The Pioneers AcademyGCSE OPTIONS AT KS4
The Key Stage 4 Curriculum
At The Pioneers Academy, our aim is that all our students follow a broad and balanced curriculum that prepares them for college, the world of work and adult life. We believe that our Key Stage 4 curriculum is flexible enough to meet the individual learning needs of all our students in Key Stage 4.
The following are the core subjects:
Compulsory Subjects
GCSE English Language
GCSE English Literature*
GCSE Maths
GCSE Science (Combined or Separate) *
Islamic Studies - Non examination subject
PE – Non examination subject
Citizenship - Non examination subject
* Entrance into English Literature and either Separate or Combined Science is dependent on assessment results
Option Subjects
Students will need to choose one subject from each option block (three options in total)
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Option Block 1 |
Option Block 2 |
Option Block 3 |
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Art
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History |
Business |
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Arabic
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Geography |
ICT |
HOW TO CHOOSE A SUBJECT
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GOOD REASONS
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BAD REASONS |
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You like it or find it interesting
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Your friends are doing it |
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You are good at it |
You think you should do it.; even if you do not want to
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You need it or it is useful for your future career
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Your parents think it is a good idea but you do not |
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You can develop new skills by doing it |
You know someone who has done it and they say it is great
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You think you will do well in it |
It’s thought of as a ‘cool’ subject by most people |
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It will give you satisfaction
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You cannot think of anything else to choose |
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Your teachers think it is a suitable choice for you |
You think it will be easy |
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It will combine well with other subjects and help your general education
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It sounds good even though you have not found out about it |
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You like the method of assessment and teaching
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You really like the teacher you have got now |
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It’s a subject you would like to become good at |
You think it will impress people now or later on
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Good choices are balanced choices |
Bad choices are unbalanced choices
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GCSE English Language
Examining board: AQA 8700
Aims of the Course:
- read a wide range of texts, fluently and with good understanding
- read critically, and use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing
- write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately
- use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately
- acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.
In addition, students must:
- listen to and understand spoken language, and use spoken Standard English effectively.
The Spoken Language endorsement will be reported on as part of the qualification, but it will not form part of the final mark and grade.
Overview of the Course
Students will draw upon a range of texts as reading stimulus and engage with creative as well as real and relevant contexts. Students will have opportunities to develop higher-order reading and critical thinking skills that encourage genuine enquiry into different topics and themes. They will be able to demonstrate a confident control of Standard English and write grammatically correct sentences, deploying figurative language and analysing texts.
Examination and Assessment Methods
Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
A written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes (50% of GCSE)
Section A: Reading and answering four questions based on one literature fiction text
Section B: Writing - one extended writing question on descriptive or narrative writing
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
A written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes (50% of GCSE)
Section A: Reading –answering four questions based on one non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text
Section B: Writing—one extended writing question to present a viewpoint
GCSE English Literature
Examining Board: AQA 8702
Aims of the Course:
- read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding and make connections across their reading
- read in depth, critically and evaluatively so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas
- develop the habit of reading widely and often
- appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage
- write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English
- acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms they need to criticise and analyse what they read.
Overview of the Course
Students will study a Shakespeare play of choice and will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play. Students will study a 19th century novel and will study extracts from the novel and the whole text. Modern texts, including prose and drama will be studied, as well as a range of poetry from an anthology and some unseen poetry.
Examination and Assessment Methods
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel (1 hour 45 minutes) 40% of GCSE
Section A: Shakespeare: -to answer one question on a chosen Shakespeare play.
Section B: The 19th-century novel- to answer one question on a 19th century novel.
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry (2 hours 15 minutes) 60%
Section A: Modern texts - one question
Section B: Poetry - one question from a pre-seen anthology of poems
Section C: Unseen Poetry - two questions on two unseen poems.
GCSE Mathematics
Examining Board: EdExcel 1MA1
Aims of the Course:
- develop fluent knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts.
- acquire, select and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems.
- reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences, and draw conclusions
- comprehend, interpret and communicate mathematical information in a variety of forms.
- appropriate to the information and context.
