that you can do to further your own studies in a language:
• Read regularly in the foreign language: Readers can be borrowed from the library and the
department. Magazines are available in the library. Do not hesitate to ask for advice regarding
the appropriate standard.
• Read the English newspapers: This widens your understanding of home and international affairs
and makes you more aware of different cultures.
• Watch the national TV news.
• Watch foreign TV channels.
• Watch foreign films: Borrow from the school library and Modern Languages department, hire
from shops, attend showings at MAC and The Electric Cinema, attend French Cinema and
Literature Clubs in school.
• Competitions.
• Travel abroad: Take the opportunity whenever it is offered.
• Find a pen-friend abroad: Ask the department for advice.
• Get involved! Take part in the extra-curricular activities on offer in school, eg, theatre trips,
opera visits, cinema visits, school trips abroad, visiting speakers, cinema and literature clubs.
Remember! There is more to language learning than using a textbook.
Thinking ahead.
If you decide to take a Modern Language at A Level, you will find it extremely helpful to have already
investigated the history of the target country and to have read some works of foreign literature in
translation. From the start of the course you will be reading news publications in the foreign language.
The earlier you start to broaden your knowledge of the target culture, the faster you will progress.
Start now: there is no time like the present!
Page 10French
FILMS FRANCAIS A VOIR ET A 22. Nikita – Luc Besson - Le Dîner de Cons (1998)
REVOIR Farce/ Comédie
23. Le Grand Bleu- Luc
1. Les enfants du paradis Besson - Les Tuche (2011)
–Marcel Carné Comédie de mœurs *
24. Jean de Florette/
2. La Belle et la Bête – Manon des sources – - La Vie est un Long
Jean Cocteau Claude Berry Fleuve Tranquille (1988)
Comédie de mœurs
3. Partie de campagne- 25. Gazon Maudit – Josiane
Jean Renoir Balasko Comédie Dramatique :
4. La grande illusion – 26.Diva – Jean-Jacques - L’Auberge Espagnole
Jean Renoir Beinex (2002) Comédie
dramatique *
5. La règle du jeu – Jean 27. Les Visiteurs –Jean-
Renoir Marie Poiré - Les Poupées Russes
(2005) Comédie
6. Jeux interdits- René 28.Les tontons flingueurs- dramatique *
Clément Georges Lautner
- Ensemble c’est Tout
7. Mes nuits sont plus 29.La soupe aux choux- (2007) Comédie
belles que vos jours – Jean Girault dramatique
Andrzej Zulawski
30.La crise- Coline Serreau - Le Hérisson (2009)
8. Jules et Jim –François Comédie dramatique
Truffaut 31. A bout de souffle- Jean-
Luc Godard - La Haine (1995)
9. Les 400 coups – Comédie dramatique/
François Truffaut 32. Milou en mai- Louis Noir et Blanc
Malle
10. La femme d’à côté – - Les Choristes (2004)
François Truffaut 33. Welcome- Philippe Comédie dramatique /
Licret Enfance
11. La grande vadrouille –
Gérard Oury 34.Suite Francaise - Le Premier Jour du
Reste de ta Vie (2008)
12. L’Atlante – Jean Vigo 35. 8 femmes Comédie dramatique
13. Les vacances de Comédie : - Entre les Murs (2008)
Monsieur Hulot – Comédie dramatique/
Jacques Tati - Hors de Prix (2006) Education
Comédie *
14. Etre et avoir –Nicolas - The Artist (2011)
Philibert - Taxi (1998) Comédie/ Romance/ Comédie /
Action Drame/ Muet/ Noir et
15. Au revoir les enfants – Blanc *
Louis Malle - Nos Jours Heureux
(2006) Comédie *
16. Les Choristes- - Intouchables (2011)
Comédie dramatique *
Christophe Barratier - Bienvenue Chez Les
Ch’tis (2008) Comédie *
17. La cage aux folles- - Le Premier Jour du
Reste de ta Vie (2008)
Edouard Molinaro - Tout Ce Qui Brille (2010) Comédie dramatique
Comédie
18. Cyrano de Bergerac – Comédie Romantique :
Jean-Paul Rappeneau - Rien à Déclarer (2010)
Comédie
19. Delicatessen – Caro et - Jeux d’Enfants (2003)
Comédie romantique*
Jeunet - Case Départ (2011)
Comédie
20.le Père Noël est une - Le Fabuleux Destin
d’Amélie Poulain (2001)
ordure-Jean-Marie - Oss 117 (2006) Comédie Romantique *
Poiré Comédie/ Espionnage
21. Les Bronzés- Patrick - LOL (2009) Comédie / - L’Arnacoeur (2010)
Adolescence * Comédie romantique *
Leconte
Page 11French
Drame : A LIRE ET A RELIRE - Au bonheur des dames
(Emile Zola)
- Tomboy (2011) Drame / - Alcools (Appolinaire)
Enfance - Germinal (Emile Zola)
- Les Fleurs du Mal
- Polisse (2011) Film (Charles Baudelaire) - Thérèse Desqueyroux
Dramatique/ Policier (François Mauriac)
- Les Fables (Jean de la
- Je vais bien ne t’en fais Fontaine) - Les lettres de mon
pas (2006) Drame moulin (Alphonse
