Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 is the legal term for the last two years of compulsory schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16.
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 the Education Act 2002]The term is used to define the group of pupils who must follow the relevant programmes of study from the
National Curriculum. All pupils in this Key Stage must follow a programme of education in the following areas
[Set out on the National Curriculum website]:
*English
*Mathematics
*Science
*Information and Communication Technology
*Physical Education
*Citizenship
*Sex Education
*Careers Education
*Religious Education
*Work-related learning
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
*Modern Foreign Languages
At the end of this stage, pupils aged 16 - in Year 11 - are normally entered for a range of external examinations. Most frequently these are GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams, although a range of other qualifications is growing in popularity, including
National Vocational Qualifications. These examinations are set by one of the
Examination boardsResults of exams at this age are published as part of the
Department for Education and Skills' Performance Tables.
*
Official National Curriculum website*
Department for Education and Skills Performance Tables
