Year 10-11 Curriculum Information

Key Stage 4 Curriculum (Year 10-11)

It is our aim that every student starting Key Stage 4 sets out on a pathway that will take them forward in their learning, open up their chances and choices in life, and enable them to achieve valuable qualifications at the highest level of which they are capable. The number and the types of courses and qualifications followed by each student should be appropriate in terms of individual aptitude, level of challenge and overall workload, so that the goals for each individual are stretching but achievable.

Curriculum Hours

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Choices

At Tarporley we have developed a Key Stage 4 structure that enables students to follow a curriculum that recognises that students’ aspirations and needs are different and therefore need to follow different pathways. This enables students to  achieve their best by the end of Year 11, by selecting the types of courses most suited to the individual.

Everyone must study:

• Maths
• English Language
• English Literature
• Combined Science*
• Core PE
• Core Religious Studies
• PSHE

The core subjects at Tarporley are studied by all students and take up 60% of the curriculum time during Year 10 and Year 11.

Everyone must study at least one of the following:

• French
• Spanish
• History
• Geography
• Separate Sciences*

*If a student chooses GCSE Separate Sciences, this will be instead of GCSE Combined Science

Choose your remaining 3 options from the following:

• Food Preparation & Nutrition **
• D&T: Construction**
• D&T:Textiles**
• Computing
• Creative iMedia (ICT)
• Business Studies***
• Enterprise***
• Media Studies
• Religious Studies
• Art
• Drama
• Music
• PE

**These are Design & Technology subjects. You can only select one.

***These courses are very similar, therefore you can only select one.

What factors need to be considered when making options choices?

Broad and Balanced - This has always been a key principle of GCSE programmes and we believe at this stage of education selecting a range of subjects from different areas keeps future options open. To support this principle, we require all students to keep one traditional academic subject as part of their GCSE options.

Academic Rigour and Future Pathways - Many students may wish to go onto university in the future and need to be aware that many courses require students to have studied particular subjects at A-level.  Some Universities do ask for a minimum of two traditional academic subjects at A-level as a requirement for certain courses, these are often referred to as facilitating subjects. The facilitating subjects are:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• English literature
• Geography
• History
• Maths
• Further Maths
• French/Spanish

For more information see Russell Group: Informed Choices: https://www.informedchoices.ac.uk.

Assessment - Some option subjects have coursework as part of their assessment and others are solely assessed by exams at the end of the course. Selecting subjects that are assessed in a different way may help spread workload and suit the learning styles of some students.

Workload and Support - For some students studying nine GCSES that are assessed at the end of the course through written examinations is not the best choice. Within the option choices there are subjects that have practical skills as part of their assessment, and we also have a Vocational Option that does not lead to a GCSE or GCSE equivalent.  For some students a combination of options with practical assessment and the Vocational option is more suitable.

Students wishing to take a reduced number of GCSEs by selecting the Vocational Option should contact Mr Pringle or Mr Pryor who will provide further information about the bespoke nature of this option.