Welcome to Key Stage 4

Work with us. Learn with us. Improve with us.

The move from Key Stage 3, to Key Stage 4 involves some important changes both in the structure of the timetable and in the nature of the lessons. By the end of Key Stage 3 students will have followed up to fifteen subjects and they now begin the process of selecting areas of specialism.

Following are the few facts about Edexcel International GCSE

  1. Some of the best Independent Schools in the UK are turning away from GCSEs and are turning to International GCSEs.
  2. Edexcel International GCSE has combined the theoretical and practical components of previous specifications and is ideally suited as the foundation for Edexcel GCE Advanced Level studies.
  3. International GCSEs are the natural and logical progression from Key Stage 3 in the English National Curriculum.
  4. The use of new 9-1 grading scale (with 9 as the top grade) to ensure full comparability to recently reformed UK GCSEs (9-1) in terms of: the level of demand, assessment standards and progression opportunities to Level 3 programmes and Higher Education.
  5. More information can be obtained from www.edexcel.com

Assessment

The students at the end of Year 10 complete these two subjects with heavy practical components –Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Art & Design at the May / June examination session.(Teaching the International GCSE specifications in these two subjects commenced in Year 9). The students will be seated for all the other subjects at the end of Year 11.

Subject available

Students of SLSM are offered a basket of 14 subjects out of which they are required to select 8.

Core subjects:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • ICT

Specialized subjects

  • Physics or Accounting
  • Chemistry or Economics
  • Biology or Business Studies

Optional subjects:

  • English Literature or Art & Design
  • Sinhala, Tamil or Urdu
  • Further Mathematics or Human Biology

HOW TO SELECT SUBJECTS

  1. The Core Subjects are compulsory for all students.
  2. Students should select the optional subjects after due consultation with the parents and the teachers.
  3. All subjects are equally demanding. Selections should not be made thinking that some subjects are easier than others.
  4. Students may select – Three discreet Sciences – Physics, Chemistry and Biology ,Three discreet Management Sciences – Business Studies, Economics and Accounting ,A combination of subjects within the given choices
  5. Once the subjects are selected, it is expected that the students would follow the lessons with commitment. It is not possible to change subjects halfway through.
  6. At this stage in the development of the child, many students tend to give priority to some subjects of their liking and neglect some others. Parents are expected to get their children to focus on all subjects.