At Key Stage 4, all qualifications are measured in levels. A GCSE is worth one qualification at level 2 (9-4) or level 1 (3-1). Some pupils are not ready to take qualifications at level 1 and will therefore take qualifications at Entry Level.
Entry level qualifications can help you build skills, increase your knowledge and boost your confidence. You can take Entry level qualifications at three different levels: Entry 1; Entry 2; Entry 3. They develop basic knowledge, skills and understanding and help you build confidence and prepare for further learning and work.
The Core Curriculum |
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English Maths |
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The Optional Curriculum |
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Year 10 |
Year 11 |
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Option 1 |
Option 2 |
Option 3 |
Option 1 |
Option 2 |
Option 3 |
History GCSE |
Geography |
Art GCSE |
Art GCSE |
Geography |
Art GCSE |
Please click on subject tabs on the left-hand side for Specifications and further information
The English courses selected aim to inspire, motivate and challenge pupils.
English Language: 8700 Assessment |
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Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing Section A: Reading – 40 marks
Section B: Writing – 40 marks
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Written paper |
Paper 2: Writers Viewpoints and Perspectives Section A: Reading – 40 marks
Section B: Writing – 40 marks
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Written paper |
Non Examination Assessment |
Teacher assessed |
English Literature AQA: 8702 Assessment |
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Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel |
Written paper |
Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry |
Written paper |
Entry Level English qualifications are designed to give learners the skills to operate confidently, effectively and independently in education, work and everyday life. They have been created in response to employers’ perceptions that many learners are not achieving a sufficiently firm grounding in the basics.
The aims of these qualifications are to develop learner understanding and skills in:
Controlled Assessment Task |
Weighting |
Level |
Marks |
Duration |
Speaking and Listening |
33.3% |
E1 |
- |
- |
Controlled Assessment Task |
Weighting |
Level |
Marks |
Duration |
Speaking and Listening |
33.3% |
E2 |
- |
- |
Controlled Assessment Task |
Weighting |
Level |
Marks |
Duration |
Speaking and Listening |
33.3% |
E3 |
- |
- |
This specification helps pupils to develop confidence in, and a positive attitude towards, mathematics and to recognise the importance of mathematics in their own lives and to society.
Overview of content:
1MA1/1F |
Written paper |
1MA1/2F |
Written paper |
1MA1/3F |
Written paper |
Entry Level Mathematics qualifications are designed to give learners the skills to operate confidently, effectively and independently in education, work and everyday life. They have been created in response to employers’ perceptions that many learners are not achieving a sufficiently firm grounding in the basics.
The aims of these qualifications are to develop learner understanding and skills in:
Controlled |
Written paper |
Level |
Marks |
Duration |
This course identifies the activities and experiences pupils will come across in everyday life, and links these to scientific ideas and their implications for society. It provides the opportunity to acquire the scientific skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for life as a citizen. Course Overview
Paper 1
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Paper 2
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Paper 3
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Paper 4
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Paper 5
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Paper 6
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This is a course that will award our pupils with an Entry level Certificated in Science and can lead them to upgrade to the AQA Science foundation course explained above.
The pupils will need to cover the following areas to complete this course.
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Pupils must submit evidence for all six components
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This is a course designed to provide pupils with realistic targets, encouraging them to develop science skills. This enables the pupils to progress to GCSE Science. It is assessed with a combination of short end-of-item tests, can-do tasks and practical tasks by teachers, internally standardised and then externally moderated by OCR.
Biology
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Chemistry
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Physics
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End of Item Tests |
There are 16 can-do-tasks. |
Can-do-tasks
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The school are able to devise their own practical task. |
Practical Task
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The GCSE Art and Design course allows students to develop knowledge and understanding through a range of practical learning experiences such as drawing, printing, painting, textile manipulation and 3d model making.
Component 1: Personal PortfolioTwo sustained projects evidencing the journey from initial ideas to final piece covering all four assessment objectives. |
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Component 2: Externally Set AssignmentStudents select a theme from the AQA exam paper. From January to May students develop a body of work inspired by chosen theme. Students produce a final piece in May during their exam. |
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Careers education information and guidance is an essential part of a young person’s journey to adulthood. The aim of the careers programme in key stage 4 is to encourage pupils to develop their self-awareness, self-determination and self-improvement as a learner. They will learn about careers and the world of work in relation to themselves. They will continue to develop career management and employability skills. These skills will include listening, speaking, problem solving, creativity, staying positive, aiming high, leadership and teamwork. They will start to plan their transition from school to further education.
Pupils complete a programme of activities that allows them to:
It is our aim at Saxon Mount to continue to build relationships with local agencies to further improve the opportunities and life chances of our pupils.
