Hounsdown School - Key Stage Four

Key Stage Four

Unlike most schools, pupils at Hounsdown start studying for their GCSE in year nine, rather than year 10. The pupils choose their GCSE options at the start of year nine, but they can be changed at the start of year 10 at the pupil's behest. Compulsory subjects including Science, Mathematics, English, ICT and Religious Education (also known as Applied Ethics) although this may be subject to change. Students were previously required to take one foreign language as well as a course from the Design and Technology category but these are no longer compulsory.

Most students take their final GCSE exams in Year 11 but some students do take them in Year 10 for particular subjects. Coursework, commonly associated with subjects such as Art and Design and Technology, is also accounted towards their final GCSE grades.