- Les Liaisons Daudet)
Animation : Dangereuses (Pierre
Choderlos de Laclos) - Le tour du monde en
- Le Chat du Rabbin 80 jours (Jules Vernes)
(2002) Animation - Le Père Goriot (Honoré
de Balzac) - Le Grand Meaulnes
- La Véritable Histoire du (Alain Fournier)
Chat Potté (2009) - Madame Bovary
Animation * (Gustave Flaubert) - Le Petit Meaulnes –
Jean- Louis Fournier
- Azur et Asmar (2006) - L’Etranger (Albert
Animation/ Aventure Camus) - Voyage au bout de la
nuit (Louis-Ferdinand
- Ratatouille (2007) - La Peste (Albert Céline)
Animation * Camus)
- Arthur et les Minimoys - Huis-clos (Jean-Paul
(2006) Animation Sartre) - La Symphonie
Pastorale (André Gide)
Biographie : - Les Mains Sales (Jean-
Paul Sartre) - Le petit prince (Antoine
- Coco Avant Chanel de Saint Exupéry)
(2009) Biographie* - Le deuxième sexe
(Simone de Beauvoir) - L’écume des jours
- La Môme (2007) Drame (Boris Vian)
Biographique - Rhinocéros (Ionesco)
- Moderato Cantabile
Guerre : - La Nuit des Temps – (Marguerite Duras)
René Barjavel
- Indigènes (2006) - Bonjour Tristesse
Drame/ Historique/ - Le Grand Secret – René (Françoise Sagan)
Guerre Barjavel
- Chéri (Colette)
- Un Long Dimanche de - Le Misanthrope
Fiançailles (2004) (Molière) - Vipère au poing (Hervé
Guerre/Romance * Bazin)
- Les femmes savantes
Thriller : (Molière) - La condition humaine
(André Malraux)
- Les Rivières Pourpres - Antigone (Jean
(2000) Thriller Anouilh) - L’Amant (Marguerite
Duras)
- Ne le dis à personne - Candide (Voltaire)
(2006) Drame/ Thriller - Les Contes de ma
- Les Confessions (Jean Mère l’Oye (Charles
Documentaire : Jacques Rousseau) Perrault)
- La Marche de - A la recherche du - Un secret (Philippe
l’Empereur (2005) temps perdu (Marcel Grimbert)
Documentaire * Proust)
- La Place (Annie Ernaux)
- Deux Frères (2004) - Les Misérables (Victor
Drame / Animaux / Hugo) - Désert (Le Clézio)
Docu-fiction *
- Le rouge et le noir - Suite française (Irène
(Stendhal) Nénirovsky)
Page 12French
- 99 Francs (Frédéric
Beigbeder)
- Les Tribulations d’une
Caissière (Anna Sam)
- La Part de l’Autre (Eric
Emmanuel Schmitt)
- Ensemble c’est Tout
(Anna Gavalda)
- Je voudrais que
quelqu’un m’attende
quelque part (Anna
Gavalda)
- Sobibor – Jean Molla
- Métaphysique des
Tubes (Amélie
Nothomb)
- Stupeur et
Tremblements (Amélie
Nothomb)
- Les aventures d’Astérix
(René Goscinny)
- Les aventures de Tintin
(Hergé)
- Et si c’était vrai (Marc
Lévy)
- Où es-tu ? (Marc Lévy)
- Mes amis mes Amours
(Marc Lévy)
Page 13Geography
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
‘Traditional’ Reading Resources
• Fiction and non-fiction - see separate lists.
• A good daily newspaper - So much news is geographical or
has a geographical element. Keep a close eye on relevant
news stories to become an ‘informed citizen’.
• Magazines: National Geographic, Geographical,
Economist, New Scientist, GCSE Wider World, A Level
Geography Review.
• Have, and dip in to, a good atlas at home.
• Browse and sign out books and other resources from the
extensive departmental library in G2. As your teacher to be
pointed towards books in a particular geographical field of
interest.
• Travel guides when you go on holiday - these enable you
to get a ‘feel’ for the place you are visiting, e.g. landscape,
people, culture.
Electronic Resources
• Explore the RGS ‘Geography in the News’ website.
Includes monthly news round ups, online lectures, ask the
expert articles and geographical glossary.
• News websites (e.g. BBC News)
• Download Google Earth at home: a fascinating resource
for general interest purposes and for widening your
geographical horizons. Google Maps is similarly useful and
includes the excellent ‘Street View’ function.
• School network: Google VLE Geography folder - access a
huge number of Geography resources, for example,
hundreds of back copies of GCSE ‘GeoActive’ and A Level
‘Geofile’ publications (on all geographical topics).
• Get blogging! Express your opinions on big global (or
more local) issues on sites such as the BBC, or the school
website blog!
Page 14Geography
Television • Notes from a Small Island,
Bill Bryson. (most Bill Bryson
• Watch geographical and books!)
issues-based programmes on • Five Past Midnight in Bhopal,
TV - there are so many Lapierre and Moro.
around, on free-to-view • Blood River: A Journey to
channels, in addition to Africa’s Broken Heart,
‘special interest’ channels Butcher, T.
such as the Discovery • Coast: The Journey
Channel and National Continues, Sommerville, C.
Geographic. • Earth, Fortey, R.
