Subject Choices

In Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4), students study a mixture of subjects that they must take (compulsory) and subjects they can choose between (optional). The range of courses and opportunities included in the KS4 curriculum will be unique to each school.

Compulsory Subjects

There are some subjects that are compulsory in Years 10 and 11; these are the subjects that cover the essential knowledge and skills needed for the future.

These are:

• National Curriculum Core Subjects:
• English
• Maths
• Science
• National Curriculum Non-Core Subjects:
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Physical Education (PE)
• Citizenship
• Other Subjects:
• Careers Education
• Religious Education
• Sex Education
• Work-related Learning

Some schools may also make other subjects compulsory, such as a language or humanities course.

English, maths and science are usually taken at GCSE level, although some schools may offer them at different levels such as short GCSE courses or National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). Some schools may require all students to follow a course leading to a qualification in ICT, and a few may require all students to work towards a qualification in PE.

Optional Subjects

There are a variety of optional subjects that pupils may take in Years 10 and 11; the range will vary from school to school. However, every school must provide students with access to at least one course in each of four areas, known as 'entitlement areas':

• Arts (including Art and Design, Music, Dance, Drama and Media Arts)
• Design and Technology
• Humanities (History and Geography)
• Modern Foreign Languages

Although every school must have at least one course available in each of these areas, it is not compulsory for students to take them.

Schools may offer a range of other optional subjects, such as:

• Business Studies
• Engineering
• Health and Social Care
• Leisure and Tourism
• Life Skills
• Manufacturing
• Social Sciences

Students' choices of these options should be based on their strengths and interests, previous results, career aspirations, and the creation of a balanced and broad subject framework. They may also need to take the restrictions of the school timetable into account.

It is important for students to choose courses that will motivate them and enable them to succeed at a suitably challenging level.