OATHALL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

GUIDE TO YEARS 10 AND 11

2018 - 2020

OPTIONS

The Y9 Options Evening will take place on Wednesday, 10th January at 6.00pm. Theevening is an important opportunity for parents and students to get an overview of the options

process and find out more about all of the courses available.

The Year 9 Consultation Evening will be on Thursday,

18th January 2018 beginning at 5pm.

Completed Course Preference Forms are due in on

Friday, 26th January 2018

Subject specific course information is available on the websitewww.oathall.org or paper copies can be requested from Reception

Introduction

It is an exciting time for Year 9 students. The option process isdesigned to ensure that all students have the opportunity to study abroad range of subjects including the core subjects of English,mathematics and science.

We ask that parents and students go through the informationcontained in this booklet together, refer to the subject course detailson the Oathall website: www.oathall.org and attend the Y9 OptionsEvening and the Year 9 Parents’ Evening where you andyour son/daughter will be able to discuss which route and course isappropriate.

This period of consultation is very important and this will lead to eachstudent following a curriculum which supports progression routes intoPost 16 education.

Careers guidance

To supply the delivery of impartial and independent careers guidance,the school has purchased an online careers package ‘Kudos’, details inthis booklet. In addition Mrs Bird will be available at the Y9Options Evening on 10th January 2018.

Questions to consider

Who choosesthe courses?

This is a decision made after consultation with your group tutor, subject teachersand your parents.

Why is mychoice

important?

You are making a two-year commitment and it is vital that you get it right toachieve success.

Your choice now may make a big difference to which course you study later, atcollege, university or at work.

Similarly, certain areas of employment may not be open to you after the choicesyou make.

1.

2.

3.

How do I choosethe subjects that

are rightfor me?

DON’Tchoose a subject

because -

• Your friendis doing thecourse

• You like/dislikethe teacher

• You think itwill be easy

Whichcourses must

I take?You must take English, mathematics, science, a language and a humanities subject.

Who can helpme choose?

Your group tutor and Head of House - will be able to offer you advice and guidance.

Subject teachers - who can give you some idea about your suitability for the courseand information about the subject.

Your parents - who know you best of all. Your parents will be here with you atthe Y9 Options Evening and you can begin talking about this then and withyour tutor during small group meetings.

Mrs Bird, the careers guidance practitioner can show you details of different areasof work.

1.2.

3.

4.

DOFind out exactly what each course involves byreading the details and decide whether you cancope with the demands of the subject.Ask your teachers for advice on your level ofachievement and future potential in each subject

Consider the entrance requirements of areas ofemployment of interest to you, but bear in mindthese are minimal and that in today’s workplace,requirements are often pitched higher.

Be careful not to close any doors at this stagebecause you may need certain skills/qualificationslater on.

Ensure you have a subject balance.

Take into account:• your interests• your future career plans

•

•

•

••

Your Choices Count!Decisions you make when you choose your options will matter for the rest of your life; the decisionsyou make will open or close doors for you in the future. Consider what you want to do next and makesure that you keep all opportunities open to you.

If you already know what you want to do then it is easy for you to identify the subjects that you willneed. If you don’t know what you want to do next - you need to keep more options open.

Here are some ideas to get you started. This does not cover everything and you will need to do yourown research too.

You probably know…

• most university courses need a good pass in English and maths at GCSE.

• most employers want a good pass in English and maths at GCSE.

Please check college requirements for A level courses from 2020.

And looking further ahead…

As university entrance requirements vary so widely you will need to do some research. A useful startingpoint is the UCAS website www.ucas.com which lists entry requirements for all university courses.

English and maths GCSE

Unless you achieve at least a grade 4 in both of these subjects you will have to continue studying themat college until you achieve this grade.

Key Stage 4 ProvisionHere are the different courses and qualifications that you can study:

BTEC

GCSEGCSE

GCSE

BTECGCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

GCSE

Subject - shown in alphabectical order Qualification

Core subjects

Option subjects

English Language and English Literature

Mathematics (Further maths for some students)

Combined Science (Triple Science for top sets)

2 GCSEs

2 2 GCSEs

(Triple - 3 GCSEs)GCSEs

Will follow the core subjects of:

English

Mathematics

Science

In addition to this everyone will take:

PhysicalEducation

(Core)

PDwhich includes

Religious Educationand

Citizenship

All students at Key Stage 4

Tech Award Level 1/2

National Certificate Level 1/2

Animal CareArt, Craft and DesignBusiness StudiesChild DevelopmentComputingDance (Performing Arts)DramaEngineeringFrenchGeographyGermanHistoryHospitality and CateringMusicPhotographyPhysical EducationReligious StudiesSportSpanishStep up to EnglishStep up to Maths

Entry Level Certificate

Entry Level Certificate

First Award Level 1/2

Level 1/2 Award

BTEC Tech Award Level 1/2

All the non-GCSE qualifications apart from the Step up to English and Maths are equivalent to one GCSE.

Can Ichange mymind later?

The subjects you choose are for the next two years. We expect everyone tocomplete their courses once they have decided on them. Therefore, it is veryimportant that the right choice is made at the outset. As a result we ask you to spendquite a long time considering your decisions. It is only in exceptional circumstancesthat students are permitted to change their courses once they have begun inSeptember. Please bear this in mind.

Will I haveto do more

homework andindependent

study?

Yes. You will have to spend more time on homework for each subject as the coursesyou are following involve more independent study.

Regular work at school and home and good study habits will be essential to relieve thepressure and help you to achieve success.

Will Idefinitely haveall the subjects

I ask for?

The majority of students will be allocated the selection of courses they have chosen.However, each year minor changes do need to be made. This affects only a very fewstudents and we will do everything within our power to offer the selection you make.

Somebodysaid if there aren’tenough students

opting for asubject thenthat subjectwill not run.Is this true?

Yes! Obviously we cannot run a course for just a handful of students. This would costtoo much and it wouldn’t be fair to the subjects that have class sizes approaching thirty.

How manyqualifications

will I bestudying for?

You may find that you are following between 9 - 11 accredited courses.

Combined Science is a double award subject (two GCSEs). Each of your options countas one subject. Everyone studies mathematics and two English qualifications. Somestudents will take Further mathematics.

Frequently asked questions

Core Provision - potentially 11 accredited qualifications (AQs)

English Language -1 GCSE

English Literature -1 GCSE

Mathematics -1 GCSE

Further maths (somestudents) -

1 GCSE

Combined Science -2 GCSEs

Triple Science (acceleratedcourse for upper ability, by

internal application) -3 GCSEs

4 options from the block below = 4 AQs

Compulsory qualifications

Option Selection 2018-20

Pathway A●  Choose one course per block●  You must have at least one language (German, Spanish or French)●  You must have at least one humanities subject (geography, history, religious

education)●  You must not choose the same course twice

French Child Development -National Certificate Photography Animal Care - BTEC

German Geography Art Photography

History German Computing Art

Business Studies French Religious Studies Engineering

Spanish Physical Education(GCSE) Geography Hospitality & Catering

Level 1/2 Award

Religious Studies Sport - Tech Award Dance (PerformingArts) Tech Award Music

Drama Spanish Business Studies

History

A B C D

A B C D

Option Selection 2018-20

Pathway B (Only those disapplied from Languages)

Select one subject from each block.

Step up to English &Maths

Child Development -National Certificate Photography Animal Care - BTEC

Geography Art Photography

Physical Education(GCSE) Religious Studies Art

Sport - Tech Award Geography Hospitality & Catering- Level 1/2 Award

Dance (PerformingArts) - Tech Award Music

Business Studies

History

Using Insight to complete theoptions process

How to use INSIGHT to make your option choices.

Follow the instructions below which explain how to select your optionchoices. The process will be explained at the Y9 Options Eveningand again on the Oathall website.

Select Options offer from theGeneral menu.

Switch between the optionblocks by selecting each of thetabs A, B, C and D.

Select the chosen subject ineach option block by clickingthe “+” button.

Click ‘Ok’ when asked toconfirm your choice.

Choosing your subjects

The Choices summary shows thesubjects that have been selected.

These can be amended atanytime up to the deadline bydeleting a subject and selecting adifferent one.

‘KUDOS’ – ONLINE CAREERS GUIDANCETo support the delivery of impartial and independent careers guidance, the school haspurchased an online careers package to assist our students with their career and study options.The Kudos program helps them to make informed decisions and helps to raise theiraspirations and achievement. The program is free to use and can be accessed both at schooland from home, allowing parental involvement and support.

What is Kudos?Kudos is an online careers guidance and information program that helps young people plantheir future by getting them to think about possible career directions, and is ideal for 13-19year olds.

Young people explore their future careers differently so there are four starting points:

1. MyFuture – take the quiz by answering Likes and Dislikes questions to give you apersonalised list of career ideas you might like.

2. Explore Industries – if a particular industry interests you, take a look at the differentwork areas that exist within it and discover your perfect career!

3. Explore Subjects – search the subjects you like, to see related careers.

4. Explore Careers – find a career that you want to know more about and see if it is suitablefor you.

Students can work through the program at their own pace to end up at the stage where theycan make informed decisions about their future. They can view detailed careers information onover 1,800 job titles and explore how well matched they are to them based on their interestsand educational aspirations. Kudos also includes labour market information, videos and real lifecase studies, links to university courses, links to apprenticeships and a CV builder.

To access the program go to the Oathall website (www.oathall.org) and under ‘Quick Links’on the homepage, choose ‘Career Cascaid’. Click on ‘Product Login’ on the top right andselect ‘Kudos’ and log in with your school username and the password kudos1. If you areasked to change your password do NOT do this, and instead click on ‘continue withoutchanging password’ .

A mini user guide can be found on the following pages.

Types of Qualifications

This is a term now used for a group of 5 subjects achieved at grades 9 - 4/5 in English, maths, science(including computing), a language (French, German or Spanish) and a humanities subject (geography orhistory).

• Most schools offer GCSEs as the main way to gain your Key Stage 4 qualifications.• You can choose from a range of GCSEs• GCSEs are usually assessed by examinations.

GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education)

The English Baccalaureate

Guide to BTEC Qualifications

What is a BTEC?

BTEC stands for ‘Business and Technology Education Council’, which used to run theaward, first introduced in 1984. BTECs are now awarded by the Edexel exam board and aretaken in more than 100 countries at all levels, from pre-GCSE to Degree equivalent.

They are vocational and work-related courses, designed to accommodate the needs ofemployers and allow students to progress to further and higher education. A BTEC takes apractical approach to learning, without missing any of the important theory on the subject.

Why take a BTEC?

They are recognised by a large number of companies across a wide range of industries. Aswell as being developed in partnership with industry representatives so all employer andstudent needs are met, many professional bodies offer successful BTEC students exemptionsfor their own accredited qualifications.

BTECs allow you to undertake a number of units for which you will present evidence, basedon real-life work and studies. This means you can demonstrate your skills and knowledgethrough a practical situation.

What is a BTEC qualification worth?

BTEC qualifications are fully recognised as holding equivalences to GCSEs. Forexample, a Level 2 BTEC First Diploma is worth the equivalent of four A*- C gradeGCSEs.