Humanities

English

At Moira House we are passionate about English and English Literature, both studied to GCSE and the latter to A Level, and we focus on the celebration and enjoyment of the words of our language, with a close focus on the four skill areas: reading; writing; speaking and listening.

Students read widely for both close study and general enjoyment, frequently being reluctantly drawn back to the reality of school life by the ringing of the bell at the end of a lesson. Girls access even the most challenging texts with empathy and understanding and their writing fluency and style is enhanced, and a broad vocabulary developed, to enable clear communication in a wide variety of contexts. And when it comes to speaking our students excel, expressing themselves as passionately, persuasively or dramatically as the occasion demands.

Not just in a girls’ school, but in modern society, listening can be an overlooked skill and we pride ourselves on developing students who leave us with an empathetic approach and a discerning ear. Overall, enrichment, enjoyment and the excitement of learning are the key to English at Moira House, now - and for life!

RE & Philosophy

RE and Philosophy at Moira House enables students to grapple with philosophical questions such as “What is the meaning of life?”, “Is there a God?” and “How do we know the right thing to do?”. They learn about cultural and religious beliefs from around the world in order to develop skills of empathy, awareness and true understanding of what it is to be human.

All KS3 and KS4 courses have been created and developed in order to promote the interest and enthusiasm of the students. Many of the courses are from a philosophical angle, encouraging students to think, question and evaluate ideas. There is an optional full GCSE course and all other students take a short GCSE course.

At A Level, students study Philosophy and Ethics Units. This is a highly academic and well regarded A Level and prepares students exceptionally well for a number of disciplines at University; for example the units on Medical and Legal ethics help students think of the many wider issues in these areas.

RE and Philosophy are subjects for life. As well as enabling students to develop skills such as problem-solving, team work, debate and analysis they promote characteristics such as self-awareness, empathy, respect, open-mindedness, appreciation and wonder.

Psychology

Ever wondered:

• why you remember or why you forget or wanted to know ways in which to improve your memory?
• why and how you form relationships?
• why you feel stressed, or wanted to know ways in which to deal with stress?
• why you conform to group norms or how and why people become addicts?

If so, then Psychology could be the subject for you. Psychology is a scientific study of mind and behaviour, and it looks at ways in which psychologists attempt to explain why people behave the way they do.

Psychology is not only a fascinating subject, its emphasis is on applying knowledge and understanding rather than just acquiring factual information, thereby developing the transferable skills of analysis, evaluation and critical thinking. This makes it an excellent subject to enhance those skills that students will require for University.

Personal & Social Education (PSE)

When Henry Ford allegedly said ‘If you believe you can or you can’t… you’re probably right’ he recognised the role of self-belief in achievement. It is this self belief that we aim to foster in PSHE Education. We encourage our students to feel valued, to develop their self belief, to develop good personal qualities and attitudes and to have aspirations for their future.

Some examples of the issues and topics covered are Personal Safety, Financial Capability, Rights and Responsibilities, Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco, Moving into Womanhood and general preparation for adult life.

Through a comprehensive programme of study we teach our pupils how to become the person they want to be, to have good relationships especially with their families and close friends, to develop the skills needed to get on in life and to make a difference to the community in which they live. We teach them to become responsible citizens, confident learners and successful individuals.

Geography

The Geography Department is committed to delivering the subject at all levels through a variety of classroom based activities such as the use of DVDs, web based resources, question and answer sessions, use of textbooks and accompanying worksheets plus independent learning tasks.

These activities are supported by a programme of workshops given by outside bodies visiting school and a range of trips to different locations, both locally and further afield, to support the work completed in the classroom. These include the following:

• Year 7 - ‘Discovering the secret parts of Eastbourne’ and investigating local housing
• Year 8 - the river and coastal features of the Seven Sisters Country Park, a very popular visit to the East Dean Sheep Centre plus a recycling workshop
• Year 9 - ‘Planet Earth’ exhibition
• GCSE classes - collection of data for the controlled assessment paper of the examination plus a look at the coastal features, coastal management and rock landscapes in East Sussex
• Sixth Form classes - a local investigation into the quality of life in different areas of Eastbourne, a study of the downstream changes of the River Tillingbourne (near Dorking, Surrey), and a 4 day trip to the Naples area of Italy

History

Welcome! We are a lively and successful department which believes that the study of History is essential to a well rounded and enjoyable education. As well as developing an interest in the past, we aim to challenge students’ attitudes and perceptions and broaden their knowledge and understanding of the world. We help students to learn many important and employable skills, for example, the ability to select, organise and evaluate information, form conclusions and communicate informed opinions.

At all key stages we enrich the learning of our students through enthusiastic and creative teaching and by offering a variety of educational visits, from a medieval day at Lewes Castle in Year 7 to a Flanders battlefields tour at GCSE and inviting guest speakers at A Level.

Key Stage 3 covers a large timeframe, selecting topics from British and world History. At GCSE and A Level we focus on Modern History and the subject is popular with a consistent uptake and excellent results.

Business Studies & Economics

The Department offers AS & A Level courses in both Business Studies and Economics. Both subjects follow the OCR examinations board specification.

By the end of the Economics Course, pupils should have developed:

• A sound understanding of economic concepts and theories through a critical consideration of current issues and problems that affect everyday life.
• The ability to apply economic concepts and theories to a range of real-world contexts.
• The desire and ability to formulate and present their own ideas and opinions on a wide range of theoretical and real world issues.

A feature of Economics is the emphasis on class discussion and debate, and a determination to stress the links between textbook theory and the real debates and issues that exercise the minds of businessmen, bankers and politicians.

Business Studies largely deals with the everyday challenges that firms face in the global market place. The course has been designed to encourage students to develop a critical understanding of organisations, the markets they serve and the process of adding value. This involves the internal workings and management of organisations and the process of decision-making in a dynamic external environment. By the end of the course, students will have gained the most important transferable skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation, which can be used in whatever career your daughter chooses to follow.

The department delivers the content for both subjects through the use of the most recent text books, periodicals and internet-based resources, in a purpose built teaching room. Economics & Business related subjects are currently the most popular undergraduate degree choices made by our students and the employment prospects and income potential are very good.