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