Year 10

Year 10 Parents Information 

Year 10 is a critical year and it is important that students make the best start to their GCSE courses that they can. 

There are a few key things to remember: 

1) When the government moved the exams from grades A*-E to 9-1, the government deliberately set out to make the exams harder. The content is more difficult, and often includes things that were not taught until A level previously. There is also more content than previously. 

2) 9-1 grades have 9 at the top, highest grade. 4s are known as a “pass” and 5s a “good pass” by the Department for Education. There is less coursework than in the past as exams have become “linear” – most subject now have only exam at the end of Y11. 

Parents can support their children by coaching them – there is some guidance here:  

3) The content covered in Y10 is not repeated. Other than a very quick revision session at the end of Y11, the things that students study in Y10 will not be revisited. So they need to get it right first time.

Course and Exam Boards

Year 10 2023-2024 

Subject Board Spec 

Art AQA 8202 

Biology AQA 8461 

Business AQA 8132 

Catering Eduqas list as Hospitality and Catering Eduqas 5409QA 

Chemistry AQA 8462 

Computer Science OCR J277 

Design Technology AQA 8552 

Drama Edexcel 1DR0 

English Language AQA 8700 

English Literature AQA 8702 

Film Studies Eduqas C670QS 

French AQA 8658 

Geography AQA 8035 

Health & Social Care Edexcel RHS3 

History Edexcel 1HI0 

Maths Edexcel 1MA1 

Music Eduqas C660QS 

Physics AQA 8463 

Science Combined Trilogy AQA 8464 

Spanish AQA 8698 

Sport Edexcel RSP3