Learning through the creative and performing arts
The Key Stage 4 programme of study is made up of two parts. Our Creative and Performing Arts curriculum begins in year 9. Four hours a week is dedicated to the course and there are additional activities such as rehearsals, workshops, events and performances. And our Core curriculum of subjects ensure our commitment to providing a broad and balanced education that values the essential knowledge and skills within National Curriculum subjects.
The Core GCSEs cover the English Baccalaureate. They are also ‘gateway’ qualifications, meaning that pupils will be able to study any subject post 16.
Provision for alternate GCSEs and other qualifications may be put in place if we deem that a pupil is better served this way. We also run Illuminate courses to support pupils in Maths and English.
We are committed to enabling all Pupils to succeed. The purpose of the Illuminate course is to ensure students needing further provision and support are able to achieve the very best outcomes in GCSE English Literature, GCSE English Language and/or GCSE Maths. The Illuminate courses are instead of History and Spanish and places are allocated based on prior assessment data.
The Illuminate Maths course is aimed at students who have previously struggled to reach the required levels in mathematics and/or English. Any pupils who are unlikely to achieve at least a level 5 in their GCSE would be placed on this course. The course will supplement students’ normal Maths/English lessons and will provide an opportunity to revisit topics, to practise and to gain a deeper understanding of the work covered in the core curriculum.
Example KS4 Options
Creative and Performing Arts | Core |
Acting Dance Music Performance & Production Musical Theatre Design for Performance | English Language English Literature Maths Science Trilogy* History Spanish Computing (non-examined) Personal Development (non-examined) |
*Triple Science offered to eligible pupils
(PE short course offered to eligible pupils)