KS4 Curriculum
Our English Language course and assessments have been designed to inspire and motivate students, providing appropriate stretch and challenge whilst ensuring, as far as possible, that the assessment and texts are accessible to all students. The specification enables students of all abilities to develop the skills they need to read, understand and analyse a wide range of different texts covering the 19th, 20th and 21st century time periods, as well as to write clearly, coherently and accurately using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures.
Key Stage 4 students work towards Edexcel GCSE Mathematics. GCSE (9 – 1) Mathematics is a challenging course which develops upon the progression students have made throughout Key Stage 3. As with Key Stage 3 students will study topics in Number, Algebra, Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change, Geometry and Measures, Probability and Statistics.
During Year 9 students will have followed the ELC (Entry Level Certificate) syllabus to consolidate their learning in preparation for beginning their KS4 years. In KS4 students start working towards their AQA Synergy GCSE, which leads to a double award GCSE, and involves studying all three science subjects, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. There are 4 exam papers, sat at the end of Year 11. A small number of students will continue to study ELC to Year 11 and gain a nationally recognised qualification. Through the different approaches and activities, students also concentrate on their 6 pillars of ASPIRE, as they develop Awareness of themselves and others whilst completing practicals, Self-regulation whilst carrying out precise tasks. They gain in their Positivity as they make links between the topics and this Inspires them to question more. Relationships and Empathy come through the group work and learning to support each other through tasks and practicals.
KS4 students will complete an ICDL (International Certificate of Digital Literacy) qualification which is recognised by colleges nationally. There are multiple units to complete and students will either leave with a Level 1 or Level 2 Certificate in IT User Skills. At the Eaglewood School, we acknowledge our responsibility to educate students on e-safety issues, teaching them the appropriate behaviours and skills to enable them to remain both safe and legal when using the internet and related technologies, in and beyond the context of the classroom.
The BTEC Home Cooking Skills course teaches students to prepare and make home cooked meals. It is largely focused on cooking economically with minimal food waste. Students are taught to choose healthier options and will learn to adapt dishes to make them healthier. In Key Stage 4 they learn about sustainability and how to incorporate sustainable foods into their dishes. As part of our SMSC focus, we cook dishes from different cultures and link these to worldwide food festivals. Students are taught how adapt recipes to suit all dietary needs from cultural, to pescatarians, to vegan including those with specific allergies. Finally, they learn how to present food in different ways for different celebrations.
The PE curriculum is heavily embedded with our ASPIRE emotional literacy pillars. Across KS3 and KS4, students will learn and improve their Awareness, Self-regulation, Positivity, Inspiration, Relationships and Empathy through a variety of different sports. The curriculum is specifically tailored to each class and key stage, as well as their level of emotional literacy. The range of sports covered are leadership, netball, badminton, basketball, health and fitness, football, ultimate frisbee, handball, spikeball, rounders, street surfing, table tennis, volleyball, Y ball, short tennis, parachutes, yoga and rugby. Practical skills for each sport are learnt, as well as a resilience to try new activities. Exercise is essential for a healthy body and mind, so participation and enjoyment are heavily promoted.
ASPIRE is a unique emotional literacy curriculum bespoke to The Eaglewood School. We support student’s development and understanding of 6 key areas: Awareness, Self-Regulation, Positivity, Inspiration, Relationships and Empathy. Lessons are adapted and creative depending on the emotional and wellbeing needs of the individuals in the class.
Our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education curriculum explores the skills and attributes students need to stay healthy. The overall intent is to help students to take a positive and successful role within our society. In supporting students’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development we aim to prepare and equip our students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life, with a focus on careers, working towards the Gatsby benchmarks. Furthermore, students will be working towards gathering evidence and resources for their Record of Achievement portfolios to include CV’s and further education applications. We aim to provide our students with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Topics include: families, respectful relationships, financial decisions, physical and mental well-being, sexual relationships, online and media, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, health education and the changing adolescent body.
Students generally access Outdoor Education one day a week, where they will be offsite and taking part in various activities to build up their ASPIRE skills. We utilise local outdoor activity centres such as Avon Tyrell and New Forest Activities to deliver high quality sessions that get students out of the classroom, but still allow them to learn and grow. This gives the students an opportunity to develop essential life skills which are linked to our ASPIRE curriculum in school. It also allows the students to experience new things in a different environment and be pushed out of their comfort zones to build up their resilience. Activities include climbing, abseiling, bushcraft, paddleboarding and kayaking. All of these sessions will have an underlying focus on a different aspect of ASPIRE each week. Whether that be a teamwork challenge in which they must build up their relationships with others or build up their resilience.
The GCSE in Art, Craft and Design is a broad and flexible course that requires students to develop an appreciation of the creative process through a practical response, using a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, materials, techniques and processes. Students are required to produce two portfolios of work and sit a two-day exam where they will create a final piece for assessment. The ASPIRE curriculum complements each project enabling GCSE students to work with a positive mind-set, take risks with their work and gain confidence. Throughout the course they gain inspiration from artists’ work and the world around them, giving them the opportunity to improve their critical thinking and verbal skills. Most importantly, the opportunity to create in a calm and inspiring environment for two hours a week and optional after school sessions, enables the students to self-regulate in a therapeutic setting, improve their self-esteem and create beautiful art work that they can be proud of.