KS4 Information

The Academy runs a three year key stage 4 curriculum with approximately 670 year 9, 10 and 11 pupils following a range of academic pathways, along with the opportunity to access a wealth of co-curricular activities. Pupils access a fortnightly timetable with 50 periods across the fortnight.

As with key stage 3, pupils are allocated to year group specific form groups, with extensive opportunity to challenge their moral code, cultural understanding and personal awareness through the Theme of the Fortnight programme. 

Whilst the Academy supports the English Baccalaureate, our Key Stage 4 curriculum has been specifically designed to ensure breadth and variety to provide pupils with the knowledge they need to be successful throughout their lives. Through our carefully considered offer, we prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

The curriculum links to the Academy’s assessment setting out clearly what pupils are expected to know, understand and do, and when. Departments continuously change and adapt schemes of learning to promote ‘mastery’ of skills and development of knowledge. (Please refer to Assessment Handbook for information on key assessment procedures.)

Clear pathways ensure that pupils are guided to make appropriate choices and access exceptional provision across a range of subjects and activities. Pupil achievement, career aspirations, social development and personal enjoyment are all taken into account when selecting the appropriate pathway for that child to follow.
 

2016/17 Pathways

Outlined below is the pathway model for pupils undertaking GCSE pathways from 2016/17 with some of the benefits of the process.

• Pathways are not selected solely based upon ability, but are selected based upon the correct provision for individuals and their progress through their academic careers and future aspirations. 

• It provides breadth and balance that enables them to follow the appropriate pathway into key stage 5 education and beyond.  

• Although past, current and future progress were taken into account, personal interests, career paths and social abilities have been a large contributing factor when selecting pupils for pathways. 

• All pupils have access to individual independent advice and guidance to ensure that they have a clear vision for their future and how to be successful in reaching their educational and career related goals.    

 

 

Year 11
Pathway	Band	Qualifications
1	X	Triple Science, 1x Language, 1x Humanity, 1x GCSE/BTEC
2	Y	Double Science, 1x Language, 1x Humanity, 1x GCSE/BTEC
3	Z	Double Science 1x Humanity, 1x BTEC, 1 x BTEC/GCSE
4	W	Entry Science, 2 x BTEC, 1 GCSE/BTEC
Year 10
Band	Qualifications
X	Bands contain pupils that have access to the following dependent on their pathway: Triple Science, 1xhums, 1xlang, 1x GCSE/BTEC Combined Science, 1xhums, 3x GCSE/BTEC Combined Science, 1xlang, 3x GCSE/BTEC Combined Science, 3x GCSE/BTEC, CoPE
Y

 

Year 9
Band	Qualifications
X	Bands contain pupils that have access to the following dependent on their pathway: Triple Science, 1xhums, 1xlang, 1x GCSE/BTEC Combined Science, 1xhums, 3x GCSE/BTEC Combined Science, 1xlang, 3x GCSE/BTEC Combined Science, 3x GCSE/BTEC, CoPE
Y

 

