All of the qualifications listed are Level 2 qualifications and equivalent to GCSEs. Students can take a combination of any of the different types of qualification.

The most popular qualification at Key Stage 4, the majority of GCSE courses are linear and grades are awarded based on performance in exams sat at the end of Year 11. Some courses have a Non-Examination Assessment or NEA – previously known as coursework – component, and these courses are shown by an asterisk in the table above. Click on the subject to find out more about what this NEA entails and the proportion of the course it makes up.

 BTEC qualifications aim to combine subject theory with practical learning, and have a focus on work-related skills. Assessment is ongoing throughout the course, with students completing written and activity-based assignments in Year 10 and Year 11. For this reason, good attendance to lessons is essential. Instead of grades 1-9, students can be awarded the following grades:

Where a Level 1 qualification is equivalent to less than a GCSE grade 4 and a Level 2 qualification is equivalent to a GCSE grade 4 or above. More specifically, a L2P is roughly equivalent to a GCSE grade 4 and a L2D* is roughly equivalent to a GCSE grade 8. BTEC qualifications are recognised by employers, apprenticeship schemes and also colleges, our sixth form and universities to allow progression to further education.

Cambridge Nationals have a very similar approach to BTECs but are newer and offered by a different exam board, OCR. 60% of the course is assessed through Non-Examination Assessments or NEAs – previously known as coursework - and 40% is assessed via external assessment. For this reason, good attendance to lessons is essential. The Cambridge Nationals use the same grading system as the BTEC courses, where a L2P is roughly equivalent to a GCSE grade 4 and a L2D* is roughly equivalent to a GCSE grade 8. Cambridge Nationals are recognised by employers, apprenticeship schemes and also colleges, our sixth form and universities to allow progression to further education.