Key Stage 4 Pedagogy

Key Stage 4 at GEMS Founders School is the first stage where students take responsibility for selecting their own curriculum pathways. After selecting five different options they want to pursue, alongside the core compulsory subjects, they begin their journey through Key Stage 4. These chosen subjects are selected through their interests, their achievements and the guidance received from the school for their future. 

As our students grow and develop in to young adults through the two years within the Key Stage, our teachers encourage them to share their passions and pursue the unknowns within each subject area. Science Labs, 3D printers, Virtual Reality kits and an Apple Mac Lab are just a few of the resources that our teachers engage with to help develop and continue to drive our students. The following teaching strategies that involve project-based learning, classroom discussions, extracurricular school visits and the independent self-study skills with the aforementioned school resources, allow our students to truly succeed.

Over the two years, students are assessed through both their classroom work and formal assessments. Our staff are continually thinking of innovative ways to assess our students ensuring student wellbeing is our top priority. Through establishing independent self-study revision skills that evolve through our Key Stage assessments, we ensure all pupils have the necessary tools to sit their IGCSEs at the end of Year 11.

Finally, towards the end of Year 11 they are then given the opportunity to refine their interests into four subjects to be studied further in Key Stage 5. Through expert guidance from our careers counsellor, teachers and online platforms, students can begin to investigate where their future lies wherever that may be around the world. Once they have made their final choices and completed their IGCSEs in May and June they continue through to Key Stage 5.