KS4 Curriculum Pathways
Our Mulberry Academy Woodside Key Stage 4 curriculum pathways provide the breadth and range of qualifications to prepare our students for a highly competitive, diverse and ever changing higher education system and employment market.
From year 10 we have split the curriculum into four pathways (‘Ash’, ‘Birch’, ‘Cedar’, ‘Willow’). All students will be allocated one of these pathways. This allows us to tailor a package of subjects that suits each child’s needs and abilities using attainment and progress data. This will give your child the best opportunity to succeed academically and will provide them with the widest range of educational and career opportunities when they leave school in Year 11. Further information about these pathways is outlined below.
The core curriculum
All students will study the ‘core’ compulsory national curriculum subjects.
Core subjects are:
- English
- Maths
- Sciences
- Religious Studies*
Non-examined subjects
In addition to this, all students will study a programme of PSHE and Physical Education. These are non-examined and will not lead to a qualification. Students who wish to study Physical Education in greater depth, may do so as one of their optional subjects.
The EBacc
Most of our students are expected to take a combination of subjects called the EBacc. The EBacc is a set of GCSE subjects that keeps young people’s options open for further study and future careers.
The EBacc is:
- English language and literature
- maths
- the sciences
- geography or history
- a language
The Separate Sciences
A group of students have been selected to study separate science in addition to EBacc. Students studying separate science at GCSE will cover more science content, so may be better prepared if they want to take science A-levels.
Facilitating Subjects
We believe that all students should follow an academically rigorous and appropriate pathway. To achieve this, students on the Cedar pathway will be expected to take one facilitating subject. The facilitating subjects are French, Spanish, geography, history and computer science.
GCSE Religious Studies
The teaching of Religious Education is statutory. All students will continue to study this in KS4. All students on the Birch, Cedar and Willow pathways will study a GCSE in Religious studies.
GCSE Computer Science
Students must be performing at least grade 4 in maths to take this subject.
