Curriculum The objective throughout the five year period of compulsory secondary education is to provide each pupil with a curriculum that is broad, balanced and coherent and in accordance with the National Curriculum. There is no streaming or banding of classes according to pupils' ability. Most teaching is to mixed ability tutor groups in the early years with increased amounts of regrouping including setting by ability in individual subjects as public examinations approach. The timetable consists of 50 lessons per 10-day timetable cycle. Each lesson lasts for 55 or 60 minutes. Morning sessions begin each day at 8.40 a.m. and finish at 1.10 p.m. Afternoon sessions begin at 2.10 p.m. and end at 3.30 p.m. The minimum amount of lesson time per week is 24 hours 10 minutes. There is a 20-minute break during the morning session. The detailed curriculum, which constantly evolves, is published in three booklets for each Key Stage (11-14, 14-16 and 16-19) available from the school. The following is the likely pattern: Key Stage 3 A common curriculum for the first three years (Key Stage 3) comprising English; mathematics; integrated science; a modern foreign language; physical education; design technology including food and textile technologies; creative arts comprising art & design, dance (Years 7 and 8 only), drama and music; geography, history and religious education; ICT; and personal and social education, including careers and health education. The pupils study French, German or Spanish in Years 7 and 8, with a second language for the abler linguists added in Year 9. Key Stage 4 In Key Stage 4, pupils begin a broad and balanced programme of eight subject courses, leading to ten GCSE awards in a combination agreed by pupils with their parents and the school. Pupils are expected to study each area of the curriculum until age 16. English and English Literature; Mathematics; Double Integrated Science; French, German and Spanish; Business Studies & Economics, Geography, History, Religious Education and Sociology; Design Technology - food technology, graphic products, resistant materials and textiles; Art and Design, Dance, Drama, Music, Media Studies and Physical Education. Additionally pupils may choose Information Communication Technology or a further subject in creative arts, humanities or modern foreign languages. All pupils continue their personal and social education programme, which now includes religious education as well as careers and health education, and physical education. Information Communication Technology is applied across the curriculum. Curriculum support is provided for those with learning difficulties, usually instead of one GCSE subject. Pupils sit a GCSE staged assessment in science towards the end of Year 10. Sixth form Fortismere has the largest Sixth Form in the Borough. Year 11 students and a significant number of new admissions are invited to join the Sixth Form on the understanding that they will work hard at their own level of ability. The minimum requirement for two-year courses leading to GCE Advanced Level is five higher grades (GCSE A* to C). Since September 2000 students usually have to study four subjects in Year 12 to advanced subsidiary level and normally three A2 subjects in Year 13 for the full GCE award. One or more subjects may be for the comparable advanced certificate of vocational education (AVCE). We also offer one or two single year General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) intermediate courses, which are open to students of a wider range of abilities (GCSE grades C - E). GCSE courses in English and mathematics are provided as a supplement to GCE 'A' levels. Re-sitting of examinations to gain higher grades only occurs when success is probable. Subjects available in the Sixth Form include the following: English language and literature and English literature; modular mathematics including mechanics, statistics and further mathematics and information technology; biology, chemistry and physics; French, German and Spanish; business studies, economics, geography, government and politics, history, philosophy, psychology and sociology; art and design, design & technology, drama, media studies, music, performing arts (AVCE), physical education and photography. The GNVQs are integrated courses with core skills of communications, application of numbers and information technology. Students will also be given work experience and have available to them a range of additional studies including GCSE subjects. Fortismere has recently provided art and design, and leisure and tourism courses at intermediate level. A programme of personal and social education, including career development, health and religious education, information technology, physical education and Young Enterprise is provided for Sixth Form students. Individual tutorials are also scheduled. Most Year 12 and 13 students aim to go on to higher or further education courses or to professional or technical training. Some 150 students from the school are accepted each year for a wide variety of degree courses at Universities including Oxford and Cambridge.