Sixth Form

Summer Work for Year 12

T Levels

Laboratory Science T Level

For T levels there is industry specific information you will need to know to prepare you for your assessments and work placement, but you will cover that content with us when you join us on the course in September.

For the science content though there are fundamental aspects that will underpin the core B element on your course that require a good knowledge of topics areas that you will have studied for GCSE. To make sure you have a solid understanding of these topics and make the best start on your T level qualification we would like you to spend time over the summer reviewing your knowledge of key topic areas. We will give you a baseline test in September consisting of high-level GCSE exam questions in Biology, Chemistry & Physics to test your understanding. The areas you should cover are:

Biology Topics

Cells & Tissues
Cell division (mitosis/meiosis)
Enzymes
Infection and response
Inheritance, variation & evolution
Ecology

Chemistry Topics

· Atomic structure

Rates of reaction
Ionic & Covalent Bonding
Organic Chemistry
Chemical Analysis

Physics Topics

Electricity
Waves
Magnetism & electromagnetism
Particle model of matter
Atomic structure

GCSE Biology (Single Science) - BBC Bitesize

GCSE Chemistry (Single Science) - BBC Bitesize

GCSE Physics (Single Science) - BBC Bitesize

Health T Level

You can find out more about the T Level health course here. This workbook will prepare you for the start of your course.

Biology A Level

A-level biology is an interesting and challenging course. When you find out how the world works and everything fits together to allow life to exist, it’s amazing. To make the most of the course it is important to get a head start with some of the knowledge and skills you will need while studying the course. To help with this we ask that you read and answer as many of the questions as you can on the worksheets:

OCR - questions

OCR - answers

Submit your work as a pdf or photo to richard.holmes@cambridgeast.org.uk before September.

Amazon is also currently providing the CGP ‘Head Start to A-Level Biology’ kindle book free. We recommend using it. Find the link to the Biology A level and other Head start books here.

At the beginning of A-level Biology in September we require all students to sit a baseline assessment. This will be a 45 minute exam paper, containing high-level GCSE exam questions. It is a chance for you to demonstrate that you have the skills necessary to study A-level Biology. You will need to:

Understand scientific problems
Apply basic scientific knowledge to solve problems
Interpret data shown in graphs and tables
Use data to justify decisions

Students who are not deemed to have performed well by getting a 6 or above will be asked to meet with Biology subject teachers during Biology surgery for extra support. You will also be asked to complete a resit after further revision. You should revise the following topics using some of the resources below:

Specialised cells
Photosynthesis
Adaptations of plants
Respiration and exercise
Natural selection
Enzymes

Use the following link for BBC bitesize

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/examspecs/zpgcbk7

And Seneca Learning ‘Biology AQA GCSE Higher’

Chemistry A Level

Welcome to A-Level chemistry at CAST. Chemistry is a demanding and challenging but rewarding A level which is why your commitment and hard work is necessary. It is important that you carry out independent learning regularly, in your own time and read around the subject so that you can further develop your skills in chemistry. To ensure you are well prepared before you start the course there are several tasks that we would like you to complete.

Tasks: The resources have been carefully selected to help ensure a smooth transition to A-Level chemistry. Try to complete these tasks over the summer break. Mark Schemes have been attached for the RSC sheets.

This task focuses on Key Terms and definitions and revisits investigative skills. It revises Quantitative Chemistry as Maths skills are important in achieving success in A level Chemistry.

Task 1 This task focuses on Key Terms and definitions and revisits investigative skills. It revises Quantitative Chemistry as Maths skills are important in achieving success in A level Chemistry.

Task 2 and Task 3 These sheets have been taken from resources produced by the Royal Society of Chemistry. They have been designed to develop and extend skills such as GCSE chemistry competencies and practical skill knowledg

answers to Task 2

answers to Task 3

Finally, try to review the topics covered at GCSE.

Computer Science A Level

To help you get ready for Year 12 Computer Science we have put together a project for you.

Make sure you read through the project carefully before starting and have fun coding. Click here to download the project.

We suggest you make use of sub routines and function to help solve this problem.

We would also like you to attempt a solution using Visual Basic (if you don’t have time to start learning a new language, use your usual coding language). You can download Visual Studio (the IDE we use at CAST and includes C#) click here. Make sure you add the following modules: ‘.net Desktop Development’ & ‘Universal Windows Platform Development’.

Remember your knowledge of coding constructs and methodologies is the same in most coding languages. An if statement is still an if statement. To help get you started click here for a supporting document. You will find the following websites helpful: tutorialspoint.com & dotnetperls.com

English A Level

In readiness for September, please ensure you have your OWN copy of A Handmaid’s Tale and have read it. (Unlike GCSE, we do NOT read whole texts in class – you are expected to arrive having read it so it can be further explored in lesson time.)