Option Choices available

Curriculum Year	Awarding Body	Specification Code	Full Qualification Title	Level	Unit Code	Assessment type	Weighting %
Art
9, 10, 11	AQA	8201/C	ART AND DESIGN (ART CRAFT AND DESIGN)	2	8201	COURSEWORK	60%
		8201/X	ART AND DESIGN (ART CRAFT AND DESIGN)	2	8201	EXAM	40%
Business
9, 10	J819	Level 1/2 Cambridge National Certificate in  Enterprise and Marketing	1 & 2	RO64, RO65, RO66	RO64 - Written Exam RO65 & RO66 Coursework	RO64- 50%,                    R065 - 25%                   R066 - 25%	603/0646/4
11	J814	Level 1/2 Cambridge National Certificate in Business and Enterprise	1 & 2	RO61 , RO62 , RO63 B postal	RO62 & RO63 Coursework            RO61 - Written exam	RO61 - 25%,                    R062 - 25%                   R063 - 50%	600/5080/9
French
10	EDEXCEL	1FRO	French (2FR01)	GCSE	5FR01	Listening Exam	20%
					5FR02	Speaking Exam	30%
					5FR03	Reading Exam	20%
					5FR04	Writing Exam	30%
Geography
9,10,11	Edexcel	1GA0	GCSE 9-1 Geography A	GCSE
			Paper 1: The Physical Envrionment		1GA0/01	Exam	38%
			Paper 2: The Human Environment		1GA0/02	Exam	38%
			Paper 3: Geographical Investigations: Fieldwork and UK Challenges		1GA0/03	Exam	25%
Health and Social Care
9, 10, 11	Pearsons	YPF51	Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care	Level 2	Unit 1	Internal Assessment	30%
	Pearsons	YPF51	Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care	Level 2	Unit 2	Internal Assessment	30%
	Pearsons	YPF51	Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care	Level 2	Unit 3	Synoptic External	40%
11	Pearsons	BRY90	Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 First Award in Health and Social Care	Level 2	Unit 1	External Exam (resits only)	25%
	Pearsons	BRY90	Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 First Award in Health and Social Care	Level 2	Unit 2	Internal Assessment	25%
	Pearsons	BRY90	Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 First Award in Health and Social Care	Level 2	Unit 3	Internal Assessment	25%
	Pearsons	BRY90	Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 First Award in Health and Social Care	Level 2	Unit 5	Internal Assessment	25%
History
11	Edexcel	1H10	GCSE History 9-1	GCSE	1H10/11	Exam	30%
					1H10/26	Exam	40%
					1H10/31	Exam	30%
Creative iMedia
9, 10, 11	OCR	J817 – 600/7043/2	Cambridge Nationals Certificate in Creative imedia	2	R081 Preproduction Skills Exam	Exam	25%
	OCR	J817 – 600/7043/2	Cambridge Nationals in Creative imedia	2	R082 Digital Graphics	C/A	25%
	OCR	J817 – 600/7043/2	Cambridge Nationals in Creative imedia	2	R092 Developing Digital Games	C/A	25%
	OCR	J817 – 600/7043/2	Cambridge Nationals in Creative imedia	2	R087 Multimedia	C/A	25%
Performing Arts
9, 10	Edexcel	603/0406/6	BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts YPV16	1and 2	Component 1	Internal	30%
	Edexcel	603/0406/6	BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts YPV16	1and 2	Component 2	Internal	30%
	Edexcel	603/0406/6	BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts YPV16	1and 2	Component 3	Symoptic External	40%
11	Edexcel	600/4785/9	BTEC Level 2 First Award in Performing Arts (Acting) BRY91	1and 2	Unit 3	Internal	50%
	Edexcel	600/4785/9	BTEC Level 2 First Award in Performing Arts (Acting) BRY91	1and 2	Unit 2	Internal	25%
	Edexcel	600/4785/9	BTEC Level 2 First Award in Performing Arts (Acting) BRY91	1and 2	Unit 1 - 20512Q	External	25%
Photography
9, 10, 11	AQA	8206/C	ART AND DESIGN (PHOTOGRAPHY)	2	8206	COURSEWORK	60%
		8206/X	ART AND DESIGN (PHOTOGRAPHY)	2	8206	EXAM	40%
Religious Studies
9	WJEC EDUQAS		WJEC Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies Route A1	2	C120P1	Exam	100%
11	AQA	8062	GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES A	2	8062A	Exam	100%
Spanish
9, 10, 11	EDEXCEL	1SP0	Spanish (2SP01)	GCSE	5SP01	Listening Exam	50%
					5SP01	Speaking Exam	50%
					5SP03	Reading Exam	50%
					5SP04	Writing Exam	50%
Sport
9, 10, 11	Edexcel	BRY96	BTEC Level 1/ Level 2 First Award Sport	BTEC Level 1/2		Coursework/Exam	75/25%
Textiles
9, 10, 11	AQA	8204/C	ART AND DESIGN (TEXTILE DESIGN)	2	8204	COURSEWORK	60%
		8204/X	ART AND DESIGN (TEXTILE DESIGN)	2	8204	EXAM	40%

English Baccalaureate 

The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a school performance measure. It allows people to see how many pupils get a grade 4 (grade C) or above in the core academic subjects at key stage 4 in any government-funded school.

 

Ebacc subjects

The EBacc is made up of:

• English

• Mathematics

• History or Geography

• the Sciences

• a Language

 

Current Ebacc figures:

• In year 11, 92/174 (52%) have access to the English Baccalaureate

• In year 10, 153/256 (60%)  are undertaking the English Baccalaureate