Curriculum Extension Programme
September 2024
CURRICULUM EXTENSION PROGRAMME
The Curriculum Extension Programme (CEP) runs alongside A-levels and adds breadth and depth to the academic offering in the Sixth Form. There are many options from which to choose, but all give boys the opportunity to develop new skills and, in most cases, to do so without the limitations imposed by having to prepare for an examination. All options are taught by Radley dons and timetabled for three or four lessons per two week cycle throughout the 6.1 year. There are no CEP lessons in the 6.2 year.
In a world increasingly dominated by high stakes public examinations, boys sometimes struggle to see the point of subjects which do not result in a qualification. Whilst A-level results are the most important measurable academic outcome of Sixth Form life, the breadth of education to which the CEP contributes is also tremendously important. In different ways, all CEP subjects promote and develop independent learning and the kind of study skills that are needed to flourish at university. They are also an opportunity for boys to try something new that will broaden their horizons and make them a more interesting person as a result!
K A Mosedale Head of Curriculum Extension kam@radley.org.uk
THE SIXTH FORM CURRICULUM
In the 6.1 year all boys will have five pillars to their academic life as shown in the diagram below:
The majority of boys will follow Route 1 and take two CEP options.
Boys who choose Further Maths will follow Route 2 and only choose one CEP option.
Many boys start the Michaelmas term of the 6.1 year with four A-levels and then drop down to three after a few weeks. Boys who opt to continue with four for the whole of the 6.1 year will be allowed to drop one of their CEP options and follow Route 3 from Michaelmas half-term onwards.
If boys drop Further Maths before the end of the Lent term, they will be expected to take up a second CEP option but in this case their options for this second option will be limited.
CEP OPTIONS FOR 2024/25
The proposed CEP options for the academic year starting in September 2024 are shown below along with a short description of the course. Please note that for timetabling reasons, Art AS and Portuguese are not available to boys studying Further Maths. Art AS also counts as two CEP options so boys who opt for it do not take a second CEP option.
Some options require a minimum number of boys before they can run and CEP options may also need to be reassessed if insurmountable timetabling complications arise.
ACTING ( LAMDA )
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) exams are practical exams where boys perform a selection of duologues from Theatre or Film. They are also questioned on the wider context and preparation of the pieces. Prior to the exam (early in the Summer term) there is an evening showcase event in the Studio Theatre. It cannot be stressed strongly enough that this is NOT just for those who already have experience of acting. Some of the boys who have gained most from the qualification had never acted before, but LAMDA is a wonderful opportunity to improve speaking skills, understand and improve body language and develop self-confidence. For boys with a heavy academic schedule, it can also be a welcome change of pace and a completely different challenge. In timetabled lessons, all boys will work in groups with a member of the Drama department, but one session per week is timetabled with an experienced external LAMDA coach. These sessions are billed at £20 per session and the total cost over the year (including exam entry fees), is around £500.
ART
The Art AS course is a wonderful way for boys to develop their creativity if the full A-level doesn’t fit in with their other subject choices. Because it leads to an AS qualification and is done over one year, it is timetabled for 8 lessons per fortnight. Boys who opt for it do not take a second CEP option. Different themes are used to stimulate ideas and boys then can choose from a wide variety of artistic media for their final pieces. Exam results from boys in previous years have been excellent and the support from the Art department is outstanding. Boys can choose this option even if they did not study Art for GCSE.
Boys taking Further Maths can also choose Art as a CEP option, but this will not lead to an AS qualification. Instead, the focus will be on producing pieces of work for an end of year exhibition.
BIOLOGY/CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
This option is only suitable for boys studying A-level Biology/Chemistry.
In these CEP options, boys undertake individual projects that develop both their understanding of concepts and their practical skills. Some boys may work on projects with the Institute for Research in Schools. When experiments require extended periods of time boys also work in the Science Department after games on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
An increasing number of Radleians are starting their own companies and this CEP option gives boys the chance to develop some of the skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur. After an initial skills development package based around a lecture programme and planning exercise, the remainder of the time is developing business ideas and starting a business as part of the Tycoon Enterprise competition.
EXTENDED WRITING
The Extended Writing CEP option gives boys the chance to become better writers. There are two routes through this CEP option.
• The first route is informal writing or journalism. Boys will write a series of articles (on the Edublogs platform) and will learn to embed images, videos and links. Assignments will vary from interviews to film reviews and then longer features on subjects of a boys choosing. In the
past, boys have used articles as the way in to work experience placements in the motor and financial industries.
• The second route is academic writing. In the first half of the Michaelmas term, boys will be taught the research and referencing skills needed for academic writing. They will then complete a short project and those that show the necessary aptitude and commitment will be offered the option of taking the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). This is an independent research project which involves one of:
i) Writing a dissertation of at least 5000 words on any suitable subject.
ii) Creating an artefact, which might be anything from an art object to an app or a screenplay (with supporting evidence of planning and the creative process in action).
iii) Staging a play or musical performance (with supporting evidence of planning and the creative process in action).
The EPQ is a significant piece of work that is recognised by UCAS and some universities make lower offers to students with at least an ‘A’ grade in the EPQ. It will take about 80 hours of work to complete an EPQ and a significant amount of time outside lessons and in the holidays will be needed for a top grade project. For boys with genuine academic curiosity, it is a wonderful opportunity to become an expert in a field that interests them and to produce a significant piece of academic work. Boys who continue with the academic writing option without taking an EPQ will instead write an essay for the Serpentes essay competition which runs every year or enter an Oxbridge essay prize as an alternative.
