welcome to this parents information session year 9 options · important evening for parents and...
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to thisParents Information
Session
Year 9 OPTIONS
Helen EverittCurriculum
Deputy Headteacher
AIMS Introduce Oriel’s Year 9 Options Process
and our philosophy regarding students choices at 14.
Explain the different types of Qualifications available to students at Oriel in Y10 and 11
BTEC Tech Awards, Cambridge Nationals
GCSE
Give you advice on how to help students make the right choices for them
Qualifications should:
Reflect our changing world
Prepare our students to be successful in society
Engage students in learning
Prepare students for study at college or university, or for work.
Education should not be a ‘one size fits all’ system
We should recognise:
Different needs of our students
Different learning styles
Different aspirations and goals
☺
CORE – All students will study:
Maths
English Language and English Literature
Science
RE
PE
PDC / Citizenship
PE and PDC
• Both PE and PDC are compulsory lessons
• PE
– Core PE – all, x2 lesson per fortnight
– Can also then be chosen as an option
• PDC
– Personal Development Curriculum
– x1 lesson per fortnight
REAll students will study RE for x2 lessons a fortnight, but
within this time can follow one of two routes
• Short Course GCSE
• Full Course GCSE – this option will require additional
independent work and after school sessions
Full details of these options can be found in the Year 10
Curriculum Guide
Options
Students must then choose subjects to
fill the optional parts of the timetable
There are three option spaces to fill.
1
32
Ensuring Progression
An increasing importance has been placed on the
following facilitating subjects:
GEOGRAPHY SPANISH
HISTORY FRENCH
COMPUTER SCIENCE GERMAN
University entrance information highlights
these subjects as facilitating subjects at A Level for
top degree entry
Ensuring Progression
To ensure that students are not being disadvantaged
by not opting for a broad range of subjects
including a facilitating subject.
Option 1 of the three options must be one of these
subjects
GEOGRAPHY SPANISH
HISTORY FRENCH
COMPUTER SCIENCE GERMAN
OPTION 1
GCSEs:
French, Spanish, German,
Computer Science
History, Geography
You must pick one of the subjects below:
OPTIONS 2 and 3GCSEs:
Film Studies, Drama, Music, PE
Art: Specialising in Fine Art, Textile Art or
3D Design
French, Spanish, German,
Business, Computer Science
History, Geography, Sociology
Food Preparation & Nutrition,
Design Technology
BTEC Tech Awards /
Cambridge Nationals
Music Technology
Sport Studies
Travel & Tourism
Digital Information
Technology
Health & Social Care
Engineering Manufacture
Hospitality & Catering
Choice and Flexibility
At Oriel we offer two different types of
qualification for students to choose to study in
Years 10 and 11.
These qualifications can be mixed and they are
flexible.
BTEC Tech Awards / Cambridge Nationals
GCSE
GCSEsLindsay Oliver
Head of Science Faculty
Tom Bayle
Deputy Head of Science
Faculty
What is a GCSE?• GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education.
• GCSEs are the main qualification taken by 14 to 16 year olds
• You can take GCSEs in a wide range of academic and work-related subjects.
• GCSEs are highly valued by schools, colleges and employers
• The better you do in your GCSEs, the more options will be open to you. It is important to work hard and do well.
• The qualification mainly involves studying the theory of a subject, possibly combined with some investigative work.
• Some subjects also involve practical work e.g. Art
GCSE Reform
– Current Y10 and Y11 students are already following revised & reformed GCSE Specifications in the majority of their subjects
– These are awarded numerical grades from 9 to 1
– 9 is the highest, 1 is the lowest
– A grade 4 is the new standard that a student is expected to achieve in order for them to have passed the qualification. This is equivalent to the old C grade.
– A grade 5 is considered a “good” pass. This is roughly equivalent to the top portion of the previous C grade and the bottom portion of the previous B grade.
% of students achieving 7 and above roughly equal to those previously achieving A and A*
% of students achieving 4 and above roughly equal to those previously achieving C and above
5 = the new benchmark for a ‘good’ pass
How are GCSEs examined?
• Exams– All GCSEs are examined by terminal examinations at
the end of the course
• Controlled Assessment– In the new GCSE specifications there is far smaller
emphasis on controlled assessment
– Practical subjects will still have an internally assessed component
– Speak to subject staff on the 19th March for specifics
How have Science GCSEs changed?
For current Year 9 students Core and Additional Science no longer exist
Separate sciences Combined science
Content split equally over year 10 and 11. Taught discretely as Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons.
All exams are taken at the end of year 11. No controlled assessment
Results in the award of three science GCSEs (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) at the end of year 11
Results in the 2 science grades GCSE ‘Combined science’HIGHER: Can achieve Grade 9-4FOUNDATION: Can achieve Grade 5-1
3 separate numerical grades are achieved (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
2 numerical grades are achieved for the whole qualification e.g. 5,5. Where the grade achieved falls in the middle of 2 grades a mixed grade may be awarded e.g. 5,6
• The decision of which exam will be undertaken will be made by the relevant teachers
• Factors that will be taken into account are class contribution, homework, and assessment results throughout the year.
