Key Stage 4 Options

Pupils in Key Stage 4 are provided the opportunity to experience a broad, personalised, and vocational curriculum offer. 

Pupils develop core skills in English, Maths and Science through a functional approach to teaching and learning, alongside working towards progress in their EHCP targets across their other core curriculum subjects.

All Key Stage 4 pupils are entered for English, Maths and Science accreditation according to their academic level. This includes Entry Level & Functional Skills.

Options:

Pupils in Key Stage 4 have a broad and enriching choice of over 14 option pathways, to complete their own engaging and personalised curriculum. Pupils engage in 3 'Options' per week that they choose following a taster day and information evening for them and their families. These Options support our pupils to continue to make progress against their EHCP targets and if appropriate work towards a recognised accreditation or qualification. The breadth of options enables our pupils to gain rich experiences of subjects that they may not have experienced before or enjoy, to support them to move forward to their Post 16 pathway. 

Available Options:

Sport & Leisure: Pupils take part in a range of sporting performance and leisure-based activities at specialist facilities and within our local community. Pupils apply their new knowledge of sports, swimming and fitness activities to their own performance and lifestyles.

Creative Arts: Students will be completing units from the Creative Arts section of the WJEC Entry Level Creative, Media and Performing Arts accreditation. This will enable students to experience creating 2D art (painting, drawing, collage), 3D Art (Sculpture and Ceramics) Printmaking, Graphic Design and Textiles.  In each area, students will be required to research and investigate the work of other artists in that field and comment upon and take inspiration from that work. They will be required to develop ideas for an outcome in that unit, using appropriate materials, techniques and processes. They will also be required to produce and present a finished art work in response to a task or theme. Students will be able to make use of the extensive resources available to them, which include weaving looms, screen printing equipment, gelli-plate and lino printing equipment and mosaic tools. This is in addition to the traditional art room resources. 

Performing Arts - Dance: Creating and performing will be the core activities for all students. Learners develop their technical skills and the quality of their movement and use their imagination and skills to create and choreograph dance sequences. Students will take part in the Dance Live Competition held at the Guildhall and are also offered other opportunities to take part in performances within the community, throughout the year. They further develop their knowledge and understanding and their capacity to enjoy dance through watching live performances, evaluating them and commenting on their work and the work of others.  

Performing Arts - Music: Students will build on their learning from KS3 and be given opportunities to engage, be inspired and challenged to deepen their love of music. They will explore their talents as musicians, developing their vocal and instrumental skills, use their imagination and skills to create musical ideas and compositions, watch live musical performances and comment on them and putting on their own performances. ICT will be used to enhance their composition and performance, and to promote their understanding of how music works. 

Home Cooking Skills: Pupils develop their cooking and preparation skills so they can transfer these new skills to their own home and lives, by creating a range of home favourites, For assessment the Level 1 pupils will create a menu to fit a brief to make a main meal for 2 people. They will plan the meal, find or write a recipe, look at the cost of making the meal, ensure it fits the brief and finally cook it. The Level 2 pupils will make a 2-course meal (either a starter and main or a main and dessert.) They will plan the meal, look at how it fits the Eatwell plate, find or create a recipe, ensure it fits the brief and eventually cook both courses.  The level 2 pupils also need to show that they are helping to cook at home, so we ask that some photographs are sent to school to prove they do help! 

Horticulture: Pupils take part in gardening and horticulture-based activities in our garden, to further add to our forever blossoming outdoor areas.  They learn a range of different skills through the course of each season from germinating seeds in the greenhouse as the winter ends to harvesting crops in the summer. They also have the opportunity to care for the school chickens: feeding, mucking out the coop and collecting eggs.  Most important of all, they get to experience the soothing sounds, smells and textures of the garden and all its vibrant colours.

Duke of Edinburgh Award: Pupils complete the world-renowned qualification including working towards a 2-day 1 night expedition at bronze level and 3-day 2-night expedition at silver level.  There are 4 sections to completing the award; volunteering, physical, new skills and expedition. Pupils can continue this award in post-16 up to gold award. The option gives pupils a chance to build on teamwork, meet goals and celebrate successes in a personal, positive and encouraging way.  

