Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4 is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other exams, in maintained schools in England normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16.

The term is defined in the Education Act 2002 as "the period beginning at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in his class attain the age of fifteen and ending at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in his class cease to be of compulsory school age". Since that Act, the ending of compulsory education in England has been extended beyond the age of sixteen, but compulsory education beyond the age of 16 is not classed as part of Key Stage 4.

The term is used to define the group of pupils who must follow the relevant programmes of study from the National Curriculum. All pupils in this Key Stage must follow a programme of education in the following areas:

In addition, there is a statutory duty on schools to provide an optional programme of education for pupils in this Key Stage in each of the following areas:

At the end of this stage, pupils aged 16 - in Year 11 - are normally entered for a range of external examinations. Most frequently, these are GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams, although a range of other qualifications is growing in popularity, including NVQ National Vocational Qualifications. These examinations are set by one of the examination boards. Results of exams at this age are published as part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families' Performance Tables.

The term is defined in The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 as "the period beginning at the same time as the next school year after the end of key stage 3 and ending at the same time as he ceases to be of compulsory school age". Notably, the earlier Key Stages are defined as lasting for ten years in total from the start of compulsory education.

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