For the linguistic side of the course, please research and define the following terms:

Prescriptivism and Descriptivism.

Then produce your own thoughts in a 600 -1000 word essay response to the following debate question: Is technology (e.g. email, text, social media etc) leading to a poorer form of the English language becoming accepted? Give examples of language in everyday use to support your comments.

Environmental Science A Level

General reading

Environmental science is rapidly evolving field and is often in the news, therefore scanning broadsheet newspapers, news websites and science magazines for relevant articles and reading these is a very good way of getting a good feel for the field.

The following websites are particularly good: https://www.scientificamerican.com/sustainability/

Climate | Latest News & Updates | BBC News

Environment | The Guardian

Areas to particularly focus on are:

Conservation
Climate change
Pollution
Sustainability
Renewable energy
Agriculture

There are many other areas that are also interesting and help to give a wider perspective.

Podcasts

The following podcasts podcasts are very good:

Specific task for completion

Please complete the below task and bring it with you to your first Environmental Science lesson
Choose one of the above podcasts, listen to the podcast and carry out further research around the topic.
Please write a 2 page essay on the topic. You need to think about how your essay is structured to make a clear concise argument.

Use the following scaffold to help you plan:

Paragraph 1

Introduction
- What is the topic you are researching?
- Why is this important?
- What are the major issues (summary only)
- How are they being addressed (summary only)
- What are your conclusions?

Following paragraphs (4 or 5 paragraphs)

In each paragraph choose a specific aspect of your topic and address the following point with regards to that topic.

What is it?
Why does it matter?
What is happening? (What are the trends?)
How do we know? (How are scientists measuring what is happening?)
What will the effect of this be?
What is being done to mitigate it?
Final paragraph

Summary and conclusions

Summarise what you think the main issues are
Evaluate the trends (is the situation going to get better/worse (why?))
What does the future hold?
What are the main conclusions?

Geography A Level

Welcome to Geography A level. Our exam board is AQA.

https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/a-level/geography-7037/specification/subject-content

Wider reading:

Tim Marshall: 1. Prisoners of Geography 2. The Power of Geography 3. The Future of Geography
Hans Rosling: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World

Wider listening:

Costing the Earth https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006r4wn

Wider viewing:

Before the Flood Leonardo Di Caprio Watch Before the Flood https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbEnOYtsXHA&t=2671s

Research:

Complete a Case Study on Andros Barrier Reef in the Bahamas. Watch the following clips, use the power point and then answer the following questions. Please be ready to hand this in during the first week

Andros Barrier Reef

Where is the Andros Barrier Reef?
Why is it so important?
What is the Tongue of the Ocean?
Do some research on the Tongue of the Ocean? What is happening there?
Why is the Andros Barrier Reef recognised as one of the healthiest reef systems in the world.
Make a mind-map showing why the Andros Barrier Reef is so valuable.
Make a mind map showing the impacts of human activity on the Andros Barrier Reef
Describe the impacts of over exploitation on the coral reef.
What is the impact of the removal of Grouper?
What is the impact of the harvesting of sponges.

Maths and Further Maths A Level

Welcome to all considering studying maths with us in September.
The following bridging guide from the exam board (OCR) will provide you with a set of pre-requisite topic notes and student questions to go through.

https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/373371-bridging-the-gap-between-gcse-and-as-a-level-mathematics-a-student-guide.docx

For further work you may wish to look at some of the activities available on Isaac Physics, a great site which include much, often overlooked support for maths

https://isaacphysics.org/pages/maths_practice?stage=all

Further Maths

See above

Professional Construction Practice (DEC) A Level

In preparation for the course there is nothing specific you need to prepare although you might like to have a look around the following web site – don't worry there is more information on the web site you will ever need to know.

Designing Buildings

Psychology A Level

The following sites will provide further insight to wider aspects beyond the specification.

The British Psychological Society (BPS) http://www.bps.org.uk/

Research Digest https://digest.bps.org.uk/ - You can subscribe to receive this fortnightly by e-mail (free of charge) and each brief article is linked to the relevant A level specifications.

BBC www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/allinthemind.shtml - All in the Mind BBC R4 regular psychology programme

Before you start A level psychology in September, please complete the free online course provided by the Open University – link below.

You will receive a downloadable statement of participation. Either print it and bring to your first lesson or email (a photo of it also fine) to: laura.atkin@cambridgeAST.org.uk

I look forward to seeing you in September.

Starting with psychology - OpenLearn - Open University

image-20230719104346-1

Physics A Level

Weclcome to A Level Physics. You can find the Yr11/12 summer work booklet here. We have also produced a reading list to give you a strong background knowledge from which to start your A Level Physics course.