Holiday Destinations and • Full Circle and Himalaya,
Pailin, M.
Visits
• Ghost Map, Johnson, S.
• Consider any holiday or visit • Living Dangerously,
as informal geographical Fiennes, R.
fieldwork! Make links to • Africa in Crisis (Earthscan)
work you have been • The ‘No Nonsense
studying in Geography. Guides’ (e.g. to
Globalization, Fair Trade).
Fiction Examples • World Disasters Report (Red
Cross / Red Crescent
• The Bookseller of Kabul, Societies)
Seierstad, A. • Atlas of Earthcare (Oxfam)
• The Constant Gardener, • Poverty - No Time to Waste
Le Carré, J. (Oxfam)
• Half of a Yellow Sun,
Archie, C. Film Examples
• Kite Runner, Hosseine, K.
• Small Island, Levy, A. • An Inconvenient Truth
• State of Fear, Crichton, M. • Slumdog Millionaire
• Sweet Thames, Kneale, M. • The Constant Gardener
• Medicine Man
Non Fiction Examples • Hotel Rwanda
• Billy Elliott
• Gaia, James Lovelock • Blood Diamond
• Revenge of Gaia, James • Bend it like Beckham
Lovelock • Born Free
• Developed to Death, Ted • The Last King of Scotland
Trainer • Cry Freedom
• The Rough Guide to • Around the World in 80 Days
Weather, Henson, R. (1956 or 2004)
Page 15History
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
Reading
• There is a wide-ranging senior extension reading list available for Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth
pupils: it is updated periodically and can be downloaded from the History area on Moodle, or a
paper copy can be obtained from Mr Haines. It contains suggestions that are sub-divided by
region/time period/thematic area within the following headings: British History; European
History; American History; Latin/South American History; Near/Middle Eastern History; Russian
History; African History; South/East Asian History; Economic History; Historiography and the
Practice of History.
• Reading to support topics studied in the IGCSE syllabus:
• Germany, 1918-45: there is a vast amount on Weimar and Nazi Germany; two of the best
respected, readable historians on the period are Richard J. Evans and Ian Kershaw.
• Superpower Relations, 1945-62: Tony Judt, Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945;
Michael Dobbs, One Minute to Midnight.
• The USA, 1918-41: T.Fiehn, The USA between the wars 1919-1941 a study in depth.
Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great
American Dust Bowl. Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the
1920s (1931) - full text available online. David E Kyvig, Daily Life in the United States
1920-1940: How Americans Lived During the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression.
• China, c.1911-c.1989: Rana Mitter, A Bitter Revolution: China’s Struggle with the Modern
World.
• Biographies (and autobiographies) of key individuals encountered in the course, such as
Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Mao.
• Reading to introduce topics studied at AS/A2 levels: Christopher Hibbert, The French Revolution,
David Smith, A History of the Modern British Isles 1603-1707, William Doyle, The French Revolution:
A Very Short Introduction and Mark Kishlansky, A Monarchy Transformed: Britain 1603-1714.
• Periodicals: Two excellent periodicals with articles on a huge variety of historical topics each
month are BBC History magazine and History Today. Both are available in the School Library;
look through each month’s issue and note wider reading suggestions at the end of each article,
as well as book reviews, including both non-fiction and historical fiction. You can also browse
recent issues on display in Room 11.
Online
There is a wealth of material available online, but its quality varies considerably. Three of the best
resources designed and accessible for students, covering a full range of historical topics, are:
• BBC History magazine online: www.historyextra.com; includes a variety of articles, podcasts,
book reviews, blogs, links to recent BBC documentaries on iPlayer, a Twitter feed, etc. Also see
the full print edition of the magazine in the School Library each month, and/or browse recent
issues on display in Room 11.
• History Today magazine online: www.historytoday.com; we have a subscription to the full
online archive of articles, which can be browsed by time period, geographical region or
thematic area. Obtain the login details from any History teacher. The site also offers podcasts
and blogs, and there is even a downloadable History Today app for your tablet/smartphone.
Also see the full print edition of the magazine in the School Library each month and/or peruse
recent issues on display in Room 11.
• The Historical Association ‘Student Zone’: www.history.org.uk/resources/student.html; we have
a subscription to this site that includes access to a range of materials. Obtain the login details
from any History teacher. In addition to downloadable articles, publications and podcasts, there
are other resources such as student ‘How to’ guides, information about studying History at
university, careers advice related to History, etc.
Page 16History
TV/Films
• Look regularly at TV listings, with specific attention to BBC Four, which consistently broadcasts
good quality historical documentaries, films, etc.
• You might seek out a range of documentary series available on DVD:
§ Some recent general examples would include: Niall Ferguson’s ‘Civilisation: Is the West
History?’; Andrew Marr’s ‘History of Modern Britain’; Jeremy Paxman, ‘Empire’; Janina
Ramirez ‘The Hundred Years War’; Michael Wood ‘Kind Alfred and the Anglo Saxons’.
§ For IGCSE topics: ‘The Nazis: A Warning from History’; Niall Ferguson’s ‘China: Triumph
and Turmoil’; The Cold War: On the Brink of Destruction.
