WELCOME tO electronics
Macmillan Academy is one of the few schools in the country that teaches Electronics as a separate subject. In this electronic age almost all areas of society are influenced by electronics.
We feel it is of paramount importance to educate students about the tremendous influence electronics has in our society. The Electronics course has proved to be both popular and successful, leading to a number of students going on to higher education and then a career in this subject.
Electronics is taught as a specialist subject to all Year 7 and 8 students. At the end of Year 8 the students are given the opportunity to continue with their Electronics education up to a GCSE Electronics examination and then 'A' level Electronics
Year 7 Quotes:"I have found the electronics work very interesting and relevant, I have never done such things before."
"I have enjoyed the year of electronics and want to learn more things next year."
Electronics is an extremely stimulating subject and could involve you in the design and making of the circuitry for practical applications.
For students who wish to continue their manufacturing skills in the workshops, GCSE courses in Systems and Control and Electronic Products are possible.
Good quality design projects will be entered for National Technology and Engineering competitions.
Macmillan Academy also offers a very successful 'A' level Electronics course for those who wish to pursue the subject further.
In ‘A’ Level Electronics there is some overlap with Mathematics and Sciences. Because of this, Electronics fits in so well with other ‘A’ Level courses.
Department Staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Mr W Goldsmith | Head of Electronics |
| Mr P Camp | Electronics Teacher |
| Mr A Badger | KS3 Electronics Teacher |
| Mr S Bell | KS3 Electronics Teacher |
| Mr M Cole | KS3 Electronics Teacher |
| Mr. Mogie | KS3 Electronics Teacher |
| Mr W O'Connell | KS3 Electronics Teacher |
Syllabus
At GCSE the AQA Electronics syllabus is taught. Click Here to see the syllabus
Examination Results
In the 2006 to 2007 school year, Macmillan Academy entered over 100 students for the GCSE Electronics exam. 60 Year 10 students took the GCSE Electronics exam.
The pass rate was 91.4% "A*" to "C"
Year |
GCSE A* - C |
A Level |
|---|---|---|
2006-2007 |
95% |
100% |
2005-2006 |
96.8% |
100% |
2004-2005 |
96.55% |
100% |
2003-2004 |
95.7% |
100% |
2002-2003 |
90.74% |
100% |
2001-2002 |
77.3% |
84.6% |
Post 16 Results
This course is designed for students who have no previous experience of the subject. Strength in Mathematics and Science would be useful but is not essential. The emphasis within the course is on you being responsible for your own learning and you can generally progress at your own speed.
Flexible Learning
Electronics can be ideally combined with many other subjects. Although timetabled inside normal option blocks, it is also available as supported self study modules. Electronics can fit in with most combinations of 'A' level subjects.
The course is delivered using state of the art computer aided training equipment used normally in industry and universities. Macmillan will soon be the best equipped Academy in the country for the delivery of electronics education with more than £25,000 worth of hardware and software to support student learning.
The structure of the course is based upon a highly successful modular 'A' level pioneered in North Wales using distance learning techniques to produce outstanding results. All students are able to work at their own pace and all work is monitored by the computer based learning system which marks all of the regular tests. All practical work and experiments are also monitored to make sure they are being carried out correctly and feedback will be given on your strengths and weaknesses.
Students with 'A' level Electronics can progress to one of the many Electronics degree courses. Some Universities offer as many as eight different Electronics degrees.
With continued expansion of the electronics industry both locally and nationally a qualification in electronics could be the start of a career in the most exciting and dynamic industry that the world has ever known.
This 'A' level course is very well thought of by all universities and anyone progressing into any branch of engineering or science will require some electronics knowledge to complete their degree.
Graduates completing Electronics degrees this year are being offered starting salaries of up to £40,000 per year. Electronics will soon be the biggest industry in the world with more highly paid long term job opportunities than any other occupation.
Previous Results
Examination results from this course have always been excellent and approximately 70% of all previous students achieve grade 'A' at 'A' Level. The department has maintained a 100% pass rate. The new 'AS' course now includes a lot more exciting topics e.g. microcontrollers, ladder logic, basic theory of the Internet and networking practices. All previous students consider Electronics to be one of the least demanding 'A' level courses.