Key Stage 4
Within our Key Stage 4 we have carefully assessed the needs, learning styles and social and emotional development of our pupils and tailored our class groups accordingly. This current academic year 2019-2020 we have:
- two Year 10 classes
- one Year 10/11 class
- one Year 10/11 class following a primary model
- one Year 11 class
- one Key Stage 3/4 Sensory Communication Group
- one Key Stage 3/4 Nurture Group
- five pupils accessing full time vocational pathways within the Multi Academy Trust (MAT)
Some Key Stage 4 pupils are also accessing aspects of the different vocational pathways as part of a personalised timetable.
The focus within Key Stage 4 is to continue to develop the social and emotional, communication and independence skills of our young people alongside an academic and/or vocational curriculum. Our Key Stage 4 offer for 2019-2020 includes:
Compulsory Core Subjects
Pupils have the opportunity to gain appropriate and meaningful accreditation according to their abilities and needs (further details are available by clicking on the links in italics below):
- English – AQA Step Up to English Entry Level Certificate, Edexcel Functional Skills from Entry Level 1 to Level 2 or AQA GCSE English Language and English Literature
- Maths – Edexcel Functional Skills from Entry Level 1 to Level 2 or GCSE Mathematics
- Science – Cambridge IGCSE Science or AQA Combined Science Trilogy GCSE
- Physical Education – OCR Entry Level Certificate
- Food Technology – AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE
- Computing – OCR Level 1/2 Cambridge Nationals in Creative iMedia
- History – Edexcel GCSE History
- Citizenship – WJEC Eduqas GCSE in Media Studies
- MFL – AQA Spanish GCSE
Additional Options Curriculum
Pupils are able to choose 1 additional option from the following:
More information is available by clicking on each option listed above.
Vocational Pathways
There are a number of dedicated pathways within the MAT open to the young people for whom the option may be relevant which focus on vocational destinations post 19. These include:
- Lumenus – Performing Arts pathway
- Hortus – Horticulture pathway from Years 11 to 14
- Activ8 – Sports pathway
- Digit4ll – IT pathway
- Pre-Internship – Employment pathway
These pathways follow a very different curriculum to the rest of the school in that core subjects are taught over three days per week, with the remaining two days being dedicated to the specialist area in which the pupils are working. More information can be found here.
PSHCE (Personal and Social Health and Citizenship Education) continues to be studied during tutorial time and we aim to enable our young people to be aware of the world they live in, communicate their feelings, beliefs and opinions in an appropriate manner and develop life-long strategies to manage their emotions.
Physical education Throughout Key Stage 4 pupils continue to access physical education through a timetabled variety of physical activities and challenges which have the wider benefit of promoting working as a team and developing problem solving, thinking skills and cross-curricular links to Living Skills and PSHE. Each half term has a different focus: invasion games, health related fitness, leadership, Summer sports, net and wall activities or strike activities.
Every pupil also has the option of a weekly swimming lesson.
RE lessons continue to follow the Oldham Religious Education Syllabus (available here) and cover a range of different religions and cultural beliefs, focusing on beliefs and teachings. Pupils develop an increasing awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression. Pupils engage in weekly RE lessons and also participate in termly Super Learning Days which look at a variety of religions, cultures and beliefs.
Our effective programme of targeted, personalised interventions continues to be available throughout Key Stage 4 for pupils who have been identified as requiring additional support. These intervention sessions are then built into individual pupil timetables as needed and progress is assessed regularly to monitor the impact.
For further details on any aspect of our curriculum, please contact us.