Eng Baccalaureate

KS4 Options at Year 9

KS4 Options

Core subjects at Key Stage 4

All students study examined courses in RE, English, Maths, Science and one Humanities subject (History or Geography).

All students will also take part in Physical Education lessons and follow our Guidance programme which includes Citizenship, Work Related Learning, Enterprise and PSHE.

Optional Subjects at Key Stage 4

Students can choose from a range of different pathways which include-

Pathway 1: 4 single GCSEs
Pathway 2: GCSE/ BTEC combination
Pathway 3: Vocational courses

Information, Advice and Guidance

Changes to GCSE examinations

From September 2012, the following changes took place to all GCSEs-

All GCSE assessments will become linear; therefore all examinations will be taken at the end of the course. There will be no more modular examinations.
Examinations will only be available for pupils to sit in the summer. There will be no opportunities to resit units. Retake opportunities will be available in November in English and Mathematics.
Additional marks will now be awarded for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) for GCSEs in English Literature, Geography, History and Religious Studies.

Changes to BTEC qualifications

BTEC qualifications will undergo more rigorous assessment procedures and will no longer be 100% coursework based. Approximately 25% of the course will be externally assessed (online test).

The Government believes that schools should offer pupils a broad range of academic subjects, and the ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE promotes this aspiration.

The ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE is a certificate which will recognise and reward pupils' achieving at least 5 good passes (Grade A*-C) across a core of selected academic subjects, which MUST include English, Mathematics, Science, One Humanities subject and one Modern Foreign Language. You will be able to study the following subjects in order to achieve the ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE.

GCSE English
GCSE Mathematics
GCSE in Science - Core and Additional Science, Triple Science and/or Computer Science
GCSE in Geography or GCSE History or both
GCSE in Spanish or GCSE French or both

English Baccaureate

Raising participation

Raising of the Participation Age

Please also find enclosed information regarding the “Raising of the Participation Age” (RPA) which has implications for students in Year 11 and Year 10. It is the Government’s policy that by 2015, all young people will be expected to stay in some form of learning until they are 18.

This means those leaving Year 11 from 2014 onwards will need to remain in education or training until they are 18.It does not necessarily mean that young people must stay in school, although a large number of our students will do that, progressing directly into our Sixth Form. The range of possible options are:

Full time education, such as sixth form, college or home education
An apprenticeship
Part time education or training if they are employed, self-employed or volunteering full time (which is defined as 20 hours or more a week)

Raising of the Participation Age