This course offers pupils the opportunity to work collaboratively and independently to develop skills and understanding in a range of settings. The course may be delivered alongside other option subjects or pupils complete standalone activities. There is a strong emphasis on working in practical ways do develop social skills and confidence in different situations. Pupils may work with support to plan an event, or go on a visit, or use guidance to complete a task. The course is aimed at pupils who may need to gain an understanding of the BTEC courses and to begin to develop life skills in different areas. The topics aim to give pupils a basic understanding of how to complete simple activities and build a folder of evidence.
This construction qualification will help pupils understand aspects of the construction industry and the skills required to work successfully in the industry. Pupils will find out about career opportunities in Construction as well as developing their own skills.
This is a very practical qualification which explores the cooking industry and the nature of the work within it. Students learn how to prepare themselves and the environment for cooking, prepare suitable dishes safely. They develop knowledge and a variety of fundamental skills required to prepare quality and health foods. Pupils will develop skills that will support them and their lives in the future. The course has a very positive impact on pupil’s communication skills.
This qualification is designed for learners with an interest in food and cookery. It will provide learners with experience of using different cooking techniques and methods to enable them to use these within further education or apprenticeships. It will give them a basic understanding of the skills required for a career in food.
This qualification allows pupils the opportunity to develop: communication and interpersonal skills through class discussions and personal opinion, map reading, location and environmental skills with field trips and outdoor activities. Geography also supports literacy and numeracy skills throughout the course.
The specification is made up of the following units;
Living with the physical environmentA: Challenge of natural hazards |
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Challenges in the human environmentA: Urban issues and challenges |
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Geographical ApplicationsA: Issue evaluation |
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This qualification enables pupils to study different aspects of the past so they can engage with key issues in the present for example constitutional monarchy and government (the recent proroguing of parliament) or why the British Empire expanded and ultimately fell (Windrush migration and independence) or the study of the Cold War and the rise and fall of Communism. This subject allows our pupils to see the bigger picture of where we as a nation have come from and where we are going to. History develops the pupil’s skills of debate, communication and explanation.
Paper 1 – Understanding the modern world |
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Paper 2 – Shaping the nation |
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Within RSL Level 1 Creative and Performing Arts the pupils learn to develop their design and live performance skills in response to a given brief.
The course is comprised of two units; one internal unit and one external unit.
The pupils explore the art of puppetry within the internal unit and throughout the first year they are supported to research, design and make a puppet. They will then use their puppet within a short performance in order to demonstrate their skills. Self-reflection and Evaluation of skills and knowledge will be ongoing and can be demonstrated through written tasks, presentations and recorded discussions.
In Year 2 the pupils begin to develop their acting skills towards a life performance in response to a brief provided by the exam board. They then are expected to evaluate their performance and submit their performance and responses for external assessment.
The WJEC GCSE qualification in physical education will enable learners to engage in a practical course, designed to encourage learners to be inspired, motivated and challenged by the subject. Through studying GCSE Physical Education learners will acquire the knowledge, understanding, skills and values to develop and maintain their performance in physical activities and understand the benefits to health, fitness and well-being. This course has been designed to allow learners to develop an appreciation of physical education in a wide range of contexts.
At Saxon Mount School the curriculum allows for the teaching of both Relationships and Sex Education as well as Personal, Social, Health and Education. Pupils will cover a variety of topics; safety in forming and maintaining relationships, the characteristics of healthy relationships, how relationships may affect mental and physical health. There is also a focus on healthy bodies and lifestyles, including keeping safe, puberty, drugs and alcohol education, healthy minds, including emotional wellbeing, resilience, economic wellbeing and financial capability. Saxon Mount aim to better prepare our pupils for life beyond the supportive structure of its education improving individual life chances.
Within the RE and Citizenship curriculum the pupils will develop a knowledge and understanding of different cultures and faiths practised in our own country and by others around the world. In Citizenship the pupils will learn how the country they live in is ‘run’ by the government, how to take a part in their local and global communities and how when citizens act together, they can solve problems and contribute to society. In teaching these subjects the pupils at Saxon Mount will develop the skills to recognise and tolerate others beliefs, opinions and ideas. They will learn to have and develop opinions of their own about the world in which they live and the current affairs that affect them and their communities.
DofE is designed to help young people build life-long belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their passions, and discover talents they never knew they had. When you prove to yourself that you’re ready for anything, nothing can hold you back. At Saxon Mount we believe that these attributes are key to improve our pupil’s life chances.
At KS4 students study Digital Employability. Students will have the opportunity to hone the skills they have developed and apply them to a range of software applications needed for college and the work environment. These skills also support them in creating and presenting work necessary to complete their other courses at school. Time is also spent learning how to communicate ideas through technology e.g. creating and editing a short film.
As an option choice we also offer Btec Level 1/2 Tech Award Creative Media Production. There are two internally assessed projects and an externally assessed unit where they create a media product in response to a brief. Students explore audio/moving image, publishing and interactive media. Students will learn practical skills e.g. video editing, and develop knowledge and understanding of the creative media sectors