• Historical films and docudramas can be problematic in terms of their accuracy, but many
illustrate periods quite faithfully. Some examples include: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930);
Elizabeth (1998); Land and Freedom (1995); The Last Emperor (1988); The Last King of Scotland
(2006); Lawrence of Arabia (1962); The Madness of King George (1995); A Man for All Seasons
(1966); Mongol (2007); The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2007); 12 Years a Slave (2013);
Suffragette (2014); Dunkirk (2017); Darkest Hour (2018).
Holiday Visits
• Museums, e.g.,
• In the West Midlands: Barber Institute of Fine Arts; Black Country Museum; Blakesley
Hall; Harvington Hall; Ironbridge Gorge Museums; RAF Museum, Cosford, Shropshire;
Selly Manor; Birmingham Back to Backs; National Memorial Arboretum.
• In London: British Museum; Imperial War Museum & Cabinet War Rooms; National
Maritime Museum, Greenwich; Tower of London; Hampton Court Palace.
• Elsewhere: American Museum (Bath); Ashmolean Museum (Oxford); Fitzwilliam
Museum (Cambridge); Jorvik Viking Centre Museum (York); National Museum of
Scotland (Edinburgh).
• Visit Historical Sites administered by the National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) and English
Heritage (www.english-heritage.org.uk) – both websites have searchable directories – and also
many great cathedrals around the country, e.g. Canterbury, Durham, Ely, Exeter, Hereford,
Lincoln, Westminster Abbey, Winchester, Worcester, York Minster.
• Cities, museums and sites of interests in Continental Europe.
Volunteering
• Look into volunteering opportunities with the National Trust and English Heritage (see websites
above), as well as at museums.
• Cathedral Camps: www.csv.org.uk; spend your holiday working on conservation projects at a
historical cathedral.
• Archaeology: opportunities offered by the Young Archaeologists’ Club (www.yac-uk.org) run by
the Council for British Archaeology.
Page 17Mathematics
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
• Acheson, D. 1089 and All That (2002) 019851623
• Clegg, B. A Brief History of Infinity (1999) 1841196509
• Courant, Robbins & Stewart. What is Mathematics? (1996) 0195101592
• Eastway & Wyndham. How Long is a Piece of String? (2002) 1861055056
• Eastway & Wyndham. Why do Buses come in Threes? (1999) 1861052472
• Hardy, G H. A Mathematician’s Apology (1940) 0521427061
• Hoffman, P. The Man who loved only Numbers (1999) 185702895
• Singh, S. Fermat’s Last Theorem (1998) 1857026691
• Singh, S. The Code Book (2000) 1857028899
• Stewart, I. From Here to Infinity (2002) 0192832026
• Stewart, I. Fearful Symmetry
Page 18Music
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
..............................................................................................................................
• Listen to as much music as possible. Birmingham and the West
Midlands have a huge amount of music going on. Some
events are free and lots of concerts have student discounts.
• Listen to a wide range of music. Familiarise yourself with the
characteristic ‘sound’ of different styles.
• If you are an instrumentalist, ensure you are playing with
groups that extend your repertoire, and get to perform lots.
• Research a particular style. Try researching 8 features of Salsa
and then writing 8/16 bars of characteristic music.
• Are you a composer? Compose lots. Can you find friends who
will play it? Have it performed in school or somewhere else.
• Read music reviews in the papers. Why not write a review
yourself and send it to a paper, saying you are a student.
• If you play an instrument or sing, challenge yourself to
perform in a style that is less familiar to you. If you usually play
classical music, could you try some jazz?
Page 19Physics
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
Reading:
There is a wide selection of ‘popular science’ books in
the school library. A few of the many are listed below:
- ‘The Big Bang’ by Simon Singh
- ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ by Bill
Bryson
- ‘Physics of Star Trek’ by Lawrence Krauss
- Uncle Albert and the Quantum Quest’ by
Russell Stannard
Participation:
There are many opportunities to get involved in
enrichment activities. In recent years these have
included:
- Preparation for Oxbridge interviews (Upper
Sixth)
- Preparation for the Physics Olympiad papers
(Upper Sixth, Lower Sixth and Upper Fifth)
- Engineering Education Scheme (Lower Sixth)
Sixth Form Physics visit to CERN and the Large
- Astronomy activities, including GCSE Hadron Collider 2014
Astronomy (Upper Fourth and Lower Fifth).
- Physics and Astronomy Evening Talks at
Birmingham University (Upper Fifth and
Lower Sixth)
The Partial
- Junior Science Club (Thirds) Solar
- Cosmic Ray Project (Lower Fifth to Upper Eclipse 2015
Sixth) using our own Cosmic Ray Detector
and Europe-wide networks.