• Stage 1: End of KS3 Exam. Results will be announced in September 2020.
• This will determine the class you will begin studying in, but this can be changed based on a teacher’s judgement at any point throughout the year.
• Being part of any class does not guarantee that you will sit a specific paper (Separate Science paper, Combined Higher paper or Combined Foundation paper).
• Final decisions will be made by the science department, at the latest, in Spring term 2a of year 11.
Who will decide on Combined Sciences (F/H) or Separate?
• PLEASE NOTE: No full class is guarranteed to sit Separate Sciences. Only those pupils that we decide to enter for separate sciences will be entered. No class is specifically Separate Science.
• It is important to note that both Separate Sciences (H) and Combined Sciences (H) assess material at exactly the same level.
• Pupils in both higher courses have the ability to achieve Grade 9s. The only difference between them is volume of content.
• Two good grades will open more doors post-16 than three mediocre ones.
Final Points regarding GCSE Science
T
BTEC Tech Awards /
Cambridge Nationals
Michelle Vickers
Vocational Coordinator
Technical Awards
• There are three main Examination Boards
– AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel
• All Examination Boards offer both GCSEs
and more vocational qualifications called
Technical Awards
• The Pearson Edexcel Technical Awards
are more commonly known as BTEC Tech
Awards
• The OCR Technical Awards are known as
Cambridge Nationals
About Technical Awards
• Theoretical, practical and work related
courses
• In addition to exams, students complete
projects and assignments that are based
on realistic workplace situations, activities
and demands
• Typically following the format:
– 60% Coursework
– 40% Exam
How Technical Awards are assessed?
• Presentations
• Role plays
• Research portfolios
• Designing publications
• Practical assessments such as organising events and working with the local community
• Exam for 1 unit / component
Which students are suited to
studying Technical Awards?
• Students who prefer completing
projects/coursework
• Students who feel that they do not like the
pressure of a 100% examinable subjects
• Students who enjoy the subject area
• Students who want to follow a mix of
qualifications to vary the way they will learn
How are the courses graded?
• Level 2 Distinction*
• Level 2 Distinction
• Level 2 Merit
• Level 2 Pass
• Level 1 Distinction
• Level 1 Merit
• Level 1 Pass
Where can a Technical Award qualification lead?
Post 16
• Sixth Form
– BTEC Nationals (Level 3)
– Cambridge Technicals (Level 3)
• Employment with Training
• Apprenticeships
…and beyond
• University
• Higher Level Apprenticeships
How to
Choose….Owen Svoboda
Director of Learning
Careers Leader
• Careers workshop with our external careers advisor. The sessions included• ways to ensure they select the right options.• potential career pathways and what subjects may be
required or beneficial for them. • pathways post 16, whether that be A Levels,
apprenticeships, employment or degrees after 18.• a chance to search on websites such as
• https://icould.com• https://icould.com/buzz-quiz/• https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/• https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/careers
• Careers Speed Dating - large careers event with lots of employers to engage with and find out about their job roles. A chance for inspiration and to find out their pathways into that career
Careers Input….
Making Good Choices
Your son or daughter should avoid
making choices based on:
Their friends’ choices
Their current teachers
Gender stereotypes
One narrow career path
Making Good ChoicesYour son or daughter should:
Think about their strengths and weaknesses
Think about how they prefer to study and learn
Find out how the courses are taught and assessed
Keep their choices broad and balanced
Research any career ideas they may have
Research the Sixth Form prospectus and any course specific entry requirements
Use UCAS to check A Level and BTEC requirements for degree entry
Making Good ChoicesFurther help:
Speak to teachers, our careers adviser Kerry
Mann and of course you!
➢ Use the careers websites under ‘Careers and
Moving On’ of the curriculum section of the
school website
Students come along to the Options Evening on
19th March and speak to the teachers about
the courses on offer
Next Steps OPTIONS EVENING – Thursday 19th March
Important evening for parents and most importantly students
Drop in any time between 6pm and 8pm
Receive a further pack of guidance information & options form
All Subjects and courses represented
Information to collect and take home
Speak to teachers
See examples of students work
Deadline for Options Forms – Friday 3rd April
You will be asked to pick 5 options and
place them in order of preference
OPTION 1
OPTION 2.
OPTION 3:
RESERVE 1
RESERVE 2
Wherever possible we will try to guarantee
you your first three choices
What subjects are included in
the English Baccalaureate?
GCSE Grade 9-4 in 5 subjects:
• Mathematics
• English
• Science (two x 9-4)
• MFL
• Humanities (History or Geography only)
The Russell Group’s ‘Informed Choices’ document
highlights these subjects as facilitating subjects
at A Level for top degree entry
A Broad and Balanced Curriculum
The subjects your son or daughter chooses
should be a good balance as encouraged by
the EBacc but the arts, ICT and technology
are very much part of achieving a good
balance.
It is important their choices allow
progression into further and higher
education in a range of subjects which
they will enjoy and succeed in.
Our Philosophy
To ensure that students are not being
disadvantaged by not being offered the
broad range of subjects
To enable students to make an informed
choice
To empower them to achieve; to inspire
them to excel