The Academy offers a choice of three, carefully constructed pathways to give students the very best chance of success. All of these pathways lead to opportunities at Post 16.
GOLD
At Shireland we believe in challenging students to be the very best they can be. The Gold Pathway provides a strong academic route for students to achieve the English Baccalaureate whilst still enabling a breadth of curriculum choice.
Gold Pathway students will look to complete some subjects by the end of Year 10 and hence be able to re-opt for a second subject in Year 11. Gold Pathway students will take Triple Science as standard. They will look to pick up History within their core subject time to free options to concentrate on the subjects that best suit their future career paths.
Gold Pathway students should be looking at Academic careers and looking to study AS and A-Level subjects post 16.
Core - In addition to their Options, students on the Gold Pathway will undertake the following subjects as part of their core curriculum: English Language & English Literature, Mathematics, GCSE Triple Science, Microsoft IT Academy, Core BTEC Physical Education.
GREEN
The Green Pathway is for students who are targeted 5A*-C including English and Mathematics, the standard the government expects students in England to reach by the end of KS4. Students on this pathway have a highly focussed core subject curriculum.
In addition they are invited to choose three options from those listed below. These are a mixture of BTEC and GCSE subjects and could lead to the English Baccalaureate. The English Baccalaureate requires students to undertake English, Mathematics, a Double Science, a Language and either History or Geography. At your interviews, staff will guide you to appropriate courses.
We encourage Green pathway students to pick subjects which ally with their future career interests and at which they have the best chance of success.
Core - In addition to their Options, students on the Gold Pathway will undertake the following subjects as part of their core curriculum: English Language, Mathematics, GCSE Double Award Science, ICT OCR, Core Physical Education.
BLUE
The Blue Pathway is aimed at students who are working at level 1. These students will usually achieve a D-G grade at GCSE for English and Mathematics.
The courses below are designed for students to achieve introductory qualifications which would prepare them for employment, an apprenticeship or further study to build on these qualifications.
These qualifications are vocational in nature and some involve offsite work in specially equipped practical facilities. In exceptional circumstances students, where they demonstrate an aptitude, could take Green pathway studies at the discretion of the head of department.
Core - In addition to their Options, students on the Blue Pathway will undertake the following subjects as part of their core curriculum: English Language, Mathematics, BTEC Science, Digital Literacy, Core Physical Education.