Page 20Russian Lower Fifth to Sixth Form Suggested reading list: “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” (Old East Slavic: Слово о плъку Игорєвѣ), anonymous epic poem Nikolay Karamzin: “Poor Liza”, “Letters of a Russian Traveler” (1791–92) Alexander Pushkin: “Eugene Onegin”, “The Captain’s Daughter”, “The Queen of Spades” Nikolai Gogol: “The Government Inspector”, “Dead Souls” Mikhail Lermontov: “The Masquerade”, “A Hero of Our Time” Ivan Turgenev: “Fathers and Sons”, “First love”, “Asya”, “A Month in the Country” Fyodor Dostoevsky: “Poor Folk”, “Crime and Punishment”, “The Idiot” Leo Tolstoy: “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina”, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” Nikolai Leskov: “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” Anton Chekhov: short-stories, “Uncle Vanya”, “Three sisters”, “The Cherry Orchard”, “The Island of Sakhalin” Mikhail Bulgakov: “Master and Margarita”, “A Dog’s Heart” Maxim Gorky: “My childhood”, “Life of Klim Samgin”, “The Lower Depths” Boris Pasternak*: “Doctor Zhivago” Ivan Bunin*: short-stories Alexander Kuprin: “The Garnet Bracelet”, “Olesya” Alexander Solzhenitsyn*: “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” Mikhail Sholokhov*: “And Quiet Flows the Don” Vladimir Nabokov: “Mashenka”, "King, Queen, Knave", “The Defense” Joseph Brodsky*: poems Sergey Dovlatov: “A Foreign Woman”, “The suitcase” Lyudmila Ulitskaya: Sonechka, Medea and Her Children Films to watch: Sergei Eisenstein’s films: “Battleship Potemkin” (1925; named the 11th greatest movie of all the time), “October” (1928), Ivan the Terrible (1944, 1958). Andrey Tarkovsky’s films: “Ivan’s Childhood” (1962), “Andrei Rublev” (1966), “Mirror” (1975). WWII themes: “The Cranes Are Flying” (1957) by Mikhail Kalatozov, “Ballad of a Soldier” (1959; won BAFTA award for the Best Film) by Grigori Chukhrai. Both films won Cannes’ Palme d’Or. Several Soviet films have received Oscars: “War and Peace” by Sergei Bondarchuc (also won Golden Globe), “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears” by Alexander Menshov. Famous Soviet comedies: “Carnival Night” (1956), “The Irony of Fate” (1976), “The Twelve Chairs” (1976), “Walking the Streets of Moscow” (1964), “Gentlemen of Fortune” (1971), “Operation Y and Shurik’s other Adventures” (1965). Contemporary Russian films: “Burnt by the Sun” (1994) by Nikita Mikhalkov (won Oscar and Cannes film festival), Valery Todorovsky’s “The Country of the Deaf” (1998), “The Return” and “Leviathan” (won Golden Globe, Best Film at Cannes and London Film Festivals) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, “Stalingrad” by Fyodor Bondarchuk, “Island” by Pavel Lungin (winner of 63rdVenice International Film Festival). Russian literature consists of the several periods: Old Russian literature, XVIII and XIX century literature, émigrés, Soviet Union and the Contemporary. XIX century was the “Golden Era” of Russian literature. It brought the world-renowned authors like Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Gogol. Page 21 *Nobel Prize Winners
Religious Studies
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
Religion is often considered to be a major influence on the development of our history and culture.
Even militant atheists such as Richard Dawkins acknowledge the persistence of religion in human
society - Dawkins calls it a ‘cultural meme’! Think of the major works of art, music and literature which
were inspired by, or employ, religious themes. Next time you visit Birmingham Museum and Art
Gallery, look for paintings with explicit and implicit religious content. Go online and view examples of
art depicting the sacred from all over the world. How and why is religious symbolism employed?
To extend your thinking, begin by being more aware of the influence of religion all around you. Once
you have raised your awareness, you will see these influences everywhere! You live in, or near to, a
vibrant city full of religious traditions. Try to visit some of the communities with which you have so far
had little contact. You can get contact information via the Internet. Always ring before you visit and
take care to observe codes of conduct (eg, dress). Birmingham has an Interfaith Council, what can you
find out about the work that it does?
Everything around you, and especially your regular reading of a quality newspaper, should inspire you
to explore religious, philosophical and ethical themes. How do people make sense of our world? How
do people attempt to answer the ‘ultimate questions’ of life? Which ‘world views’, religious or
otherwise, do people adopt, and why? How do religious believers hold on to God, whilst
acknowledging the reality of suffering in our world? What inspires others (for example Humanists) to
adopt a secular world view? Think……Think……!
Perhaps you are a budding linguist and would enjoy exploring Biblical Hebrew or New Testament
Greek? How about Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Hindu scriptures? Come and ask for advice on
how to get started!
If your interest lies with Philosophy of Religion, start your reading with John Hick’s Philosophy of
Religion, then move on to Swinburne’s The Existence of God and Karen Armstrong’s The Case for God.
The University of Birmingham runs the Cadbury Lectures every year. These are open lectures based on
a theological theme. Even if you cannot attend the series, you might like to sample one or two. Look
at the University website for more information or contact the Theology Department directly. The Hick
Centre for the study of Philosophy and Religion is also housed at the University and runs Public lectures
from time to time.
The Internet is potentially a wonderful source of information on Religion and Theology. Just be
discerning in your choice of sites and always consider the material critically and with an eye to bias!
Page 22Sixth Form Enrichment
This is what gives more breadth to your learning.
The following books are recommended:
The Gaia Atlas of Planet Management
Sharing Nature’s Interest Chambers
The Revenge of Gaia Lovelock
A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson
Starting Economics G F Stanlake
The Communist Manifesto Marx and Engels
The Selfish Gene Richard Dawkins
Molecules P W Atkins
Philosophy and Religion John Hick
Bad Science Ben Goldacre
The Rest is Noise Alex Ross
You should also read some fiction of your own choice.
