.jpg "Key Stage 4, IGCSEs (Ages 14-16)")
Key Stage 4, IGCSEs (Ages 14-16)
Key Stage 4 is a two-year course, culminating in the award of the formal end of compulsory education in the British education system with a set of qualifications, the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), that are designed for internationally educated students.
We offer up to 10 individual courses that are assessed through external examination set by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and Edexcel which enable the transfer to Key Stage 5 and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB DP).
St. Julian’s bespoke KS4 curriculum comprises a core which is central to the development of a St Julian’s learner, including the study of English Language (and Literature), Science (Triple or Double Award), Mathematics, and an additional language (from Portuguese, German or French) in addition to the non-examined courses of PE, Critical Thinking, Outdoor Education, PSHE and a Research Project; each of which ensure that our curriculum is relevant, stimulating and truly international.
Shape your own Curriculum
In addition to the core, each student is able to shape their own curriculum through option choices in Year 9, allowing them to pursue their passions and excel in their chosen areas of study; our students choose their subjects from a wide range of subjects including:
- Art and Design
- Business Studies
- Computer Science
- Design Technology
- Drama
- Geography
- History
- ICT
- Music
Overall, our programme is carefully designed to ensure students experience a balanced academic and co-curricular programme which help to nurture collaborative and independent learning that enables students to develop skills, knowledge and understanding, and to feel comfortable making, and learning from mistakes through taking risks, resulting in our students becoming resilient and prepared to take on future challenges.
Assessment during the two year programme is both formative and summative, and designed to enable our students to understand how well they are doing and what the next steps are, in addition to including guided opportunities to reflect on their learning and how they learn through the use of constructive teacher feedback.
For many subjects, half termly or termly tests of skills, knowledge and understanding will also be used but these will always be used formatively to able student self-reflection and subsequent action planning to ensure that our students are able to learn from mistakes, develop resilience, and move forward in their learning.
At the end of the first year of the Key Stage 4 course (at the end of Year 10), and after the first term in Year 11, students will sit examinations in a setting that enables an authentic experience of the formal examination process that they will encounter for the IGCSE examinations at the end of the course. In Year 11, these ‘mock’ exams will help to support the concluding round of feedback to ensure success in the final, externally assessed, IGCSE examinations.
