Key Stage 4 Curriculum
Students in Key Stage 4 will study up to 10 GCSE subjects. This will include six compulsory subjects which will provide you with up to 7 grades as Double Award Science counts as two GCSEs.
The compulsory subjects are as follows:
- English Language
- English Literature
- Learning for Life and Work
- Religious Education
We want to ensure that your son sits the Science course that is most suitable to his ability and interests. We will provide Double Award Science classes at Higher Tier and Foundation Tier and we will also provide a Single Award Science class. Double Award Science is worth two GCSE awards and Single Award Science is worth one GCSE. The decision on which GCSE Science course your son will study will be based on his progress in Year 10 as shown by his Continuous Assessment results throughout the year. If your son studies Double Award Science,he will potentially achieve 10 GCSEs and with Single Award Science he will study for 9 GCSEs.
Students will then select their remaining three subjects from the list below.
Agriculture and Land Use
|Art & Design||
|Business and Communication Systems||Irish|
|Computer Science||Music BTEC Level II|
|Digital Technology (ICT)||Sport BTEC Level II|
|Engineering BTEC Level II||Technology (Systems Control)|
The school will endeavour to provide students with as much choice as possible but if a subject is oversubscribed then students will be selected for that particular subject on the basis of their Year 10 Christmas report. If a subject does not have enough students wishing to study it next year, then it may not be possible to offer a GCSE in that subject and students will have to study an alternative subject.
In addition to their GCSEs all students will also have P.E. as a compulsory part of the curriculum. Employability and Learning for Life will be formally examined through the GCSE in Learning for Life and Work.
Students may also choose one more subject which will be taught outside the formal timetable; i.e. after school or at lunchtime:
•GCSE Performing Arts: 3.30—5.00pm on two evenings. This allows students from other schools to join the class.
•GCSE Music: 3.30—5.00pm on two evenings in Year 11 and at lunch time in Year 12.
You may only select a maximum of two subjects from the Technology department –Technology and Design, Construction and Engineering.
Teacher explanations of subjects
Several of the top UK universities require a modern foreign language at GCSE Grade C or above for entry onto some of their courses; e.g. it is a requirement for studying English Literature at Edinburgh, Durham and Warwick universities. Universities in the South of Ireland require a GCSE in one Modern Language for entry onto most of their courses – this modern language can be Irish or Spanish.Double Award Science is acceptable for entry into all career paths.Whilst it is important to consider your KS4 options and subject choices carefully please do not worry unnecessarily as the school has set the core compulsory subjects so that the vast majority of careers are still open to you. BTEC Level II courses are acceptable to the vast majority of universities, however, they might look at performance in the individual units as well as the overall grade achieved so it would be important that students achieved well across all their units.