The School Curriculum
Cookstown High School follows the statutory requirements of the Northern Ireland Common Curriculum and through it offers pupils the opportunity to gain qualifications which will equip them for higher education, jobs skills programmes and further education.
In years 8,9 and 10 i.e. Key Stage 3 pupils study a broad and balanced curriculum.
At Key Stage 4, more academically gifted pupils will have opportunities to study nine or, in some instances, ten GCSE subjects and most pupils will study at least seven subjects at GCSE level.
A highly academic, Advanced Level GCE programme is offered in sixth form with the aim of preparing students for entry to the universities and courses of their choice including Cambridge and Oxford.
Lower sixth form pupils may study up to 4 AS levels selected from those on offer and will also be expected to participate in non-examination Physical Education and Careers Education.
Pupils will normally sit external AS level examinations at the end of their lower sixth form year.
In the upper sixth form pupils will normally continue to study 3 subjects at A2 level leading to 3 full A levels, although other arrangements may be possible.
At the time of writing sixth form pupils do not take the Key Skills programme but if university requirements change then this situation will alter.
At the present time the school follows syllabii offered mainly by CCEA at GCSE and Advanced Level GCE. A few subject areas follow syllabii offered by EDEXCEL. The syllabii followed are regularly reviewed with the aim of maximising the grades achieved by pupils.
The school is currently involved in the Department of Education approved Disapplication Scheme at Key Stage 4 through which a small selected number of pupils follow a modified curriculum without the need to study a modern foreign language.
These selected pupils currently attend a skills sampling course at East Tyrone College of Further Education in year 11 and spend two days a week on work experience in Year 12.
While in school a modified curriculum will develop literacy, numeracy and ICT skills and offer opportunities to sit examinations mainly at Entry Level.
Children with moderate learning difficulties and also with statements of special need are mainly catered for within the Learning Support Centre where there is a family atmosphere with a much higher staff to pupil ratio and the curriculum is varied to more appropriately meet the learning needs of these young people.
The Learning Support Centre has its own specialist teaching and support staff with a Head of Department managing the provision.
Pupils with specific learning difficulties are catered for within the mainstream as far as available resources permit. This is managed by the school SENCO. Further information about special needs provision is available upon contacting the school. |