Choosing your GCSEs marks a key point in your education as you begin to make choices which reflect your interests and preferences. At King’s School Rochester you will follow a broad range of subjects in a combination of courses to ensure that you keep your options open and there is excellent advice on offer to help you select the right combination.

One of the advantages of being an independent school is that King’s does not have to comply with every detail of the National Curriculum. We feel that the current balance of core and optional subjects studied at GCSE and at IGCSE provides pupils with the best preparation for A levels and Higher Education.

Over the past five years, King’s has produced excellent results at GCSE and IGCSE, due not only to the small class sizes, which average fifteen pupils at this level, but also to the dedication and hard work of its teachers.

Subject Choices

At King’s the following are classed as ‘core’ subjects; that is they are compulsory subjects:

• English Language
• English Literature
• Mathematics
• Religious Studies
• Science (Dual or Triple Award)

The subjects from which choices will be made are:

• Art & Design
• Classical Civilisation
• Computer Science
• Design and Technology
• Drama and Theatre
• French
• Geography
• History
• Latin
• Music
• Physical Education
• Spanish

At King’s School Rochester, we expect that most pupils will pick a language as one of their optional subjects. This is because foreign languages are an essential life skill and also because the best universities expect a potential student to have studied a Modern Foreign Language to GCSE level.

Although it is well in the future, do think about the professions or occupations you would like to follow as an adult. It is much easier for teachers to advise on courses when there is some goal in mind.

If you have no thoughts on a likely career, it is useful to consider what subjects you would like to study at A level, and ask your subject teachers if they think you have the potential to continue with their subject to Advanced level. For example, unless you are in Mathematics Sets 1 or 2 it is unlikely that you will have the natural mathematical ability to study Mathematics or Physics at A level.

Miss N. Steel – Deputy Head (Academic)