Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
s, and other examinations, in
maintained schools in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
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 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 othe ...
. 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
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
*Science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
*Computing
Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, hardware and softw ...
(England only)
*Physical Education
Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...
*Citizenship
Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state.
Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationalit ...
*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 Qualification
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that are achieved through training and assessment. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by th ...
s. These examinations are set by one of the examination board
An examination board (or exam board) is an organization that sets examinations, is responsible for marking them, and distributes the results. Some are run by governmental entities; some are run as not-for-profit organizations.
List of national ex ...
s. Results of examinations at this age are published as part of the Department for Education
The Department for Education (DfE) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for child protection, child services, education in England, educati ...
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 Stage
A key stage is a stage of the state education system in England, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar setting the educational knowledge expected of students at various ages. The term is also used in so ...
s are defined as lasting for ten years in total from the start of compulsory education
Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. This education may take place at a registered school or at home or other places.
Compulsory school attendance or compulsory sc ...
.
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 othe ...
. 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
A key stage is a stage of the state education system in England, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar setting the educational knowledge expected of students at various ages. The term is also used in so ...
* Key Stage 1
*Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when the pupils are aged between 7 and 11 years.
England and Wales
Legal definition
The ...
* Key Stage 3
* Key Stage 5
*GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
*National Vocational Qualification
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that are achieved through training and assessment. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by th ...
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