KS4 Curriculum

KS4 Intent

To prepare young people for further education opportunities and employment; setting them on a path to a positive destination.

KS4 Implementation

A blended curriculum offer
Academic study in the form of GCSEs and entry level qualifications
Vocational qualifications suitable to the needs and potential career pathway of the individual
Personal development supported by qualifications
CIAG and employability skills development including work experience which can be as often as weekly as part of their timetable for all year 11s

KS4 Impact

Pupils leave with the knowledge, skills and qualifications that take them on to a positive destination.

Pupils maintain a positive destination after leaving the academy.

Pupils have secured the expected numeracy and literacy skills to successfully transition into the next stage of adult life.

 

Key Stage 4 all pupils can follow an academic programme, with work experience opportunities embedded into weekly Y11 timetables. Some pupils may have a bespoke timetable which provides more of a work related learning journey with off site Vocational AP. Timetables are planned with bespoke options to meet pupil need. Year 10 pupils can also access work experience and off-site AP depending on their pathway. 
We aim for all pupils to develop their core skills of English and Maths and be functional in society when they leave our academy.

At the core of the curriculum is personal development and planning for post 16. The curriculum components are explicitly taught via weekly timetabled lessons in PSHRE, Citizenship, Food Technology and Futures. Futures includes careers education, finance and ICT digital skills. We feel that our Futures curriculum will help our pupils develop vital skills to aid their position in the world when they leave our academy in year 11. PSHRE includes; relationships,  health & sex education, mental health and wellbeing; tolerance and diversity; and the global community.

The academic offer enables pupils to access core subjects at GCSE level. We also offer GCSE equivalents and courses for those pupils who are working at pre-GCSE level. Pupils are able to leave the school with 5 GCSEs, including those in English and Maths.

Curriculum Offer:

GCSE Subjects

English
All pupils work towards a qualification in English, with the majority of pupils accessing the full AQA English Language GCSE. Where a young person cannot access the GCSE, they will work towards achieving an entry level English qualification. 

Maths 
As with English, all pupils work towards a qualification in Maths, with the majority of pupils accessing the full AQA Maths GCSE. Again, where a young person cannot access the GCSE, they will work towards an entry-level maths qualification. 

Science
We offer single Biology to enable pupils to study a wider range of accredited qualifications within their timetable in our academy. Biology will also provide cross curricular links with our PSD curriculum.  

Art
Pupils will study towards OCR GCSE Art and Design. 

Food Technology
Pupils will work towards achieving AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE or the ASDAN Foodwise.
Non GCSE Curriculum

Personal Development
The personal development curriculum comprises of several discrete subjects and is part of our core offer to all pupils. It consists of:
PSHRE
Futures
Citizenship
Active personal development
Duke of Edinburgh
Behaviour and Resilience through the “Think for the Future” external mentoring company
Tutor time programme

PSHRE
All pupils have one discrete PSHRE lesson per week. This covers relationships,  health & sex education (RHSE); mental health & wellbeing; tolerance and diversity; substance misuse, online safety and safeguarding. See the LTP for PSHRE. There are also cross-curricula and wider curriculum links with keeping pupils safe and healthy within food technology and other subjects. Accreditation will be through the ASDAN Short course in PSHE. 

Futures
Futures comprises of 3 elements: careers, finance and digital skills. All pupils will have one lesson per week of Futures and they will be able to achieve an ASDAN Short Course in careers and experiencing work, ASDAN Finance and the Pearson Essential Digital Skills qualification.

Citizenship
All pupils will have one lesson per week of Citizenship to develop their education around being a positive law abiding member of society. Citizenship covers the rule of law, democracy, different faiths and Cultural differences. They will be able to achieve an ASDAN Short Course in Citizenship.

Active Personal Development
Physical activity and education is made available to pupils on a weekly basis. Physically active sessions take place on sites and some pupils also have access to sports provision whilst off site in vocational APs. Pupils are encouraged to be physically active to emphasise the importance on their health and fitness and also to support their mental health and wellbeing as one of the 5 ways to wellbeing. 

Behaviour and Resilience mentoring through “Think for the Future”
Pupils at our academy are encouraged to make better choices and develop behaviours over time that are more socially acceptable. Through the commissioning of this external company pupils have the opportunity to hear real life stories and learn how to modify their behaviour and realise possible consequences. Pupils may have weekly 1:1 sessions or group sessions depending on their personal needs.




Should you wish to find out more about the curriculum that our academy is following, please contact David Marlow (Deputy Headteacher – Quality of education) who will be able to provide you with the relevant information.