Kingsmead School Kingsmead School - specialist school for performing and visual arts

To students:

At Key Stage 4 the time has come to make some decisions about your future! For the first time in your education, you are being given the responsibility to state a preference for some of the courses that you will study at Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11). There are many people who can help you to decide on your course preferences: your parents, your form tutor, your subject teachersand Head of Year. Make sure that you talk to as many people as possible and listen to their advice.

Ask yourself the following questions:

To parents:

Our process of Course Guidance has been carefully planned so that you and the teachers can work in partnership to achieve the success we all want for your child. You will be kept informed at each stage of the process but if at any point you have a query, do contact your child’s form tutor, Mr Christodoulou (Head of Year 9), Miss Emison (Deputy Head of Year 9), Ms Evans (Assistant Headteacher) or Ms Pickering (Deputy Headteacher).

IMPORTANT DATES

Core Subjects (Compulsory)

There are certain subjects which everyone will study, because they are an important part of your general education. The government requires that you continue to be taught them. These subjects are called core subjects, because they are so central.

Everybody will study: You can read about these in the Section called “A Guide to your Core Courses”.

Further Subjects (Options)

There will be four options ‘blocks’. Students who take any GCSE Science in the core can choose FOUR further subjects – one from each options block. If you wish to continue with Science in the Sixth Form you must select Additional Science. If you decide to take GCSE Additional Science in block 1 you can state a preference for THREE further subjects. Some of these will be courses you have not come across before.

You can not select more than one technology area except for exceptional circumstances.

The further courses we offer are:

Technology: CDT Languages: French Humanities: History
Graphics German Geography
Food Leisure & Tourism
Catering
Construction
Arts: Art Other: Physical Education ICT
Drama Media Studies Health & Social Care
Music Business Education
Dance Economics


You can read about these in the Section called "A Guide to Further Courses".

GCSE

This stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. This qualification is recognised by colleges, universities and employers all over the country. It is a two year course, so you will start as soon as you go into Year 10.

Most of the courses you do will be GCSE courses. If you speak a home language other than English, you may also be able to take a GCSE examination in that, to add to your total. By the age of 16, you could have a worthwhile qualification in eight (or maybe even nine) subjects. This would give you an excellent start in life, whatever you plan for the future.

Your final assessment will be in the form of a grade. Although A*, A, B and C are the highest grades which are vital “passports” to a wide range of further educational opportunities, all grades from A – G are pass grades. The higher the grades you achieve (and the “points” you build up), the more educational and training opportunities you will make available to yourself when you are 16. Coursework usually counts towards your final grade as well as the written exam at the end of the course. Many subjects now offer examinations aimed at different levels of ability - you will be entered for the one that suits you best.

It is very important that you listen to advice and choose the GCSE subjects in which you are likely to achieve the highest grades.

Continuing Education

Your GCSE subjects can affect your continuing education in the sixth form. Eventually it will influence your future career.

You can speak to Mrs Young (our Head of Sixth Form) to find out how your GCSE subject selection will affect the subjects available to you in the sixth form.

Mrs Motis is our Aim Higher co-ordinator. She can also advise you about Sixth Form courses. If you have a particular career in mind Mr Young can offer you advice about this. The important thing is not to limit your future opportunities by fixing your mind on one particular career idea. You may have very different ambitions in two or three years’ time. A wide range of subjects will give you more choice in the future.

Progress File

By the time you are 16, you will have achieved many different things - in sports or hobbies, for instance, or in voluntary or paid work. All these activities will be recorded in a special pack, known as a Progress File, which you will receive at the end of Key Stage 4. You will then be able to build on this during Key Stage 5 in preparation for Further Education or University applications. You yourself will take on some of the responsibility for building up this pack and deciding what it should contain. The Certificates and other rewards you have received in Key Stage 3 as well as Key Stage 4 can all be included in this, together with details of your examination successes and Work Experience. Your attendance and punctuality record, personal details, Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) and personal statement, which are all important documents, will also form part of this pack.

A Guide to your Core Subjects

The next few pages describe the subjects that everyone will study.

English and Mathematics

You will follow GCSE courses in English (which includes English Literature) and Mathematics. You do not have to make any choices about these subjects. Information is provided in the next few pages just to give you some idea of what to expect.

Science: GCSE or Additional?

You will do Science GCSE as part of your core studies, this will give you one Science GCSE.

If you think you might want to study Science after GCSE, perhaps doing A level in Biology or Chemistry or Physics, you must indicate a preference for Additional Science. If you only do GCSE Science as a core subject you may limit your career options in scientific areas later on, but it does give you the opportunity to choose a wider range of other subjects.

Moral, Religious and Philosophical Studies (MRPS)

During Years 10 and 11, Students will take a short GCSE course in Religious Studies, known as MRPS. (This is worth a ‘half’ GCSE and will gain extra GCSE ‘points’.) There will also be an opportunity to take a second unit to gain a full GCSE in this subject.

CHE

All students in year 10 and 11 have a separate one hour lesson which covers Citizenship, Health, Sex and Relationships Education and Careers. Topics studied include Identity, Disability, Personal Safety, Mental Health, Relationships, Homophobia, etc.

These programmes are assessed using GCSE style grading, although CHE is not externally examined.

Physical Education

You will be able to continue with well-established games such as football, basketball, netball and hockey. You will also have the opportunity to take part in badminton, volleyball, trampolining, aerobics and health-related fitness, including the use of the multi-gym.

A Guide to Further Courses

How many more subjects can I study?

There are four options blocks. You should choose one subject from each block, or two applied GCSEs across the blocks, to study at Key Stage 4.

Will I get what I want?

We will try as hard as we can to let you take the further subjects you choose to study. We will ask you to express your preferences but please realise that we cannot always promise that you will get what you want. We have a responsibility to advise you in your best interests.

What might prevent me doing a course?

Obviously, we cannot run a course if only a few students choose to follow it; it is unlikely that we will be able to afford the staffing for a course which attracts fewer than fifteen students. Sometimes a subject is so popular that we cannot find enough staff to teach all the students who state a preference for this. We would not want you to choose a subject - or a combination of subjects - which the teachers, with all their experience, thought was wrong for you. In any of these cases we will make sure that the situation is fully explained to you in a sympathetic way, and that you are offered something else in which we believe you will be successful.

Making your choice - some DOs and DON'Ts

DO DON'T