Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw Year Curriculum,

Dear Year 9 Pupils and Parents, The final two terms of the Key Stage 3 curriculum are upon us and the work now begins to prepare for the Key Stage 4 curriculum in September The work in ensuring that all pupils achieve the very best results possible at the end of Key Stage 3 will continue and ensuring success in Year 9 is very important in preparation for the work in Years 10 and 11. The Education Department of Welsh Government has made a number of important changes to the Key Stage 4 curriculum, which changes the curriculum offer for Years 10 / 11 in a number of ways. The curriculum offer included in this booklet gives our learners an opportunity to choose an appropriate Key Stage 4 curriculum, that gives opportunities and choices for learners to make progress in their work, to develop learning pathways and hopefully to enjoy their studies and succeed over the next two years.

A large part of the Key Stage 4 curriculum is compulsory for all learners, with a continuing emphasis on the core subjects of Welsh, English, Mathematics and Science. There are a number of other elements in the curriculum that are statutory and need to be delivered by the school, but can be delivered outside of the weekly timetable at a time suitable for the learners during the year. Therefore, in the academic years, the statutory Religious Education, Personal and Social Education, Citizenship, Sex Education and Careers will be delivered in modules of work through an orderly suspension of the timetable, using both school staff and external experts to deliver these aspects of the curriculum. This type of structure should ensure better outcomes for learners and a better use of the limited time that is available.

The Education Department of Welsh Government have decided to strengthen the arrangements for the delivery of the Welsh Baccalaureate at Key Stage 4. The Welsh Baccalaureate will be compulsory for all learners at Key Stage 4 in the academic years and in to the future. In , learners will not fulfil the requirements of the national curriculum without gaining the appropriate qualifications in the Welsh Baccalaureate. Therefore, the Welsh Baccalaureate course will be placed in each of the option columns. Pupils will therefore need to choose the Welsh Baccalaureate course as one of their options. The Welsh Baccalaureate course will be delivered in an identical manner in each of the option columns. This will allow students as much flexibility as possible in choosing the other subjects of their choice and opting for the Welsh Baccalaureate in the least attractive option column for them personally.

There are significant changes to the Mathematics curriculum for the cohort of pupils. They will all need to study two Mathematics courses, which are compulsory, Mathematics-Numeracy GCSE and Mathematics GCSE and hopefully, will be successful in both. Due to the ever increasing importance of achieving a good grade in Mathematics and as two subjects will now be examined, the teaching and learning time for Mathematics has been increased from 3 hours, 6 lessons in 2014/16, to 4 hours, 8 lessons in 2016/18.

There is a continuing emphasis in the new Key Stage 4 curriculum on the importance of achieving good qualifications in the Welsh Language and English Language. In both Welsh GCSE and English GCSE, new programmes of study have been introduced for the academic years, which have already been taught to the current Year 10 students. However, the Education Department of Welsh Government has also indicated that all schools must offer Welsh Literature GCSE and English Literature GCSE to the appropriate pupils. In view of the emphasis placed on both Welsh and English, it has been decided to increase the time spent and lessons allocated from three hours, six lessons in 2014/15 to four hours, 8 lessons in

The main changes to the Science curriculum will occur in the academic years and the quantity of Science lessons has been changed to reflect the requirements of the new curriculum. In , the school will offer the choice between the following courses: The three separate science subjects of Biology GCSE, Chemistry GCSE and Physics GCSE in 6 hours, 12 lessons. This choice will be appropriate for those learners wishing to study a science subject at Key Stage 5 or progress to a University or College to study and qualify in science in future years. In order to create sufficient time for the separate sciences, 4 hours, 8 lessons will be allocated as core science, studying two of the separate sciences, with a further 2 hours, 4 lessons allocated to the third separate science subject within the option column A. Therefore, for the learners that choose to study the three separate science subjects, they will have one option column less to choose from in their ‘other’ subject choices. It is expected, that any learner choosing to study the separate sciences, will have reached a minimum of Level 6 at the end of Key Stage 3 assessments. This is to ensure that the learners that choose the separate sciences have the ability to succeed at this high level of work. A course in Double Award Science GCSE. The course will include the study of Biology GCSE, Chemistry GCSE and Physics GCSE and will lead to a Double Award in Science, which will mean that each learner will be awarded 2 GCSE at the appropriate level of success in Science. This course will be allocated 4 hours, 8 lessons per week to achieve these two GCSE. A course in Applied Science. This is a GCSE course, which will be assessed through examinations and internal assessment and will lead to 2 GCSE qualifications.. This science course will also be allocated 4 hours, 8 lessons per week. Pupils with Special Learning Difficulties will be entered for the Entry Level Examination.

This arrangement means that each of the core subjects of Welsh, English, Mathematics and Science will be allocated 4 hours, 8 lessons each, with Science allocated a further 2 hours, 4 lessons in Option Column A.

