GCSE is designed to find out what candidates know, understand and can do. Every candidate is awarded a grade to indicate the standard he or she has reached. These are letter grades (A-G), with the addition of A* for the very best candidates, and will represent the completion of the National Curriculum, Key Stage 4.

Work in many subjects is partly assessed by course (or 'continuous') assessment. This means that a folder of work is built up over the two years of the GCSE courses. A variety of kinds of work is specified; the best of these will be presented for final assessment. No longer is achievement measured solely by, for example, two or more papers taken at the end of the course. The balance between exams and coursework, always the subject of heated political debate, varies between syllabuses. See final page for a Summary of the Coursework.

Introduction

This is the first of three booklets that you will receive about the subjects your child will be studying at each stage of his or her career. I must begin, therefore, by welcoming you warmly to the School and to that part of school life that is central to the education we offer. The information given here will enable you to understand what is 'core' curriculum, done by everybody, what is optional and what, in general terms, will be taught in the various subjects throughout the year.