Year 9 Options Information Evening February 2018 What do you want - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Year 9 Options Information Evening

February 2018

What do you want to be when you grow up?

• Successful?
• Rich?
• Challenged?
• Fulfilled?
• Happy?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Your future is not pot luck! Where do you want the road ahead to take you?

How will I decide?

What are my strengths and interests? What do my assessments tell me? What do I want to do in the future?

Aims

• Core curriculum for Key Stage 4
• English Baccalaureate (Ebacc)
• Options process
• Next steps
• This presentation will be available on the website from

tomorrow morning.

• GCSE – External examinations completed at the end of the

course.

• Controlled Assessment – Work planned in class and then finally

written in class but in exam conditions. There used to be a lot

• f this but fewer subjects have this now. Most of the final

grade comes down the performance in the exams.

• By the summer of 2020 GCSE subjects will be graded on a scale
• f 1 – 9. 1 being the lowest and 9 the highest.

Progression

Levels 4 - 8

eg Degree MA PhD

Level 3

A Levels BTEC

Level 2

GCSE A*-C (4-9) BTEC

Level 1

GCSE D – G (1-3)

Entry Level

English Maths

PSHE Religion Philosophy and Ethics PE Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

The big picture

Science

English

• GCSE in English Language
• GCSE in English Literature
• 9 periods per fortnight

Maths

• GCSE in Maths
• 9 Periods per fortnight

Science

• GCSE in Combined Science

Two science qualifications. It is possible to take three science qualifications from the options choices. In order to complete the separate sciences students will need to be getting a grade 6 by the end of Year 9.

PSHE

• Course is broad ranging looking at employment, finance,

politics, relationship issues.

• This is part of the statutory curriculum from the government
• In a change to the current curriculum, this will be taught on a

rotating period across weeks rather than a fixed point.

PE

• Core PE time
• No final examination

Religion, Philosophy and Ethics

• There is a statutory requirement to study religion.
• This can be examined or non- examined.
• We have had excellent results with the examined course and

this will also provide students with an additional qualification.

• The compulsory curriculum means that students are in a

position to secure six GCSE grades.

Levels 4 - 8

eg Degree MA PhD

Level 3

A Levels BTEC

Level 2

GCSE A*-C (4-9) BTEC

Level 1

GCSE D – G (1-3)

Entry Level

The English Baccalaureate

• Introduced by the government and covers

‘respected academic subjects’

• English
• Maths
• Science
• A modern foreign language - French
• History or Geography

The English Baccalaureate

• This combination of subjects does increase future
• pportunities for students especially if they can gain a

grade from 5-9 in all of the five areas.

• It is not compulsory but strongly recommended –

especially if students are thinking about university or jobs where there is a lot of competition.

Option choices

• Up to Three subjects can be chosen
• 6 periods per fortnight
• Students should not make choices based on friendships or

because they happen to like the teacher.

The Group A subjects

• History
• Geography
• French
• Triple Science
• Computer Science
• Level 1 Vocational course (by

invitation only) You will need to select ONE from this list.

The Group B Subjects

• Art
• Photography
• Design Technology – Food

preparation and Nutrition

• Design Technology – Textile

based materials

• Design Technology – Timber,

metal based materials

• Drama
• French
• Geography
• History
• IT
• Computer
• Media Studies
• Music
• Physical Education
• Religious Studies

Forbidden Combinations

• Art and Photography
• Design and Technology – Textiles and Timber

Free choice

• Unlike in previous years, students will be given a free choice of

subjects from Block B

• Once all the forms are in we will then work out the best fit for

all students across all of the subjects.

• However, there are 109 students in the year group and it may

not be possible to please everyone.

Reserve choices

• Some subjects may not run because not enough students show

an interest in taking them – this is made more acute because

• f the relative small size of the year group.
• Students will be asked to choose TWO reserve subjects and it is

important that these have as much consideration as the first three choices.

• Should reserve choices be used for your child then you will be

contacted by the school.

Be aware

• It will not be possible to do some subject combinations (this is an

example only)

• Triple Science, PE and Art
• History, Food technology, Art

Block A Block B Block C PE Drama Geography Technology Music Photography Triple Science Geography Art Media French History Food Technology History Photography PE Art IT

Personalised curriculum

• Not all students are the same – they have different abilities

and skills.

• We want to provide a curriculum that allows for all students to

succeed.

Vocational Courses

• In Group A we have identified a vocational course.
• This will be more suitable for a group of students selected by

teachers to follow. This will initially be a Level 1 course.

• We will discuss this in more detail over the next few weeks.

Options forms

• This evening we will issue the options booklet. This will contain

information about the subjects that will be offered from

• September. You will also get a copy of the options form.
• Monday 26thth February- progress evening. This is a chance to

talk to teachers about how well things are going in subjects and to explore potential courses. Online booking has been

• pen for a couple of weeks.

Curriculum Enrichment Day

• Wednesday 14th March - Curriculum suspended for the day.
• Barclays will be completing a life skills workshop , there will be

a session with Next Steps South West allowing students to explore different career options, a session on CV and interview skills and then a 1:1 meeting to discuss the option choices.

Final choices

• Parents and students will receive a letter confirming option

choices during the first part of the summer term.

Options process

• During the options process, students should talk to their tutor,

subject teacher or a member of the Senior Leadership Team if they require any guidance.

• They should, of course, also discuss possible choices with you

at home.

Options Form

• The option form needs to be back in school no later than

Thursday 22nd March but we anticipate most will be returned

• n 14th March.
• There is no advantage to returning the form before the 14th as

it is important to make sure you have considered these choices carefully.

• However, late submissions might well find it harder to secure

their first choices.

Thank you