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Key Stage 4 Programme

Attending Key Stage 4 at North East Futures means studying a range of core GCSEs and non-examined specialist subjects and activities, including taking part in business-led projects. Students will also pick one other optional GCSE.

Supported by Technical and Project-Based learning

The UTC curriculum is enriched with regular access to Project-Based Learning where students use their learning and apply it in industry-led, real-world projects. Project-Based Learning helps students understand the world of work and develop the skills they need to get ahead. Students will end key stage 4 with a fantastic set of GCSE results, a unique CV and the professional skills to take them to the next stage of their career.

Projects may include cyber security, biotechnology, games development, e-health or personalised medicine. There are, of course, many more like this which may spark their interest.

All students benefit from personalised careers advice, guidance and support from UTC staff and industry partners.

Faiths and Cultures is delivered as part of the UTC’s wider Personal Development programme, developing students’ personal skills for the professional environment.

Sex and Relationship Education (RSE) forms part of the Personal Development curriculum and is delivered through Citizenship, Tutor Time and Science.

Health and Fitness lessons are delivered through dedicated sessions and the enrichment programme. Opportunities to take part in a variety of sporting and fitness activities are encouraged to ensure students pick up good habits for life and find physical activities that they will continue to engage in beyond their time at the UTC. 

Students are expected to develop as Independent Learners throughout Key Stage 4 so they are able to cope with the demands of a post 16 education, apprenticeship and the workplace. To facilitate this, students are supported to organise their time, manage deadlines, choose the most effective resources and develop independence.

KS4 Course Information available below. Contact info@nef.tynecost.academy to request full Curriculum Plans

  • GCSE Art
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Combined Science
  • Computer Science
  • English
  • Enterprise
  • Faiths and Cultures
  • Geography
  • History
  • Mathematics
  • Personal Development
  • Physics
  • Sport
  • Technical Studies
  • Vocational ICT

CORE GCSE SUBJECTS

Mathematics 
English Language, English Literature 
Biology, Chemistry, Physics 
Faiths & Cultures (non GCSE) 
Personal Development (non GCSE) 

SPECIALIST TECHNICAL GCSE

Healthcare or
Digital

GCSE OPTION (one of the following)

Business Enterprise or
Art or
Geography or
History 

ENRICHMENT 

Music, Languages, E-Sports

Coding, Sports Clubs, Board Games and many more.

Health & Fitness

 

 

 

GCSE Maths

The mathematics course will cover Numbers, Algebra, Ratio, proportion and rates of change, Geometry and measures, Probability and Statistics.

What’s assessed?

Paper 1 will assess students on all of the above topics without the use of a calculator. It will also assess their arithmetic more so than the other papers.

Paper 2 will assess students ability in all the above topics. It will also assess the students ability to utilise a calculator.

Paper 3 will again assess a students understanding of the above topics and assess their ability to use their calculator.

All papers will be assessed with a written exam and will last 1 hour 30 minutes. All papers are worth 80 marks and each constitute 33⅓% of the GCSE Mathematics assessment.

GCSE English Literature & Language

The English literature course will cover Shakespeare, a 19th-century novel, Modern texts and Poetry.

The English language course will cover Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar.

What’s assessed?

English Literature

Paper 1 will focus on older English texts. It will also assess students on reading comprehension and their writing ability. It will be an assessed written exam of 1 hour 45 minutes and is worth 64 marks which constitutes 40% of English Literature GCSE.

Paper 2 looks at the second half of the topics, the newer English texts and poetry. It will also have an unseen poem for the students to analyse. It will be an assessed written exam of 1 hour 45 minutes and is worth 96 marks which constitutes 60% of English Literature GCSE.

English Language

Paper 1 will assess students on their ability to read and answer comprehensive questions on a text . In addition they will be assessed on their ability to write a short narrative piece of writing.

Paper 2 will be assess students on their ability to read texts and give their own opinion and viewpoint. Both papers will be an assessed written exam of 1 hour 45 minutes consisting of two sections (A & B) and is worth 80 marks which constitutes 50% of English Language GCSE.

Non-exam assessment

Students will be assessed on their ability to speak in different circumstances including, Presenting and Responding to questions and feedback.

This is set and marked by teachers throughout the year but constitutes 0% of English Language GCSE.

The Key Stage 5 Programme

Students in 6th form will have the option to take 3 or 4 of our A-level courses. Our smaller selection of courses provides a focused entry into the health science and the digital technology, computer science industry.