Key Stage 4 refers to the fourth and fifth years of Secondary education; the pupils in Years 10 and 11.

Having made their course choices in Year 9, pupils returning to school in September make a start on the journey towards GCSE qualifications which begins in Year 10. All will continue to study English, Mathematics, Science and R.E. Most will also pursue a course in Languages and a Technology course, as well as courses in the subjects they have chosen. Some of these may be familiar, others less so, Sociology, Business Studies and Media Studies, for example.

Pupils still have timetabled sports activities, whether or not they have opted for GCSE P.E. At Key Stage 4 we offer activities at a number of local sports and leisure facilities, as well as our own on-site provision, and pupils are given increased independence and responsibility in using these.

In P.S.H.C.E., citizenship and careers education continue to feature. At the end of Year 10, all pupils are encouraged to involve themselves in a two-week Work Experience placement. This gives them an opportunity to get a firsthand glimpse of the differences between the world of school and the world of work. It can be instrumental in helping them focus on their goals and ambitions beyond school, and is often a stimulus for renewed effort and determination towards gaining the qualifications which will allow them to progress towards achieving these.

Some GCSE coursework will be set in Year 10 and some subjects, such as Science, will have modular tests. The mark which a pupil gains for these will count towards the final GCSE grade which he or she will attain. It is a big mistake to think that Year 10 is a 'warm-up' for Year 11. Opportunities lost here are lost for good.

In Year 11, returning pupils continue to work hard. Support is offered in the form of mentoring, careers interviews, vocational placement projects and training opportunities. Mock exams take place towards the end of the Autumn term, with reports and a very important Parents' Evening in the New Year. GCSE project work deadlines come around very quickly, along with practical exams in subjects such as Art and Drama.

As well as meeting deadlines, finishing courses and starting revision, pupils are also busy compiling their very important 'Record of Achievement' (R.O.A.): a comprehensive collection of evidence which each student can use to promote him- or herself at interviews with prospective employers, colleges or other Post-16 opportunities.

Before very long we are into early May when Year 11 stand-down sees the final "leavers'" assembly and the end of scheduled lessons. The GCSE exam period begins almost immediately, with Language oral exams, quickly followed by written papers in all remaining subjects. These formal exams are held in the Sports Hall. Pupils are expected to take responsibility for organising themselves to meet the requirements of their own examination timetable.

The exams finish towards the end of June and then there is the long wait until results are issued in late August, and decisions about 'what to do next' can be made. We are always as pleased to see our own pupils returning to the Sixth Form, as we are to know that they have gone on to courses, training or employment elsewhere, prepared to tackle the next step in life with the benefit of all that they have learned and experienced here at Priesthorpe. We like to keep in touch with past pupils and we enjoy hearing of their progress and success long after they have left us.

To see what has impressed our pupils in each of the Key Stage 4 Year groups, read what they have to say on the Year 10 and 11 pages. As the year progresses, we hope to keep these pages updated with news of the activities, achievements and events in each Year group.