Welsh Baccalaureate The new Welsh Baccalaureate at Key Stage 4 in is compulsory for learners and will be timetabled in each of the option columns. The new Welsh Baccalaureate course challenges learners to ‘think and to operate accordingly’ and the course will continually measure the development of the individual skills of the learners. The course consists of four elements: The Community Challenge. Global Citizenship Challenge. Enterprise and Employability Challenge. Skills Challenge Certificate, which will include an individual project worth 50% of the final assessment. The purpose of the new Welsh Baccalaureate is to: Engage learners to reflect on their current skills and improve where necessary. To develop the knowledge base of the learners and their individual skill set. To encourage reflection and self-analysis in identifying individual strengths and weaknesses and the need to develop skills further. To support the learners to develop research skills and to present their work to the highest standard possible. To increase the confidence of the learners and to develop their effectiveness in the use of their skills. The Welsh Baccalaureate at Key Stage 4 has being designed to be of a similar content to one GCSE. The qualification, following assessment, will be awarded as the Welsh Baccalaureate National Award (A* to C) or the Welsh Baccalaureate Foundation Award (D to G). The new Welsh Baccalaureate qualification will count as one grade GCSE for learners in , either as the National Award or the Foundation Award. The new Welsh Baccalaureate will therefore be allocated 2 hours, 4 lessons per week. All learners must therefore choose to study the Welsh Baccalaureate as one of the options in the subject option columns.

For learners that choose to study the three separate science subjects (including using time from one option column) and accepting that all learners have to study the Welsh Baccalaureate, they will have two other subject choices to make. For learners that have chosen Double Award Science or Applied Science, they will have three other subject choices to make, with the Welsh Baccalaureate being the final choice.

The Curriculum that is therefore being offered: Welsh Language GCSE, Welsh Literature GCSE, 4 hours, 8 lessons. English Language GCSE, English Literature GCSE, 4 hours, 8 lessons. Mathematics-Numeracy GCSE and Mathematics GCSE, 4 hours, 8 lessons. Science, 4 hours, 8 lessons, (+ 2 hours, 4 lessons in an option column for separate sciences, which includes, Biology GCSE, Chemistry GCSE and Physics GCSE) or Double Award Science (two GCSE’s) or Applied Science (two GCSE). Statutory Physical Education, 1 hour, 2 lessons. Option Column A (subject choices), which will include one of the separate sciences (optional), the Welsh Baccalaureate (to be chosen in one option column) and the other subjects (optional), 2 hours, 4 lessons. Option Column B (subject choices), which will include the Welsh Baccalaureate to be chosen in one option column) and the other subjects (optional). Option Column C (subject choices), which will include the Welsh Baccalaureate (to be chosen in one option column) and the other subjects (optional). Option Column CH (subject choices), which will include the Welsh Baccalaureate (to be chosen in one option column) and the other subject choices (optional). The statutory Religious Education course, Citizenship, Personal and Social Education, Careers and Sex Education will be delivered through the suspension of the normal timetable at appropriate times in the year and the delivery of the courses using school staff and experts from outside agencies as required. This is a total of 25 hours, 50 lessons.

The subjects (compulsory and optional) that the school will offer in that will lead to Level 2 Qualifications is as follows: Welsh Language GCSE, Welsh Literature GCSE, English Language GCSE, English Literature GCSE, Mathematics- Numeracy GCSE, Mathematics GCSE, Biology GCSE, Chemistry GCSE, Physics GCSE, Double Award Science GCSE, Applied Science GCSE, Welsh Baccalaureate, Catering / Food GCSE, Geography GCSE, History GCSE, Spanish GCSE, Psychology GCSE, Religious Education GCSE, Music GCSE, French GCSE, Information Technology GCSE, Art & Design GCSE, Drama GCSE, Design Technology GCSE, Physical Education GCSE, Design, Graphics GCSE, Retail Business (vocational course, which is equivalent to one GCSE), Constructing the Built Environment (vocational course, which is equivalent to one GCSE), Tourism (vocational course, which is equivalent to one GCSE), Health & Social Care BTEC. This is a total of 30 courses of which 5 are vocational. Courses will also be available for learners with Special Needs as required.

The subject choices are offered in an open and flexible manner in the first instance in order for the school to identify the requirements of the learners. From that information, option columns will be created with the best fit that is possible for the requirements of the learners. This will allow the school the opportunity to design a timetable for September The school will make every effort to accommodate the wishes of as many learners as possible, although this is not possible in every case. The subject choices will need to include sufficient learners to ensure that particular teaching groups are viable in educational terms. If an insufficient number of learners chose a particular course, it may not be possible to offer that subject. It is essential that subject choices are made with due consideration and with discussions both at home and in school. The aim will be to ensure that as many learners as possible are happy with their subject choices and succeed in the courses that they choose to follow at the end of Year 11. It will be possible for an individual learner to achieve qualifications in up to 12 GCSE subjects at the end of Year 11. The following is one example of how that could be achieved through studying: Welsh Language GCSE, Welsh Literature GCSE, English Language GCSE, English Literature GCSE, Mathematics-Numeracy GCSE, Mathematics GCSE, Biology GCSE, Chemistry GCSE, Physics GCSE, Welsh Baccalaureate GCSE and choices from Option Column C, choice and Option Column CH. A second example shows how a learner could achieve qualifications in 10 GCSE and Vocational Subjects through studying: Welsh Language GCSE, English Language GCSE, Mathematics-Numeracy GCSE, Mathematics GCSE, Applied Science 2 GCSE, Welsh Baccalaureate GCSE, Option Column B, GCSE / Vocational, Option Column C, GCSE / Vocational, Option Column CH, GCSE / Vocational.