Throughout this process, there is information about the different KS4 subjects that are on offer at Fullhurst.

Within this process there are some important dates:

• Thursday 1st February 2024: Student Options Event, Parents and Options Evening (Year 9 Bands A&D)
• Thursday 8th February 2024: Parents and Options Evening (Year 9 Bands B & C).
• Friday 8th March 2024: Students to select their option choices.
• Thursday 14th March 2024: Deadline for parental approval of student options choices on the Fullhurst App.

Certain terms are used throughout:

Core Subjects - The subjects that all students study.

Option Subjects - The courses that students can choose to study in years 10 and 11.

EBacc - These are the subjects that the government consider to be in the English Baccalaureate. We recommend that every student studies at least one of these subjects and you can pick more than one of these as often they complement each other.

Technical Award - These are GCSE equivalent courses. They are more work based and as such have a higher weighting given to the work you do throughout the course, although they all have exams.

• All students will study the mandatory PE lessons with the opportunity to gain a BTEC Sport qualification unless they chose to study the GCSE PE.
• All students at KS4 will study the core subjects of Maths, English Language, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, PE and PSHE.

Alongside this we want students to pick three other options and a further reserve, as due to timetabling constraints it is not always possible to give students their first choices, although every effort will be done to make this possible.

Within these three option subjects all students should pick one Ebacc subject (History, Geography, French, Spanish or Computer Science). After this we recommend students then choose the subjects which are going to allow them to be as successful as possible in the future.

Computer Science has an entry requirement as due to the challenging nature of this course we offer an alternate course, Information Technology, that may be more appropriate. If you are considering studying Computer Science please discuss this with the relevant member of staff.

English

All students will study for GCSEs in both English Literature and English Language.

During the Key Stage Four GCSE course, students will develop their reading, writing and verbal communication skills. They will read a wide range of texts, both fiction and non-fiction, looking at how writers use language and structure to create effects readers. Informed by their wide reading, students will also practice writing in a range of different styles, focusing on crafting language for deliberate effect. In addition, they will learn how to improve the accuracy of their writing in order to ensure that their ideas are clearly and accurately communicated.

Alongside this, students will also study a variety of whole literary texts, including a Shakespeare play (Romeo and Juliet), a novel (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein), a modern play (RC Sherriff’s Journey’s End) and a poetry anthology, considering how writers appeal to their readers and how Literature is affected by its period in history.

Exam board Edexcel

Assessment 100% exam

Exam board Edexcel  

Assessment 100% exam    

Maths

In Mathematics students will follow a linear route, with all students taking their GCSE examinations at the end of the course. The course covers:

• Number
• Algebra
• Ratio, Proportion and Change
• Geometry and Measures
• Probability
• Statistics

Exam board AQA

Assessment 100% exam

The course is assessed with 3 written papers at the end of the course at both Higher (Grades 4-9) and Foundation Tier (Grades 1-5).

All 3 papers are 1 hour 30 minutes long for both tiers. Paper 1 is a non-calculator paper, paper 2 and 3 are calculator papers. The questions are in a mix of styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems. The mathematical demand increases as a student progresses through the paper.

Science

Trilogy Triple Award Science: Students will study Biology, Chemistry and Physics GCSEs. Triple Award Science enriches and extends students understanding of science. Students are taught the three disciplines through practical work, research and independent learning. 

Exam board AQA  

Assessment 100% exam

PE

This is a compulsory subject, all students will learn about fitness for sport and exercise, performance of sport and principles of personal training.

PSHE

PSHE is a subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. These skills and attributes help pupils to stay healthy, safe and prepare them for life and work in modern Britain.

This course is not examined.

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact:

english@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

mathematics@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

physicaleducation@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

pshe@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact: Art@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact: computerscience@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk 

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact: designtechnology@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact: drama@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact: food@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact: mediastudies@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

You can find out more information on the curriculum by visiting our Subject Information pages.

Contact: music@fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk