Lord Grey School Aspire, Learn, Achieve Preparation for Year 9 Evening 20 April 2017
Important Choices Who to ask for advice? • Form Tutor • Tutees in your vertical Tutor Group • Subject teachers • Parents • Siblings • Careers Service • Head of House • Head of Faculty/Subject • Sixth Form Team.
Important Decision • This is a major decision; however it is only for six periods out of twenty five • All students will still follow a broad and balanced curriculum from their compulsory subjects, no matter what they select • Subjects not chosen at the end of Year 8 can generally be picked up again in the Sixth Form.
The Reformed Examinations • All Year 9 students in September 2017 will follow the reformed exam routes • Assessment for all will be on the 9-1 scale • Assessment is much harder • Most Controlled Assessment (Coursework) has been removed, or reduced in weighting • All examinations will be at the end of Year 11 • A ‘Strong Pass’ of a Grade 5 is roughly the top 1/3 of an old C grade and the bottom 1/3 of an old B grade, so this is harder than getting a current C grade.
Current grades New GCSE grading structure 9 A* 8 A 7 6 B 5 A ‘strong’ pass C 4 A ‘standard ’ pass D 3 E 2 F 1 G
What will the offer look like? • Most students will end up with 9 qualifications • Some will end up with 8 (no Foreign Language) • Some will end up with 10 (Triple Science) For most of the year group: • 2 English – Literature and Language • 1 Maths • 2 Science • 1 Foreign Language • 1 History or Geography • 2 Free options 8, 9 or 10 qualifications are more than enough for Sixth Form or an apprenticeship or university The school is judged on a student’s ‘best 8’.
A broad curriculum….the Ebacc. All at Grade 4 pass to count for the student. All at Grade 5 pass to count for the school. • English Language or Literature GCSE at Grade 4 or above • Maths GCSE at Grade 4 or above • GCSE History or GCSE Geography at Grade 4 or above. • At least two GCSEs in Science (Dual Award or Triple Award) at Grade 4 or above • One Modern Foreign Language at Grade 4 or above • For the EBacc to count for the school’s headline measure, each pass must be at Grade 5.
The Different Pathways • All students will be directed to study either Geography or History. (A very small number will be steered towards ASDAN or Study Support) • Languages groups X/Y3 will have additional English and Maths time instead of following a foreign language. A small number of students will also be selected from X/Y 2a,b and c to focus on additional English and Maths instead of a foreign language • There are then 2 ‘free’ option choices to make.
What Remains Compulsory? • English – usually leading to two GCSEs. – English Language and English Literature – There is no Controlled Assessment at all. There is a compulsory Speaking and Listening element, but this generates a separate grade. The GCSEs are ALL examination based. • Maths – leading to a GCSE in Mathematics. – Three examination papers. • Science – X/Y 1: Triple Science, leading to three single sciences, GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics. – X/Y 2a, 2b, 2c and 3: Dual Science, leading to two GCSEs.
Also you still have to do …. • Two hours of Core Physical Education per week • Three hours of a Foreign Language per week FOR GROUPS X/Y1- and most of 2a, b and c ONLY, leading to a GCSE • Cross curricular work in Careers activities, PSHE, RS and British Values through a series of special events across KS4. There are no set lessons in these areas but there will be a programme of special events.
So what is in the Options? Creative Technology Faculty. • Design Technology – GCSE • Food Studies – GCSE • Art – GCSE • Art Textiles – GCSE
Enterprise Faculty • Business Studies - GCSE • Certificate in Digital Applications (CiDA) – This is provisional and subject to change • Workskills – BTEC
Wellbeing Faculty • Cambridge National Certificate in Sports Science • Cambridge National Certificate in Health and Social Care
Performing Arts Faculty • Music – GCSE • Media Studies – GCSE • Drama – GCSE • Film Studies – GCSE
Humanities Faculty • History – GCSE • Geography – GCSE • Religious Studies – GCSE • (Students can do both History and Geography. They would select Geography as their directed option and History as a free option).
Support Subjects • ASDAN • Study Support
What now? • Think carefully about your choice • Talk it over at home • Make the most of tomorrow’s Careers Morning • Select your directed option choice (History/Geography) • Select TWO other options choices with TWO reserve choices • Get your parents to sign the form • Fill in your Options Form and hand it in by Monday 24 th April, without fail!
What next? • Options allocations will be looked at next half term • Only viable courses will run – there must be a reasonable group size to be cost effective • We will only run courses where we have specialist staff available • This is why you must include two reserve choices in your FREE options choice selection.
The Process …… • You will be informed of your options in the Summer Term • Once you commence the course in September 2017 you will be expected to stick with that course • Under exceptional circumstances you will have a seven week ‘window’ to change options (first half term of Year 9 only) if a genuine mistake has been made • After that there will be no option changes as there will be too much missed work to catch up on.
This is the next three years of your life so ……Do… • Pick subjects you enjoy • Pick subjects you are good at and strong in • Pick subjects where you are likely to meet or exceed your Minimum Target Grade • Chose subjects that will help towards a future career, if you can • Chose subjects you can really commit to for three years.
Don’t!!! • Don’t choose a subject because you like the teacher! • Don’t choose a subject because your friends are selecting it! • Don’t choose a subject that you struggle with! • Don’t choose a subject that you do not have an aptitude for • Don’t choose a subject because your older brother or sister did it • Don’t pick a subject because you have never studied it before and you just like the sound of it.
Finally … • Go into it with your eyes open – all school based subjects have lots of written work involved in them (even Sport, Drama, and Food Studies , for example, have a strong theory element which will rely on written answers) – so whatever you select you will need to keep building up your core literacy and numeracy skills.
Subject Stalls… • All Year 9 subjects are available to see in the English area • Option selection forms are available on the Careers desk in the English block • The full booklet is on our website. Thank you
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