FILM STUDIES/EUROPEAN CINEMA
Most boys watch a lot of films, but their knowledge and understanding of the history of film and the visual literacy aspects of cinema are often less well developed or even completely absent. This option aims to remedy that by offering boys the opportunity to watch, analyse, discuss and write intelligently about the films that are studied. In one of the CEP timetable blocks, the focus is European cinema. This would be ideal for any boys studying modern languages at A-level or with an interest in European culture.
GERMAN
Only suitable for boys who studied GCSE German. Not suitable for native speakers.
For boys not planning to take German at A-level, this CEP option is an ideal way to continue developing their language skills in a relaxed and enjoyable way. The aim is to reach level B1 or B2 of the Goethe-Zertifikat:
The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is a German exam for young people and adults. It certifies that candidates are independent users of the German language and corresponds to the third level (B1) on the sixlevel scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
https://www.goethe.de/ins/gb/en/sta/lon/prf/b1e.cfm
MEDIEVAL HISTORY
Medieval History will be taught by the Chaplain and is based on a course that he taught as an academic at Cambridge University. It will broadly cover the history and culture of early medieval Europe from the fall of Rome (c. 476) to the Norman Conquest (1066) but mainly focus on the eighth and ninth centuries. This was a time of warrior kings, Viking invasions, clashing shield walls, and new kingdoms rising from the ashes of the Roman Empire. There will be some lecturestyle lessons but most of the classes will be discussions of key texts from this period, helping boys develop their close reading skills and giving them a chance to hear the voices of these tumultuous centuries for themselves.
Whilst obviously of interest to any boy thinking of studying History at university, it would also be ideal for anyone thinking of studying a humanities subject. Owing to the nature of early medieval studies, this CEP option will touch on material and concepts from classics, theology, politics, English, French and German. So very much not just for historians!
MINI - MBA
Radley has partnered with the world renowned Hult Ashridge business school to develop a mini-MBA course that has now been running for five years. It is taught by Radley dons using material developed by Hult Ashridge on their online learning platform and offers an excellent introduction to the world of business. The Michaelmas term is all about personality types, selfawareness of strengths and weaknesses, building effective teams and leadership. After the soft skills of the Michaelmas term (including a psychometric test and seminar delivered by Ashridge personnel), the Lent term is more focused on the basics of financial management, accountancy and understanding balance sheets. Marketing and strategy then occupy some of the Lent and Summer terms.
The mini-MBA attracts an additional cost of £1500 which is billed in three termly instalments. This covers the Hult Ashridge costs and Radley does not make a profit from running the course.
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
The Music Technology option can work for boys with considerable musical experience or for those starting from scratch. Boys will be taught and guided so that they are able to create musical pieces using the considerable technological resources of the Music department. These can be pieces for a group with which the boys already play, or they can be standalone compositions. There is a concert to showcase the work of boys taking this CEP option towards the end of the academic year.
PORTUGUESE
Not available to boys studying Further Maths.
Portuguese is a Romance language that is relatively accessible for boys who studied Spanish at IGCSE. This CEP option introduces the language and culture of Portuguese speaking countries and, depending on the progress made, it may be possible for boys to gain a qualification at the end of the year. This could be a speaking qualification under the aegis of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or, if things go very well, an IGCSE.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
The ability to speak confidently in public is a vital skill that is required in virtually every career and it is one that many boys do not get much chance to practise whilst at Radley. This course will develop public speaking skills leading to a grade 7 or 8 LAMDA Speaking in Public qualification. To achieve this qualification, boys will have to:
• Deliver a 4 minute speech on a subject of their choosing (without visual aids)
• Deliver a 4 minute speech on a subject of their choosing (with visual aids)
• Deliver an impromptu speech on one of three topics presented at the start of the exam. Fifteen minutes is then allowed for preparation after which a three minute speech is delivered (without visual aids)
READING FOR PLEASURE
There is growing body of evidence to show that reading for pleasure has a significant impact on intellectual development and on wellbeing. In this option, boys will read quietly in all the CEP lessons but will also be expected to read in their own time. Boys have a free choice of books but are encouraged to read widely across a variety of genres. Whilst some choose classic texts, lighter reads such as detective fiction and thrillers are very common. The ‘pleasure’ part of this CEP option is taken very seriously!
ROBOTICS AND CODING
This CEP option will allow boys to participate in Vex Robotics, a competitive robotics pursuit in which teams design, build and operate robots to play a game on a 12ft square pitch. This game is changed each year. In short, intense matches, the robots compete in an alliance with one other team, against an alliance of two opposition teams, with alliances changing as the competition progresses. The matches have elements of autonomous coded operation as well as human control. There are therefore outlets for design, mechanical engineering, coding and collaboration. The competition season runs from the end of the preceding world championships in the early Summer, but competitions do not generally start until late in the Autumn and run through Spring. The season builds through regional competitions which are a route to the national finals, in turn leading to the world championships where competitors from across the globe compete. In 2023, a Radley team was the runner up in the National final and qualified for the world championships in Dallas. Three teams have qualified for the National finals in 2024.
SPANISH
Only suitable for boys who studied GCSE Spanish. Not suitable for native speakers.
For boys not planning to take Spanish at A-level, this CEP option is an ideal way to continue developing their language skills in a relaxed and enjoyable way. Depending upon the progress made, a formal qualification may be taken with the Cervantes Institute towards the end of the academic year.
