A Level subject overviews

Sixth Form

Our goal is simple: to enable you to fulfil your potential.

To achieve this, you need plenty of opportunities coupled with effective support.

A typical Norwich High School Sixth Former takes three A Levels and an EPQ. However, each student is unique, with timetables which are carefully crafted to suit their individual needs.

A Level subjects

Biology A Level

You will cover an expansive range of both human and plant topics. Complex subjects such as genetics and gene cloning techniques are also studied in depth. Practical skills make up a significant proportion of the course material.

Business A Level

Do you see yourself running your own business? We explore topics relevant to today’s society, such as the business environment, marketing, operations and ethics and developing your skills in decision-making and problem-solving.

Fieldwork and industrial visits form an important component of the course, with visits over the last few years including Coca Cola Enterprises, Jaguar Land Rover, Cadbury, Harry Potter Studios, The Bank of England and the Museum of Brands.

Chemistry A Level

Chemistry is key to our understanding of the natural world and to the enhancement of our quality of life and the environment. Advances in Chemistry underpin much of modern science and contribute directly to our everyday lives, from the food we eat and the medicines we take, to the environment in which we live.

Classical Civilisation A Level

If you are inspired by the cultures of Greece and Rome, you will love this A Level course. The breadth of Classical Civilisation enables you to investigate literature, history, art history and archaeology within the same subject and gives you a wide range of skills which can be applied within and beyond many higher education courses.

Computer Science A Level

Computer Science is a field in which there is a high demand for graduates, with many companies actively recruiting females with an appropriate degree. If you are wishing to pursue the subject at university, this A Level is a sound introduction and is welcomed by many top universities.

Drama A Level

The course emphasises practical creativity alongside research and theoretical understanding. Students learn through experience – seeing theatre and making theatre for themselves. You will develop skills that are not just essential for Drama, but applicable to a wide range of higher education subjects and in the workplace.

Economics A Level

Economics is current; always changing; always interesting. Students with A Level Economics have access to a wide range of possible career and higher education opportunities. Transferable skills include collecting and analysing economic information from different sources, development of written communication, problem-solving and evaluation skills.

English Literature A Level

Do you enjoy reading, writing and discussion? Do you have an interest in the theatre and cinema? Are you an imaginative person who is interested in exploring ideas? Do you want to develop your analytical skills and become an independent thinker? A seminar approach predominates, stimulating genuine discussion within a relaxed and supportive environment.

EPQ

The Extended Project Qualification is a Level 3 course girls take alongside their A Levels.

You are required to complete a project based on a research topic of your choice. This can be related to a subject outside your current areas of study.

Improve your self-confidence along with your communication and presentation skills: important at A Level and University but also beyond.

Fine Art A Level

Studying Fine Art fosters creative thinking and encourages the development of independent study skills. You will be given the opportunity to independently investigate and explore such disciplines as drawing, painting, print-making, sculpture, digital photography and film-making as part of your project work.

The course is widely acknowledged as being a stepping stone towards a career in a broad range of disciplines from professional artist, architectural design, Illustrator, curator and designer.

French, German and Spanish A Level

Choosing to study a Modern Foreign Language at A Level will enable you to develop and build on your skills and knowledge acquired at GCSE. It will also enhance your employment prospects and facilitate foreign travel. Finally, it will provide an insight into another culture and society as well as providing you with a sound basis for further study. The A Level in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) covers social issues and trends, artistic culture, grammar, and one film and literary text for each language.

French A Level

German A Level

Spanish A Level

Geography A Level

The OCR A Level in Geography has been designed to give learners the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to become engaged global citizens. Through the study of dynamic and contemporary content, learners can understand and interact with issues which affect people and places at a range of scales from local to global.

The full A Level includes a personal geographical investigation based on fieldwork, carried out during a six-day field trip to Wales in March. You will also have the opportunity to visit Iceland to explore this country’s fascinating physical geography, a truly amazing opportunity to enrich your Geography studies further.

History A Level

An understanding of the past is essential to understanding the world in which we live, as individuals, as communities and as nations. History is vital to our sense of identity and purpose. But there is more to History than this. History is the study of the interactions between fascinating people and peoples. What makes History great at A Level is the opportunity to discuss, question, challenge and create new arguments about historic events and decisions. In the process we learn more about the past and often even more about ourselves.

We will be taking trips to New York and Washington during the course and other short trips within the UK, engaging with relevant conferences and speakers.

