Colfe's School
The purpose of the programme is to encourage students to complete further study beyond GCSE in a wider range of subjects than would otherwise be considered.
This not only fosters broader academic enrichment but encourages a more informed choice of which subjects to take through to A2 standard.
These programmes are offered by Colfe's School as a replacement to the AS qualification in Year 12.
- Goldsmiths College, University of London
The programme requires students to study up to four subjects for a year beyond GCSE, to a standard equivalent to AS level. Students study their chosen subjects for two and half terms before completing an exam of between 1.5 and 3 hours in each subject. Only Art & Design does not have a formal exam, but instead a moderator appointed by Goldsmiths visits the school to inspect the quality of student work in order to provide a grade.
- Art and design
- Biology
- Business
- Chemistry
- Classical civilisation
- Computer science
- Design and technology
- Drama and theatre
- Economics
- English literature
- French
- Further mathematics
- Geography
- German
- History
- Latin
- Mathematics
- Media studies
- Music
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Politics
- Psychology
- Spanish
Fine Art and Photography are both offered as options under art and design.
The GCiE is designed to be an approximate standard to an AS level.
Students are awarded grades of Distinction, Merit and Pass in each subject.
A Distinction equates to an A grade, a Merit a B grade and a Pass a C grade.
All students sit exams for between 1.5 and 3 hours at the end of their courses. Exams are set by Colfe’s staff and standardised by Goldsmiths appointed moderators (all of whom are subject specialists). The exams are held in public examination conditions and are inspected by Goldsmiths during the exam week. Completed scripts are marked by Colfe’s teaching staff and checked by the Goldsmiths appointed moderators. Students are awarded a grade by Goldsmiths.
The GCiE written exam forms the entire assessment in most subjects. The main exception to this is Art & Design where a moderator, appointed by Goldsmiths, visits the school to inspect the quality of student work in order to provide a grade. In addition, in languages, the written assessment is supplemented by marks from a speaking exam which is recorded and submitted to the Goldsmiths moderator.
The GCiE courses are taught throughout the academic year with each subject having at least 4.5 hours per week.
This is an attempt to replicate AS level standards, quality controlled by an external body to the school while not using the whole of the summer term to prepare for and then take exams. Given the increased subject content for the A levels, Colfe's felt it to be impractical to attempt to teach the whole course for many subjects if students effectively lost a term to complete AS exams in the summer term.
The assessments take place in school exam week (the week after the summer half-term) and results are confirmed (having been moderated) by the end of the school year.
Each student will receive a certificate issued by Goldsmiths that confirms the standard reached in each subject.