Key Stage 4 Curriculum

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11)

Throughout Key Stage 4 students continue to follow a broad and balanced curriculum that is reviewed each year to suit students' individual needs. We offer a traditional curriculum based on the core subjects and actively promote the breadth and rigour of the English Baccalaureate, but do not make this compulsory. Options are carefully chosen in consultation with families, teachers and in the best interests of the student.

There are two curriculum models that students have been placed on. The decision for which pathway, is made in Year 9 before the ‘Guided Choices’ evening:

The JEWEL pathway consists of the core and statutory subjects with students choosing four option subjects.

The GEM pathway consists of the core and statutory subjects with students choosing three option subjects. Additional hours are allocated to English and Maths with the aim of students to: Get English & Maths (GEM). This pathway is chosen for students to improve their chances of securing a pass at GCSE to open doors for further education and programmes of study Post 16. Students on the GEM pathway will also complete the Prince's Trust Award which focusses on employability skills.

Subject	Number of hours per fortnight (50 lessons in total)
	JEWEL	GEM
English	9	10
Maths	8	10
Science	9	9
Prince's Trust	N/A	2
PE	2	2
WPD	2	2
Option Subject 1	5	5
Option Subject 2	5	5
Option Subject 3	5	5
Option Subject 4	5	N/A

Key Stage 4 Subjects and exam board information

Subject	Exam Board & Qualification
Art	AQA
3D Design	AQA
Combined & Triple Science	AQA
Computer Science	Edexcel
Core PE	N/A
Creative Media (outgoing course)	OCR Cambridge National L1/2
Design Technology (D&T)	AQA
Drama	Edexcel
English Language	AQA
English Literature	AQA
Food Technology	Eduqas L1/2 Award
French	AQA
Geography	AQA
Health & Social Care	Edexcel BTEC technical L1/2
History	AQA
Maths	Edexcel
Media Studies	AQA
Music	Eduqas
Photography	AQA
Religious Studies	AQA
Spanish	AQA
Sports Studies	Edexcel
WPD	N/A

Assessment at Key Stage 4

GCSE Examinations

All GCSE examinations use the 9-1 grading system with 9 being the highest grade. The majority of courses are assessed through external examinations at the end of Year 11, however, in some courses, a proportion of the examination grade is dependent upon coursework - work done by the student during the two years of the course.

GCSE Options Process

As students approach the end of Year 9 it is time to make some decisions about future studies. They should also begin to think about what they would like to do in Year 12 and 13. Changes in government policy mean that all students must now stay in education, or work-based training, until they are 18.

At Queen’s Park High School we are committed to the concept of ‘breadth and balance’ in Year 10 and 11, which can then become more specialised in Years 12 and 13. We have found it is unnecessary for future career ambitions to specialise in specific subject areas too early and that it is better to keep a broader choice of subjects at this stage.

When choosing a subject, it is more important that students think about what they enjoy and what they have shown an aptitude for.

When to Make Option Choices

Students will be asked to complete an Options Choices Application Form in March of Year 9. We ask that each student selects one option from each block, plus a reserve, which can be used if there is a problem with the combination of choices requested.

Whilst we make every effort to enable as many students as possible to study the subjects they have requested, we cannot guarantee meeting the exact preferences of individual students. Clearly, the running of courses is dependent upon whether they are sufficiently subscribed. If there are any issues, students will be informed as soon as possible.