key stage 4
Key Stage 4 Curriculum
Students study 10 subjects at GCSE, across Year 10 and 11, sitting examinations in the summer of Year 11. They also study a number of non-examined subjects.
The following are compulsory non-examined subjects studied by all students:
- PSHE (Personal, Social & Health Education)
- PE (Physical Education)
- Games.
The following are compulsory GCSE subjects studied by all students:
- RE (Religious Education), Mathematics, English Language & English Literature.
Students then study the three separate GCSE Science subjects (Separate Science), Biology, Chemistry & Physics, and a further three Option subjects or combined GCSE Science subjects (Science Trilogy), and a further four Option subjects.
The Option subjects student choose from are:
- Art, Drama, Music, DT (Design & Technology), PE (GCSE PE), French, Spanish, Latin, History, Geography.
Students taking Separate Science, must choose either a language subject (French, Spanish & Latin), and/or a humanities subject (Geography & History).
Students taking Science Trilogy, must chose both a language subject (French, Spanish & Latin), and a humanities subject (Geography & History).
Students follow a fortnightly time-table, with five one-hour lessons per day. The number of lessons for each year group is set out in the table below:
Subject |
Year 10 |
Year 11 |
English |
6 |
7 |
Mathematics |
6 |
6 |
Religious Education |
5 |
5 |
Science Trilogy |
9 |
8 |
Separate Science |
14 |
13 |
Option Subject 1 |
5 |
5 |
Option Subject 2 |
5 |
5 |
Option Subject 3 |
5 |
5 |
Option Subject 4 * |
5 |
5 |
PSHE |
1 |
1 |
PE |
2 |
2 |
Games |
1 |
1 |