WELCOME TO KEY STAGE 4

At the start of Year 10, your child will progress into Key Stage 4 at OSA. This will be the start of their 14–19 education, a stage which will open new doors and opportunities, including the chance to join the OSA Sixth Form at post-16 and from there to progress to higher education, apprenticeships or employment.

At OSA, we are committed to ensuring that all students are given the opportunity to achieve, whatever their starting point. Our Key Stage 4 curriculum will contain distinct pathways that cater for a range of ability needs to prepare all students for success post-16. The combinations of subjects on offer have been used successfully over the past few years and will allow students to progress onto A-Levels, vocational courses, apprenticeships or employment in a range of sectors.

Our forthcoming Options Evening will introduce the Options process and hopefully get you and your child thinking about their educational future – about the subjects they will want to study next year, but also how these relate to what they will study post-16, and to their future career.

This site will provide you with information about the various courses offered to your child for next year. We hope you will enjoy discussing these and planning ahead. Please remember to be flexible and think about reserve choices as required. As always, if you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to help and support you.

Yours sincerely

Nick Gray
Deputy Headteacher

Expectations

Homework is a crucial part of successful study at Key Stage 4. It can take many forms, for example written exercises, project work, short investigations and problem-solving tasks, research and planning work for future lessons. If you are interested in a particular subject it is a good idea to discuss with the teacher what type of homework it will entail and how much work at home is necessary for success. The coursework component of GCSEs has been greatly reduced in recent years, but some subjects, especially the Arts and other practical subjects, still have a significant proportion. Students will have to make sure they have the self-discipline to keep up to date with their work and meet deadlines for submission.

Good attendance at 96% and above will also be vital to students’ success. GCSE and other Key Stage 4 courses move at a fast pace, and those who do not attend well risk missing key information that could affect their overall grade. It is very important that parents support their child by avoiding unnecessary absence- e.g. for holidays in term-time.

Students embarking on a two-year examination course will be expected to have a ‘can-do’ attitude and form positive working relationships with their teachers and other students. We encourage students to be pro-active, independent learners with enquiring minds. Students must be committed, well-organised and properly equipped. Most key equipment for KS4 courses will be provided by the school, but it may be an advantage for families to buy certain key items for each course. Talk to teachers about the most useful and important equipment for any subjects you are interested in.

You can help your child by:

Encouraging them to show a positive attitude to learning.
Encouraging resilience and a self-disciplined approach to school work.
Ensuring they attend school every day.
Ensuring that no holidays are taken during school term time.
Providing any required equipment for their courses.
Supporting them to complete homework and all other additional work set.
Making sure that they catch up with all work if they are absent from school.
Contacting the school immediately if they have a problem.
Supporting any study support sessions including those after school and on a weekend.

Blue Pathway

Yellow Pathway

Green Pathway

Note to Parents

Please note that we will do everything possible to run all courses that are on offer, but whether a course goes ahead will depend upon the number of students who choose it. If a limited number of students choose an option, it may not be possible for us to run the course.

Additionally, both parents and students should be aware that options choices will include limitations, both in terms of the courses that are open to each student based on their ability, and in terms of the subjects that can be chosen together according to the option blocks. It is important that families plan realistically and flexibly, with reserve choices in mind.

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