Key Stage 4 Curriculum

We are constantly endeavouring to broaden and deepen our KS4 curriculum offer to give opportunities for all abilities and interests. We offer options that we believe have clear pathways into KS5 and life outside school.

Students are able to choose 4 options, one of which has to be Geography, History or French. Some students are also strongly encouraged to take French and a humanities subject. The qualifications offered are usually GCSEs, but sometimes equivalent qualifications are offered such as BTECs. The offer changes from year to year depending on the needs of the cohort and the staffing available.

Over a two-week period students will study these amounts of lessons: 

	English	Maths	Science	Option 1	Option 2	Option 2	Option 2	RS	PSHE/SRE	Core PE
Year 10	8	8	8	5	5	5	5	2	2	2
Year 11	8	8	7	6	6	6	6	In PSHE	1	2

 PSHE/SRE is also taught through drop down days.  In Year 11 RS is taught through the PSHE/RSE curriculum 

Current options available in Year 11

• Triple Science
• Geography
• History
• Computer Science
• French
• Religious Education
• Drama
• Art
• DT
• Food Science
• Physical Education
• Media 
• Sociology
• Music
• Business 

Current Options available in Year 10

• Triple Science
• Geography
• History
• French
• Religious Education
• Sociology
• Drama
• Music
• Art
• DT
• Food Science
• Physical Education
• Computer Science
• Media
• Business and Enterprise 

Assessment and Reporting at Key Stage 4

Students undertaking Key Stage 4 courses will be assessed using GCSE grades 9-1 and BTEC grades Distinction*- Pass.  Students’ targets are generated through a national data base called FFT (Fisher Family Trust). This body uses students KS2 SATs along with numerous contextual factors. The targets are aspirational but also realistic.

Progress will be reported at least three times in a year. The progress report will state a student’s predicted grade for the end of the course if they continue working as they are. Parents will be invited to a full parents’ evening in Yr. 10 and 11 where they can discuss their child’s progress in more detail with individual subject teachers. Parents are encouraged to contact individual subject teachers or the Head of Year if they have any concerns about the progress their child is making.

Extensive analysis of all the data collected each half-term is undertaken by the senior team, and any underachievement is identified and discussed with heads of department via Raising Attainment and Progress meetings (RAP meetings).

Below is a rough guide to the link between the old letter grading system and the new numeric system. The DfE have benchmarked the 7 as an A and 4 as a C.

9= A**

8= A*

7=A

6=B+

5=C+/B-

4=C

3=D/E+

2=E-/F+

1=G

U=U

 

Key Stage 3 Curriculum

Over a two-week period students will study these amounts of lessons:

	English	Maths	Science	History	Geography	RS	MFL	Computing	PE	DT/Food PSHE/RSE	Drama	Music	Art
Year 7	8	8	6	2	4	2	4	2	4	4	2	2	2
Year 8	8	6	8	4	2	2	4	2	4	4	2	2	2
Year 9	6	6	8	4	4	2	4	2	4	4	2	2	2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment and Reporting at Key Stage 3 (Year 7, 8 and 9)
Students’ targets are generated through a national database called FFT (Fisher Family Trust). This body uses students KS2 SATs along with numerous contextual factors. The targets are aspirational but also realistic. To make it very clear where your child is aiming we will report this GCSE target to you every time we send the Progress Report home.

Every Head of Department writes schemes of work so their curriculum area is broad, varied and engaging but linked to the National Curriculum. These skills and concepts are then assessed and students are given a numeric grade for the work they are currently doing. This numeric grade follows the 9-1 GCSE grading system but it is not an actual GCSE grade. It does however show the trajectory the student is on, what they are likely to achieve at GCSE in Year 11 if they continue to work as they are. In KS3 this will be reported as two numbers. For example: Yr7:6. The first number is their year group and the second number is their current/trajectory grade. On the Progress Report this allows parents see ‘at a glance’ if their child is on track to achieve their potential.