It is a good idea to keep an eye on contemporary fiction by reading one or two of the novels nominated
for the annual literary prizes such as the Booker Mann Award or the Orange Award.
You are encouraged to read one of the following broadsheet newspapers on a regular basis, and we
hope that you will read all of the others occasionally:
The Times
The Guardian
The Daily Telegraph
The Independent
The Financial Times
The Independent on Sunday
The Observer (a Sunday newspaper)
The Week (a compilation of the ‘best’ stories and articles from the papers for a whole week).
The Guardian Weekly (best articles from Guardian, Observer and others).
There are online versions of the newspapers too:
www.dailynewspaper.co.uk www.theguardian.com
www.independent.co.uk www.thetimes.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.uk observer.theguardian.com
For the sake of comparison, you should also have looked at some tabloid newspapers.
Music
There are many genres of music with which you are probably unfamiliar. Try to branch out into a new
area and listen to some jazz, some classical or some traditional folk music. There are endless examples
of these genres on YouTube and Spotify.
Cable and Satellite Channels
Euronews, Bloomberg, BBC Parliament, The Music Factory, Performance Channel, UKTV Documentary,
the Discovery Channel, Discovery Science, National Geographic, History Channel.
Page 23Sixth Form Enrichment You should try to read the Arts column in the broadsheets. You are encouraged to read each of the following periodicals at least once: New Scientist The Ecologist The Spectator Scientific American The Economist London Review of Books Time New Internationalist National Geographic Times Educational Supplement New Statesman and Society Newsweek You should ideally have visited each of the following during the last few years: Cinema, Theatre, Concert, Art Gallery, Museum, Historical/public building, A local government Council meeting, A law court in session You are encouraged to watch or listen to Arts programmes on television and radio, eg: BBC2 Newsnight Review A History of the World in 100 Objects. BBC Radio 4 Front Row TED Talks Online BBC Radio 4 Open Book (in this section on Radio/TV programmes, many examples are given because the programme schedules in a given season will not include all the titles mentioned. For the same reason, no days/times are quoted here.) Science programmes that are worth looking out for: BBC TV Horizon BBC Radio 4 Nature BBC Radio 4 Frontiers BBC Radio 4 Costing the Earth BBC Radio 4 Case Notes BBC Radio 4 The Material World Religion/Ethics programmes: BBC Radio 4 Thinking Allowed BBC Radio 4 The Moral Maze BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief BBC World Service Reporting Religion Politics programmes: BBC Radio 4 Daily Politics BBC Radio 4 Westminster Hour BBC1 Question Time BBC Radio 4 Today in Parliament BBC Radio 4 The Politics Show BBC Radio 4 Today The following websites are worth exploring: A local government website (eg, www.birmingham.gov.uk) Religion and ethics websites (eg, www.bbc.co.uk/religion) Society (eg, www.bbc.co.uk/news) Science (eg, www.invent.org , www.nutrition.org.uk , www.scientificamerican.com , www.sciencemuseum.org.uk , www.nasa.gov , www.royalsociety.org Arts (eg, www.artscouncil.org.uk , www.britisharts.co.uk ) Global, environmental, economic issues (eg, www.worldbank.org , www.gov.uk/defra , www.oxfam.org , www.eurec.be , www.who.int ) Technology (eg, www.popsi.com , www.nesta.org.uk ) Page 24
Spanish
Lower Fifth to Sixth Form
READ, RESEARCH, REVIEW
1. Read regularly. This could be works of literature
in translation but also the news. The more you
read about Spanish and Latin American culture,
current affairs, history, literature etc., the more
you will enjoy the subject. As a minimum you
should read one article per week from a Spanish
newspaper such as ‘El Pais’.
2. Research. Choose a topic that interests you and
explore it in your own time. When you are ready
you can present it to our Reading and Research
group.
3. Review. Attend theatre productions, watch films
in Spanish, watch TV programmes about Spain
and Latin America, read articles in newspapers
and magazines, visit Spanish-speaking places and
give us your opinion about them.
See our reading list on the school website but also take
books out from the Spanish section in the Library. The
sooner you start the better.
“Running the Spanish Cinematic Society has given me a
degree of responsibility as well as introducing cultural
depth into my Spanish studies through the best Spanish
language films from South America and Spain.”
- Year 13 Student
Page 25L5th Enrichment Programme
As well as enjoying the activities suggested earlier in this booklet to help expand academic interests
outside school, you may want to engage in some subjects to further your knowledge and skills in
school. On the next few pages are some suggestions put forward by departments to enable you to
pursue and immerse yourself in subject-based projects. Although you would be given initial guidance by
a teacher you would carry out the work independently.
We hope this would enable you to:-
• foster a love of learning beyond the specifications you are being taught
• enhance your creative skills
• take risks
• develop independent learning
What do you need to do?
• look carefully through the suggestions
• choose the subject area(s) you enjoy
• select the project(s) in which you would like to get involved
• Talk to Dr Limm about your chosen topic
The success of your task will depend on your commitment. It is always encouraging for effort and a high
level of achievement to be recognised and your completed work will be examined for you to receive
feedback. This could be by:
• head of department or a subject teacher
• a school governor
• university lecturer/research student
• retired head of department from KEHS
• Mrs Clark
You might want to publish your work on the school website.
