KS4 Curriculum
Students have a 25 hour week and study a core programme of English, maths, double or triple science, and core PE.
Students make their pathway choices at the end of Year 9 and choose from a range of subjects from our pathways. This process starts in January and is usually completed before the Easter break.
The current position of the Academy is to ensure that the vast majority of our students are able to study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects, so all students continue to study English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Combined Science or Triple Science as an option, History or Geography and for those where its most suitable a Modern Foreign Language (French, German or Spanish) students not taking a MFL subject will opt for a vocational course from the suite of subjects listed below. This means that ALL students continue to have two free choices.
In the remaining blocks students choose from all the remaining GCSE and non-GCSE subjects.
Typical KS4 Pathway
| Maths | English Language and English Literature | Combined Science | Core PE | Life | History | Spanish | Design Technology | Vcert Sport | |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 11 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Subjects Offered
GCSE subjects: Art, Computing, Design Technology, Drama, French, Food Technology, Geography, German, History, Music, PE Studies, Philosophy & Ethics, Spanish and Triple science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
Non-GCSE equivalent subjects: Business (VCERT), Child Development (Cambridge National), Engineering / Construction (BTEC), Health & Social Care (BTEC), Sport (VCERT)
Duration: All courses run for two years and are examined at the end of Year 11.
Additional Support
A period 6 exists for most students in the form of an additional intervention session, these are usually targeted at a specific skill or section of knowledge, which the teacher has determined as necessary through thorough prior assessment. They typically run from 3.15-4.00 Tuesday to Friday. The Year 11 Progress Leader coordinates this work with subject leaders and produces regular updates and rotations.
Form Time
In years 10 and 11 the academy continues to provide 5 ‘tutorial’ sessions across the week from 10.40-11.05 am. However, in these two year groups the tutorial staff are selected in order to allow the greatest curriculum flexibility as 3 of these sessions are subject specific i.e. 3 x 25 minute sessions are selected from English, Mathematics, Science, History, MFL, and in addition further smaller groups are provided in a range of curriculum subjects. The use of Tassomai and Maths-Whizz online platforms is also a feature of this additional provision for these groups.
Grouping of students
Students are set in Maths and Science and are more loosely streamed in English. Decisions on set changes will be made between the class teacher, and subject leader. For all other subjects students are in mixed ability teaching groups.
Nunthorpe Academy complies fully with the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 and our curriculum is fully accessible for those with disabilities or special educational needs
Disapplication
In accordance with the Education Act (2002), The Trust responds to some individual student needs by modifying timetables or via disapplication from elements of the National Curriculum, on a temporary or permanent basis. This can happen in order to:
- Allow a student to participate in extended work-related learning
- Allow a student with individual strengths to emphasise a particular curriculum area
- Enable a student to improve his/her learning and progress by reducing the number of subjects studied
- Allow a students’ specific SEND need to be met or as part of compliance with a student’s EHCP/learning passport.
Any parental application for a student to be disapplied from Philosophy and Ethics on religious grounds will be considered on an individual basis.
The Parental Right to Withdraw their Son or Daughter from Sex Education Lessons:
Section 241 of the Education Act 1993 gives parents the right to withdraw their children from any or all parts of the Academy’s programme of sex education, other than those elements which are required by the National Curriculum Science Order. It is realised that, under exceptional circumstances, a very small number of parents may wish to exclude their children from this programme. In this case, parents should write to the Head of School of the respective Academy, stating their objections. The Head of School will then assess the importance of the education delivered and any detrimental effects that withdrawal may have on the child. This could involve any social and emotional effects of being excluded, as well as the likelihood of child hearing their peers’ version of what was said in the class rather than the fact delivered by the staff member. The responsibility of providing appropriate and purposeful education will fall on the respective Academy. The biological element of reproduction remains within the National Curriculum in Science for Key Stage 3.
