GCSE (Years 10–11 England/Wales; Years 11–12 NI): Board Map and Two-Year Teaching Order
⚠ Check every code and assessment structure against the board's website before use.
1. Specification codes
| Subject | AQA | Edexcel | OCR | Eduqas (England) | WJEC (Wales, new Made-for-Wales) | CCEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 8700 | 1EN0 | J351 | C700 | GCSE English Language & Literature (integrated, double/single award) | GCSE English Language |
| English Literature | 8702 | 1ET0 | J352 | C720 | (part of the integrated award above) | GCSE English Literature |
| Mathematics | 8300 | 1MA1 | J560 | C300 | GCSE Mathematics & Numeracy (double award) | GCSE Mathematics (Foundation/Higher units M1–M8) |
| Combined Science | Trilogy 8464 / Synergy 8465 | 1SC0 | Gateway A J250 / 21st Century B J260 | C600-series Combined | GCSE Integrated Science (double/single) | Double Award Science |
| Separate sciences | Bio 8461, Chem 8462, Phys 8463 | 1BI0, 1CH0, 1PH0 | Gateway J247/J248/J249 | Bio/Chem/Phys | (separate sciences being phased out; check WJEC) | Biology, Chemistry, Physics |
| Computer Science | 8525 | 1CP2 | J277 | C500 | WJEC Digital Technology / Computer Science (check the current Wales offer) | Digital Technology (Multimedia or Programming route) |
2. Assessment structures
English Language (AQA 8700): Paper 1 Explorations in Creative Reading & Writing (1h45, 80 marks); Paper 2 Writers' Viewpoints & Perspectives (1h45, 80 marks); plus Spoken Language, reported separately. Edexcel and OCR use the same two-paper model with different question styles. OCR J351 uses unseen pairs of texts. English Literature (AQA 8702): Paper 1 Shakespeare + 19th-century novel (1h45, 64 marks); Paper 2 Modern text, Poetry anthology, Unseen poetry (2h15, 96 marks). Maths (all English boards): 3 papers × 1h30, 80 marks each. Paper 1 is non-calculator. Tiers: Foundation (grades 1–5) and Higher (grades 4–9). Edexcel and OCR both use 3 papers (OCR's are 100 marks each). Formulae sheet use is under review, so check the current DfE position. Combined Science Trilogy: 6 papers × 1h15, 70 marks each (2 Bio, 2 Chem, 2 Phys), tiered, with 21 required practicals assessed in the written papers. Separate sciences: 2 papers per science × 1h45, 100 marks each. Computer Science (J277 / 8525): Paper 1 Computer systems (1h30, 80 marks); Paper 2 Computational thinking, algorithms & programming (1h30, 80 marks, with a practical programming section, onscreen for AQA 8525). There is no NEA, but pupils need 20+ hours of programming practice. CCEA: unitised. Some units can be sat in Year 11; Maths uses a Foundation/Higher unit pathway; Double Award Science includes practical skills units. Grades A*–G with C*.
3. Two-year teaching order (works with all boards; adjust names to the specification)
Maths (Higher)
| Term | Y10 | Y11 |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Number (surds, indices, bounds); Algebra (quadratics, simultaneous equations) | Functions, transformation of graphs; circle theorems; vectors |
| Spring | Ratio/proportion, compound measures; Geometry (trigonometry, including exact values) | Algebraic proof; iteration; histograms and cumulative frequency |
| Summer | Probability (tree diagrams, Venn diagrams); mocks | Revision with predicted papers; exams |
English
| Term | Y10 | Y11 |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Modern text; Language Paper 1 skills | 19th-century novel (e.g. A Christmas Carol); Language Paper 2 |
| Spring | Shakespeare (Macbeth); Spoken Language endorsement | Poetry anthology revision; unseen poetry |
| Summer | Poetry anthology cluster 1; mocks | Exam technique with predicted papers |
Combined Science (AQA Trilogy topic order)
Y10: Cell biology, Organisation, Infection & response, Bioenergetics | Atomic structure, Bonding, Quantitative chemistry, Chemical changes, Energy changes | Energy, Electricity, Particle model, Atomic structure. Y11: Homeostasis, Inheritance, Ecology | Rates, Organic chemistry, Chemical analysis, Atmosphere, Using resources | Forces, Waves, Magnetism.
Computer Science
Y10: Systems architecture, memory and storage, data representation, Python fundamentals, algorithms (searching and sorting). Y11: Networks and protocols, cyber security, ethical/legal issues, Boolean logic, robust programs and testing, SQL, a programming project, past-paper practice.