We hope you find the suggestions here exciting and challenging. We hope you are inspired to have a go!
Who knows what you will accomplish. Don’t forget…….
“If you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”.
Page 26Enrichment Activities
Enrichment Activities for Art & Design
• Select a piece(s) of artwork or an artist. Study in depth enough to produce an illustrated article
suitable for a full page in a newspaper or magazine. Write, design and produce the piece as if it
were in the style of a magazine or paper.
• Read a monograph of an artist who is new to you. Condense the information that you have
acquired onto the back of a postcard, along with an illustration on the front side, produced by
you.
• Why does Walsall have an Art Gallery?
• Which artists were involved in the creation of Coventry Cathedral?
• What can you find out about the IKON Gallery, Birmingham, which is celebrating its 50th year.
• Who collects Art and artefacts? Think of four different types of collectors and what their
differing purposes are. Produce your research as well as an account of each type.
• Choose a publication that is available from bookshops/stationers e.g., ‘Artist and Illustrator’,
‘Creative Review’, ‘Ceramic Review’. Write a review of it, or a part of the publication that
interests you.
• Get to know one of the following websites:
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artforum or
www.saa.co.uk/forum
www.pinterest.com
• Create your own blogspot.
• Study one painting. Investigate everything that you can about it and analyse the actual painting.
Enrichment Activities for Biology
• Review and present analysis of articles from ‘Biological Review’ (A level students’ magazine
available in the school library).
• Discuss critically newspaper reports of biologically important issues.
• Set up groups to study and monitor the ecology of the school grounds
• Look on www.schoolscience.co.uk for interesting articles and competitions.
• Review and make presentations on material from the Wellcome Trust.
• Make a short video to explain a biological issue. For ideas look at www.planet-scicast.com.
• Practically investigate hypotheses put forward to explain statements e.g. -
o Why do badgers have shorter forelimbs than chimpanzees?
o Why do birds fluff up their feathers in the winter? Page 27Enrichment Activities
o Why don’t plants grow well in waterlogged soils?
o Are dock leaves really effective against nettle stings?
• Complete an AQA A Level 2 project e.g. -
o Research how the brain works and produce a pamphlet to help pupils revise and learn
more effectively.
o Respond to common public objections to the high level of scientific confidence in
Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
o Produce a poster, using all 3 sciences to explain how a plant manages to obtain the
energy and materials needed to live.
• Join BIONET. See www.rsb.org.uk for details.
• Take part in competitions run by The Royal Society of Biology or the Nancy Rotwell Award if you
like drawing.
• Get involved.
Enrichment Activities for Chemistry
• Various activities are available through the Royal Society of Chemistry’s website.
• Discuss critically newspaper reports of scientifically important issues.
• Research new uses of nanotechnology or new materials.
• Produce an ICT resource or a pamphlet on an area of Chemistry, such as ion tests or organic
mechanisms.
• Review a Science book from the Library, either in a written review, a poster or a web item.
• Research an interesting topic encountered in ‘Catalyst’ magazine.
Enrichment Activities for Classics
• Visit local museums and sites.
• Join Young Archaeologists Club (national society).
• Teach yourself Greek. (Help and resources available from the Classics Department.)
• Gather newspaper articles about Classics.
• Enter essay competitions in ‘Omnibus’ and ‘Isis’ magazines, as well as national competitions as
advertised in school.
Page 28Enrichment Activities
• Undertake a Classical art project eg, design a mosaic, Greek Vase, a modern piece inspired by
Classics.
• Organise and produce a Classical play in translation or in the original language.
• Go into a local school to teach Minimus, a Latin course for younger students.
• Start a Classics club for 3rds.
Enrichment Activities for English
There are many opportunities for you to develop an interest in all things literary:
• Creative writing group
• Get involved in Cinematic society
• Reading groups (for all ages)
• Enter competitions – there are many. All details are available in the library
• Look at the library displays and the new books to inspire you
• Ask your teachers, friends or the librarian for suggestions
• Enter the competition for KEHS Poet Laureate
• Go to the school plays and dramatic productions
• Write for the school website
• Use the school library to read in a comfortable chair or watch a DVD
• Spend some time (and possibly money!) at the annual Book Fair
Enrichment Activities for French
• Read regularly in French.
• Attend French Cinema Club and French Literature Club in school.
• Create posters for the French Cinema Club.
• French films at the MAC / Electric etc.
• Enter the various competitions organised by the French Department.
• Attend Modern Language Society talks.
• Read French magazines/novels available in the Library.
• Subscribe to a French Magazine.
• Start a French Club for the 3rds.
• Research a French region / a French-speaking country.
• Research a famous French poet/author/singer.
• Display work for the French Department.
Page 29Enrichment Activities
• Write a short story in French / a collection of poems.
• Write and produce a play in French.
• Design a French newspaper or a page in French for the school magazine.
• Design a school magazine in French, about the French Department.
• Produce a scrapbook with articles (both in French and English) about France and French-
speaking countries arranged by topics/themes.
• Write regularly to a pen-friend.
• Talk to your French teachers/assistants in French.
• Investigate French websites.
• Help with lunchtime sessions.