Overview of the Course
The weighting between the broad areas of the subject in the examinations will be approximately as follows:
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Topic Area |
Weighting |
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Number |
12-18% |
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Algebra |
27-33% |
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Ratio, Proportion and Rates of change |
17-23% |
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Geometry and Measures |
17-23% |
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Statistics and Probability |
12-18% |
Examination and Assessment Methods
Three (3) written papers
Each paper lasts:
- 1 hour 30 minutes (Foundation)
- 1 hour 30 minutes (Higher)
Each paper contains 80 marks
- Papers 1F and 1H: Non-calculator, Papers 2F, 3F and 2H, 3H Calculator allowed
Tiered papers:
- Foundation Tier grades 1 - 5 available
- Higher Tier grades 4 - 9 available
Each paper assesses the functional elements of mathematics:
- 30-40% on Foundation Tier papers
- 20-30% on Higher Tier papers
GCSE Science (Combined and Separate)
Students will either undertake the Combined Science course resulting in two Science GCSEs, or the Separate Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) resulting in a GCSE in each subject. No final decision will be made on exam entry until the end of Year 10 allowing further opportunity for students to develop their scientific skills.
Examining Board: EdExcel Combined Science - 1SC0, Biology – 1BI0, Chemistry – 1CH0, Physics – 1PH0
Overview of the course
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Biology |
Chemistry |
Physics |
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Key concepts in Biology |
Key concepts in Chemistry |
Key concepts in Physics |
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Cells and control |
Atomic Structure |
Motion and forces
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Genetics
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The Periodic Table |
Conservation of energy |
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Natural selection and genetic modification |
Types of substance |
Waves |
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Health, disease and the development of medicines |
States of matter and mixtures |
Light and the electromagnetic spectrum |
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Plant structures and their functions |
Chemical change |
Radioactivity |
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Animal coordination, control and homeostasis |
Extracting metals and equilibria |
Energy – forces doing work |
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Exchange and transport in animals |
Groups in the periodic table |
Forces and their effects |
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Ecosystems and material cycles |
Rates of reaction and energy changes |
Electricity and circuits |
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Fuels and Earth science |
Magnetism and the motor effect |
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Electromagnetic induction
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Particle model
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Forces and matter
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Examination and Assessment Methods
The Combined Science consists of six externally examined papers. Each exam is 1 hour and 10 minutes
The Foundation paper will target grades 1–5. The Higher paper will target grades 4–9.
The Separate Science course consists of two externally examined papers – six in total.
The Foundation paper will target grades 1 -5. The Higher paper will target grades 4–9.
OPTION SUBJECTS
GCSE Arabic
Examining Board: EdExcel 1AA0
Overview of the course
Topics across all four language skills are set in common contexts, addressing a range of relevant contemporary and cultural themes. They are organised into five themes, each broken down into topics and sub-topics.
The five themes are:
- Identity and culture
- Local area, holiday, travel
- School
- Future aspirations, study and work
- International and global dimension.
Examination and Assessment Methods
The Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) in Arabic consists of four externally-examined papers based on the following skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Students must complete their speaking assessment in April/May and all other assessments in May/June in any single year.
Each paper is available at Foundation tier or Higher tier.
Paper 1: Listening and Understanding Arabic
Paper 2: Speaking in Arabic
Paper 3: Reading and Understanding Arabic
Paper 4: Writing in Arabic
GCSE Art and Design (Fine Art)
Examining Board: EdExcel (Fine Art 1FA0)
Aim of the course:
Art and Design will help you to learn about the visual world, acquire the ability to investigate, observe, analyse, experiment and problem-solve. The course will also enable you to continue to develop your practical skills learnt at KS3 and to express your ideas visually and help you develop your imaginative powers.
Overview of the course
The Fine Art syllabus requires a variety of fine art media to be explored throughout the course, such as:
- Painting and drawing (using a variety of Medium and technique)
- Printmaking (mono printing, lino cutting and etching)
- Sculpture, mixed media
- Photography (composition, lighting, viewpoint, effects and manipulation using ICT)
Examination and Assessment Methods
Unit 1- Portfolio/Coursework: The coursework element includes the use of sketchbooks in which you will be required to show your research, investigations and development of ideas from a given starting point to produce a variety of outcomes. Unit 1 accounts for 60% of your grade.
Unit 2 – Externally Set Assignment: You will complete one ten-hour examination that is held over two days in April/May of Year 11. A broad theme (set by the exam board) needs to be personally interpreted and prepared prior to the exam in a timed preparatory period. Unit 2 is worth 40% of the GCSE.