Design Technology: Pupils develop their product design and workmanship skills to create personalised products using a range of materials and tools. The curriculum objectives for design technology are To develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. To build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users. To critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others 

Humanities: In humanities lessons there is a mixture of History, Geography, Religious Studies and British values and taking a role in society in the UK. Over KS3 this is delivered through project lessons and is linked to their termly themes. Often creating ‘themed days’ where pupils are able to be part of an immersive and hands on experience. This gives pupils an insight into personal interests and supports their decision when needing to choose their options in KS4. In KS4, Humanities is part of the pupil's option choice and is studied using direct routes and criteria and follows the WJEC Entry Pathways accreditation. Pupils study units covering Politics, Climate change, Historic change over time, religious festivals and Historic events.

Media: The curriculum objective of Multimedia is to gain the knowledge and skills to develop and create different forms of media. Exposing our pupils to the range of different media outlets there are and how they can use ICT and technology in a range of creative ways. The study of multimedia aims to develop pupils understanding of how Media has become an essential part of our lives, how media can influence the public opinion. As well as developing our pupils’ skills in ICT, teamwork and critical thinking skills.

 

 

Please note: Our highly personalised and be-spoke curriculum continues to see adaptions to match the pupils' interests, complex and ranging needs.

Key Stage 4 Curriculum

Examples of the ranges of accreditation offered at Redwood Park Academy

 

SUBJECTS
Subject	Exam Board	Unit Award	Entry Level or Equivalent Specification
English	Edexcel	Functional Skills	Level 1 & Level 2
	Edexcel	Functional Skills	Entry Level 1/2/3 Award
	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Personal Progress	Developing communication skills (6051)  Developing Reading Skills (6052)  Developing Writing Skills (6053)
Maths	Edexcel	Functional Skills	Level 1 & Level 2
	Edexcel	Functional Skills	Entry Level 1/2/3 Award
	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Personal Progress	Early Mathematics Number skills (6055)  Early Mathematics Position (6056)  Early Mathematics Shape (6057)  Early Mathematics Measure (6058)  Early Mathematics Sequencing & Sorting (6059)
Sport & Leisure	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Healthy Living & Fitness.	Making the most of leisure time (6105)  Physical Education: Frequent and regular Physical Activities for Health, Fitness and Wellbeing (6436)  Physical Education: Adventurous Activities (6430)  Individual or Partner activities (6434)   Healthy Living (6103)
Art	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Creative, Media and Performance Arts.	Art  Painting and Drawing (6308)  3D studies (6312)   Ceramics (6306)  Printmaking (6310)   Textiles (6311)  Graphic Design (6307)
Performing Arts with music	Trinity College London
Home Cooking Skills	BTEC	Level 1/2	Home Cooking Skills  Year 10 Level 1 F/600/8662  Year 11 Level 2 M/600/8768
Science	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Science Today.	Working as part of a team (6110)  Working towards goals (6111)  Food and Health (6164)  Working with Electrical Circuits (6210)  Science and the Human Body (6206)  Choices and Decisions (6123)
Horticulture	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Science Today.	Introduction to plant care (6200)  Introduction to land maintenance (6201)  Introduction to animal care (6202)  Science and the Plant World (6207)  Variation and Adaption (6209)
Duke of Edinburgh	DofE	Bronze/Silver	Bronze  Physical, Skill, Volunteer and 1 night expedition.   Silver  Physical, Skill, Volunteer and 2-night expedition.
Design Technology	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Preparation for Work.	D&T Making a product (6221)  D&T Planning (6222)  D&T Health& safety (6223)  Design & Technology: Designing and Modelling (6220)  Design & Technology: Preparation for Work (6109)
Humanities	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Humanities.	Historical change over time (6227)  Taking a role in society (6243)  Religious Studies - Places of Worship (6237)  Climate change: Causes, Effects and Human Responses (6234)  A British Society in the Past (6225)
Media	WJEC	Entry Pathways: Creative, Media and Performance Arts.	Exploring film genre (6300)  Creating an audio/visual sequence (6334)  Creating a print media product (6302)  Exploring Advertising (6301)  Designing a music website homepage (6332)