• Lunchtime seminars.
• Level 2 and 3 projects.
• Help younger girls.
Enrichment activities for Geography
Geographical organisations – join the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and become an RGS Young
Geographer! Attend lectures and events of theirs.
Geog-Soc – Get involved! Attend meetings regularly, or set up a new club or initiative in a particular area
of Geography (e.g. Meteorological Society; Hazard Watch; environmental initiatives, etc). Or get
involved with ‘one-off’ activities (e.g. ask to lead a quiz for Thirds or Lower Fourth; request a
geography-related film showing, and lead discussions about it afterwards).
Newspaper, magazine and online news - Critically discuss, or review and present, articles from
newspapers, magazines or online news sites (e.g. BBC) relating to geographical issues. Contribute to
blogs discussing such issues. Keep a scrapbook of ‘Geography in the News’.
Extended Project – Undertake a Level 2 Extended Project on a geographical question (an independent
research project). These projects have the value of an extra half a GCSE. Ask your teacher about this
opportunity.
Visits and Holidays - Consider setting yourself a mini-research project or record a photo-journal (or
make a short film) which you could present back at school. Discuss the places you visit with your
parents. Ask your parents to go to places of geographical interest!
Page 30Enrichment Activities
Enrichment Activities for History
• Write a review of a book on the Department’s extension reading list, or another of your choice,
or a comparative review of two pieces of historical writing on the same topic
• Write an entry for the KEHS History Blog, e.g.
- A factfile or profile of a particular historical figure or event.
- An account of a trip to a historical site(s)
• Browse and read articles each month in BBC History and History Today magazines; read, review
and discuss critically with others an article(s)
• Produce a creative piece, such as a play, video, interactive presentation, etc., based on reading
around a historical topic
• Consider exploring a thematic aspect of a historical context that links to other subjects in the
curriculum, such as History of Science, Art History, etc.
• Attend a lecture or event organised by the Birmingham Branch (or other local branch) of the
Historical Association: see lists available in the Department, or check the Historical Association
website, www.history.org.uk
• Complete a Level 2 Project on a historical topic
• Attend the Sixth Form History Discussion Group, held every fortnight.
Enrichment Activities for Mathematics
• Puzzles/problem-solving extension work in Maths lessons
• Take part in UKMT Maths Challenges
• Study Additional Mathematics in Lower Fifth/Upper Fifth
• Attend the weekly after school Maths Masterclass sessions
Enrichment Activities for Music
Whatever type of musician – composer, performer or listener, there are many initiatives that can be
taken so as to extend an individual’s skills and interests. A passionate musician, however, should
definitely embrace all facets of the speciality, practical, creative and academic, whatever their personal
strengths in this field. This will then, enhance their ability to interpret, analyse, generate and discuss
within the context of their own musical expertise.
ACADEMIC:
Listening & Reading
• Borrow from the Department CD library and/or Birmingham Central Music Library; listen to a
wide range of music on the radio or Spotify. Listen to new music each week, keeping notes on
what you listened to, including comments on style and performance.
• Borrow CDs of the same piece by different performers and compare interpretation.
• Go regularly to musical events e.g. concerts, musicals, opera etc. Read about the music
beforehand and reviews of these events afterwards.
• Borrow books from the School Library and Birmingham Central Music Library. Read biographies
of composers, analyses of music you have heard, and stylistic discussions.
• Borrow scores from the Department and Birmingham Central Music Library. Try to analyse the
music, appreciating its stylistic qualities in particular. Look especially at music which is
unfamiliar. Many scores are available online at www.imslp.org
Page 31Enrichment Activities
• Visit Birmingham University Music Department Library in the Barber Institute. Read
musicological discussions in monthly journals and look at scores kept there.
• Search the internet for reviews, analyses etc on music you have heard.
• Try to ‘score-read’ at the keyboard. Use a score for chamber ensemble to begin with, and
attempt to reproduce this music at the keyboard.
Composing
• During free time in school use the spare computers in the Music Department ante-room ‘Walton’
to further your composition work.
• Set yourself a challenge to write a pastiche of a particular musical style. Listen to the style, read
about its qualities and then attempt to reproduce. Search on the internet for composing
competitions aimed at teenagers. Try entering!
• Ask for a commission for an event, perhaps a school occasion.
• Work at improvising, especially at the keyboard.
Practical
• Involve yourself in a variety of extra-curricular music, both in and out of school.
• Use the practice rooms in free periods.
• Try to arrange playing to other teachers of your instrument so as to get their opinion on your
performances. Organise performance opportunities for yourself, both in and out of school.
• Record yourself and appraise your performance, comparing it to a professional recording.
Consider how the professional performer interprets the music, bearing in mind what you have
read about the piece and composer.
• Develop your leadership skills by coaching a chamber ensemble.
Enrichment Activities for Religious Studies
• Assess the role and status of women in any faith community of your choice. Why not begin by
talking to women in our school community who belong to a range of faith traditions?
• Select a local place of worship; trace its history and development, and assess its contribution to
the local community. For example, you could consider the influence of Quakerism in
Birmingham. Notice that this task moves away from the descriptive to an analysis of a function
of a religious building/community.
• Write a book review of Hitchens’ ‘God is Not Great’.
Page 32You can also read
