Year 9 & KS4 Curriculum

Studying in Years 9, 10 and Year 11 at UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is different from a traditional secondary school. Learning is related to the world of work so that students can better understand the relevance of what they are learning.

Our students study a combination of core curriculum including mandatory and optional GCSEs, alongside technical qualifications for one of three specialist pathways:

• Computing
• Health Sciences & Social Care
• Sport Science

Year 9

In Year 9, our students complete Key Stage 3 whilst also focusing on early skills development within specialisms.

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4, our students study a combination of core GCSE subjects alongside optional GCSEs, as well as technical qualifications for their specialist pathway.

Core subjects consist of:

• GCSE English Language (see details in our Year 9 Options booklet)
• GCSE English Literature (see details in our Year 9 Options booklet)
• GCSE Maths
• GCSE Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics leading to either Combined or Triple Sciences)
• GCSE Citizenship

Technical qualifications for specialist pathways are as follows:

• Computing: NCFE Interactive Media qualification with Microsoft MTA industry qualification
• Health Sciences & Social Care: Cambridge National Certificate in Health & Social Care with a NCFE CACHE Level 2 Award in either RSHE or Preventing and Controlling Infection
• Sport Science: Cambridge National Certificate in Sports Science and a Level 2 Gateway Award in Skills for Sport and Active Leisure

Optional qualifications include:

• GCSE Computer Science
• GCSE Geography
• GCSE Psychology
• GCSE Sociology
• OCR National Level 2 in Sports Studies

For details of all these courses, download our Year 9 and KS4 Curriculum Overview document:

>UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Year 9 and KS4 Curriculum

The timetable also features allocated lesson time for Careers Information, Advice and Guidance, Citizenship and RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education).

In addition, students have weekly time for Sports and Physical Education, alongside time for independent study and a choice of interesting and varied enrichment activities.

Employer-based projects are embedded into curriculum qualifications to develop business and employability skills.

Overall, this balanced curriculum offer provides a well-rounded education designed to build students’ skills, knowledge, confidence and judgement to equip them for successful progression whatever their interests.

The diagram below illustrates how the whole curriculum offer fits together (to enlarge the diagram, open in another tab).