Latin A Level and Greek A Level

If you are inspired by the language and culture of Ancient Rome and you have a strong GCSE in Latin, you will relish this A Level course. Latin lessons are taught by at least two members of the department, each of whom brings experience as well as their own specialisms to the study of Latin. Your teachers will pass on their own expertise in Latin grammar as well as their enthusiasm for the stories and genres of the different literary texts.

Mathematics A Level

Mathematics and Further Mathematics are versatile qualifications that are well respected by universities and employers alike. Careers for women with good mathematical skills and qualifications are frequently well paid, interesting and rewarding. Whilst the number of young people studying A Level Mathematics is increasing, there is still a huge demand from science, engineering and manufacturing employers.

The department is immensely proud of its continued outstanding success at A Level. We are one of the subjects with the highest number of students in the Sixth Form and a significant proportion go on to study Mathematics or a related STEM subject each year.

Further Mathematics A Level

A Level Further Mathematics is a separate qualification from A Level Mathematics and is both fun and rewarding. It broadens your skills and promotes deeper mathematical thinking. The course extends many of the topics that are covered in A Level and also introduces brand new concepts, such as complex numbers, hyperbolic functions and modelling with differential equations.

Music A Level

Our A Level in Music is ideal for any budding performer, fully supported by a plethora of additional opportunities only available from the Norwich High School Music department. An A Level in Music comprises three main areas of study: Performance, Composition and Historical and Analytical Studies.

Our musicians have a range of exciting opportunities that include regular concerts, masterclasses and workshops and we perform in school, in and around Norwich and Norfolk, and all across Europe with recent venues including Tuscany, Venice, Lake Garda, Prague and the Costa Brava. 

 

Physical Education A Level and BTEC Sport

PE is a broad subject which covers lots of different topics. This subject relates well with other subjects such as Biology, History, Psychology and Chemistry. You will get the opportunity to study your chosen sport in greater depth, and analyse your technique.

Our current A Level students have been able to attend a sports science trip to Loughborough University and lectures and coaching sessions with Olympic athletes at the GSA’s Girls Go Gold Sports Conference, held in Wimbledon.

Physics A Level

Physics can be regarded as the study of matter, energy, fields and waves. It can investigate the laws of nature on all scales, from the interaction of subatomic particles to the behaviour of black holes at the edge of the observable universe. Physics is essential in a wide variety of occupations including agriculture, medicine, design, broadcasting and all types of engineering.

Our Sixth Formers will have the opportunities to take part in lots of unique and exciting experiences, including a trip to CERN in Geneva, visiting the LHC in Switzerland, and attending a masterclass by the National Space Centre.

 

Politics A Level

Politics is a social science. It is all about people and how they interact and organise their society. You may wish to choose it as a subject that demonstrates your broad-minded interest in life and the shape of the world around you.

We engage in the wider world with trips, visits and experiences. Recent examples include visiting the Houses of Parliament, representing the school at the European Youth Parliament debates at Newnham College, Cambridge, presenting at a UEA politics conference on Counter-Terrorism, enjoying 6+ Lectures such as using drones as weapons of war and delivering an active democracy assembly to our Prep School.

 

Product Design A Level

In product design our core mantra is Problem, design, make and evaluate. We strive to empower young girls to become the new female technologists, designers, architects and engineers of the future. Through making, creating, testing and exploring, girls will learn new smart skills combining old and new technologies, and bring life to their creations.

Religious Studies A Level

Philosophy and moral reasoning are classic traditional academic disciplines. The skills that are developed are logical and critical thinking, critical evaluation, structuring and negotiating arguments, research and problem solving etc. Philosophy graduates frequently find employment in Business and Research; Retail; Finance; Health & Social Work; Education and Teaching. Rigorous thinking and communication skills are highly sought after and are essential to any career. 

Psychology A Level

Psychology is the study of people, behaviour and the mind. It is a broad subject, with many different areas and approaches towards explaining behaviour. Psychologists observe human behaviour, create theories to explain the behaviour, and then carry out research to test these theories.

The most important quality for anyone wanting to study psychology is to find people fascinating. Are you intrigued by why people act in the way they do? If so, then psychology will capture your imagination. Psychology is a science, so a scientific way of looking at things can be an advantage.

Textile Design A Level

Textile Design consists of the exploration of a variety of materials, techniques and processes in a structured format that will encourage you to be both expressive and ambitious in the production of your work.

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to explore such disciplines as drawing, printing, embroidery, pattern cutting and garment construction. Often projects reflect and draw inspiration from current trends seen within the fashion industry. All projects have a strong contextual reference to historical and contemporary textile practice.

Opportunities beyond the classroom

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Futures

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