Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate
GCSEs, and other examinations, in
maintained school
English state-funded schools, commonly known as state schools, provide education to pupils between the ages of 3 and 18 without charge. Approximately 93% of English schoolchildren attend 20,000 or so such schools. Since 2008 about 75% have attain ...
s in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 by August 31. (In some schools, KS4 work is started in Year 9.)
Legal definition
The term is defined in the
Education Act 2002
The Education Act 2002 (c.32) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that gave schools greater autonomy to implement experimental teaching methods.
Main provisions
The act significantly amended legislation relating to academies, publ ...
as "the period beginning at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in his class attain the age of fifteen and ending at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in his class cease to be of compulsory school age".
[Defined in section 82 of th]
Education Act 2002
/ref> Since that Act, the ending of compulsory education in England has been extended beyond the age of sixteen, but compulsory education beyond the age of 16 is not classed as part of Key Stage 4.
England and Wales
Purpose
The term is used to define the group of pupils who must follow the relevant programmes of study from the National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or other ...
. All pupils in this Key Stage must follow a programme of education in the following areas:[Set out on th]
National Curriculum website
* English
* Mathematics
*Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
*Information and Communication Technology (England only)
*Physical Education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
* Citizenship
*Careers Education
*Religious Education
*Work-related learning
* Welsh (Wales only)
In addition, there is a statutory duty on schools to provide an optional programme of education for pupils in this Key Stage in each of the following areas:
*The Arts
*Design and Technology
*The Humanities and Healthcare
* Modern Foreign Languages
At the end of this stage, pupils aged 15 or 16 depending on their birthday - in Year 11 - are normally entered for a range of external examinations. Most frequently, these are GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations, although a range of other qualifications is growing in popularity, including NVQ National Vocational Qualifications. These examinations are set by one of the examination board
An examination board (or exam board) is small board organization that sets examinations, is responsible for marking them, and distributes results. Some are run by governmental entities; some are run as not-for-profit organizations.
List of na ...
s. Results of examinations at this age are published as part of the Department for Education Performance Tables.
Northern Ireland
Legal definition
The term is defined in The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 as "the period beginning at the same time as the next school year after the end of key stage 3 and ending at the same time as he ceases to be of compulsory school age".[Defined in paragraph 3 of th]
Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006
/ref> Notably, the earlier Key Stages are defined as lasting for ten years in total from the start of compulsory education.
Purpose
The term is used to define the group of pupils who must follow the relevant programmes of study from the National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or other ...
. All pupils in this Key Stage must follow a programme of education in the nine areas of learning in the curriculum, some of which include specific subject strands:[Set out on th]
Northern Ireland National Curriculum website
/ref>
*Language and Literacy
*Mathematics and Numeracy
*Modern Languages
*The Arts
*Environment and Society
*Science and Technology
*Learning for Life and Work
**Employability
**Local and Global Citizenship
**Personal Development
*Physical Education
*Religious Education
See also
* Key Stage
* Key Stage 1
* Key Stage 2
* Key Stage 3
* Key Stage 5
* GCSE
* National Vocational Qualification
References
External links
Official National Curriculum websiteDepartment for Education and Skills Performance Tables
{{Education in England
School terminology
Educational stages
Secondary education in England
Secondary education in Wales
Secondary education in Northern Ireland