Exhibition: At the end of the course in June, there will be a celebratory exhibition of all students’ work. This work will be internally assessed by art teachers and moderated at the exhibition by a visiting assessor.
GCSE History
Examining Board: EdExcel (1HI0)
The Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) in History consists of three externally examined papers.
The proposed pathway is:
- Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000–present and Whitechapel (Paper 1)
- Henry VIII and his ministers, 1509–40 (Paper 2)
- Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91 (Paper 2)
- The USA, 1954–75: conflict at home and abroad (Paper 3)
Examination and Assessment Methods
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Paper 1: Thematic study and historic environment |
Paper 2: Period study and British depth study |
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Students take one of the following options:
● Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000–present and Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: crime, policing, and the inner city. ● Medicine in Britain, c1250–present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: injuries, treatment and the trenches. ● Warfare and British society, c1250–present and London and the Second World War, 1939–45. |
Students take one of the following British depth study options: ● Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88 ● The reigns of King Richard I and King John, 1189–1216 ● Henry VIII and his ministers, 1509–40 ● Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88.
Students also take one of the following period study options: ● Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490–c1555 ● British America, 1713–83: empire and revolution ● The American West, c1835–c1895 ● Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91 ● Conflict in the Middle East, 1945–95. |
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How it's assessed:
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How it's assessed:
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Paper 3 – Modern depth study |
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Students take one of the following modern depth studies: ● Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41 ● Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39 ● Mao’s China, 1945–76 ● The USA, 1954–75: conflict at home and abroad. |
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How it's assessed:
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GCSE Geography B
Examining Board: EdExcel (1GB0)
Overview of the course
The Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) in Geography B is made up of three components:
Component 1: Global Geographical Issues
- Hazardous Earth
- Development dynamics –
- Challenges of an urbanising world
Component 2: UK Geographical Issues
- The UK's evolving physical landscape
- The UK's evolving human landscape
- Geographical investigations - two investigations, including fieldwork and research, carried out in contrasting environments, one from 'Coastal change and conflict' or 'River processes and pressures' and one of either 'Dynamic urban areas' or 'Changing rural areas
Component 3: People and Environment Issues – Making Geographical Decisions
- People and the biosphere
- Forests under threat
- Consuming energy resource
Examination and Assessment Methods
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Paper 1: Global Geographical Issues |
Paper 2: UK Geographical Issues |
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An externally-assessed written exam with three 30-mark sections
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An externally-assessed written exam with three sections
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How it's assessed:
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How it's assessed:
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Paper 3 – People and Environment Issues |
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An externally-assessed written exam with four sections
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How it's assessed:
25% of GCSE |
GCSE Business
Examining Board: AQA 8132
Overview of the course
Students will consider the practical application of business concepts. The units provide opportunities to explore theories and concepts in the most relevant way, through the context of events in the business and economic world.
The knowledge and skills gained from this specification will provide your students with a firm foundation for further study.
- Business in the real world
- Influences on business
- Business operations
- Human resources
- Marketing
- Finance
Examination and Assessment Methods
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Paper 1 – Influences of operations and HRM on business activity |
Paper 2 – Influences of marketing and finance on business activity |
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What’s assessed:
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What's assessed:
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Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes 90 marks 50% of GCSE |
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes 90 marks 50% of GCSE
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IGCSE Information Communication Technology
Examining Board: EdExcel (4IT1)
Aim of the course
The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable students to:
- explore how digital technology impacts on the lives of individuals, organisations and society
- learn about current and emerging digital technologies and the issues raised by their use in a range of contexts by individuals and organisations
- develop awareness of the risks that are inherent in using ICT and the features of safe, secure and responsible practice
- work with a range of digital tools and techniques to produce effective ICT solutions in a range of contexts
Overview of the course
The Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) comprises six topics:
- Digital Devices
- Connectivity
- Operating Online
- Online Goods and Services
- Applying Information and Communication Technology
- Software skills
Examination and Assessment Methods
Students will sit two exams – one written paper and one practical paper.
Written paper from topics 1 to 4 – 1 hour and 30 minutes (50% of the total IGCSE)
Practical paper from topics 5 and 6 – 3-hour practical exam (50% of the total IGCSE)