GCSE Options 2018

Something you are good at

A balanced curriculum

Subjects which could work well together

Take your time to make decisions

Ask for help

Think about the long term

Something you enjoy

Pick subjects because your

friend is going to

Pick subjects because you like

that teacher

Do your option choices in a hurry

Forget to consider the longer term

future

Soon you will have selected your option choices…

Pre-Options Assembly Tuesday 16th January

Options booklet on website Wednesday 31st January

Year 9 reports issued w/b 5th February

Parent/Carers’ /Options Evening Thursday 8th February

Deadlines for choices Wednesday 21st February

Year 9 Parents / Options Evening is being held in Septimus Hall between 3:20pm and 6.45pm on Thursday 8th February We encourage you to make an appointment to speak to your teacher for English and Maths. Science staff will tell you which teacher to see on Thursday - this teacher has the overview of your progress to date in all 3 Science disciplines. For other subjects, please can you make an appointment with: • staff of subjects you may be considering opting for, to get some

curriculum advice; • staff of subjects where you would like to discuss your progress.

Please note: there is no requirement to see all of your subject teachers.

The ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE is a ‘performance measure’ which will recognise pupils achieving at least 5 good passes (Grade 5 or above) which MUST include English, Mathematics, Science, one Humanities subject and one Modern Foreign Language. There is no additional exam and no certificate! You must study the following combination of subjects in order to achieve the ‘ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE’. •GCSE English Language •GCSE Mathematics •GCSE in Sciences (2 needed – includes Computer Science) •GCSE in Geography or GCSE History •GCSE in Spanish or GCSE French

English Language and English Literature

Maths

PSHE (Not GCSE)

PE (Not GCSE)

RE

Science * Combined Science (2 GCSEs) or Separate Science – (3 GCSEs) *We carefully track your progress using Key Assessment data from Years 9 and 10. This data will be used to determine whether or not we feel that you will be able to cope with the demands of three separate science GCSEs. If this is not the case then you will follow the AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy in Year 11.*

All of these are

compulsory

You need to select to study three option subjects and a reserve choice from the following list: •Art

•Business Studies

•Computer Science (grade 4- needed in Maths and Computing to be eligible) •Creative Media Production – Level 2 Technical Award

•Drama

•Food and Cookery - Level 2 Technical Award

•Food Preparation and Nutrition

•French (if studied this in Year 9) •Geography

•Graphic Design - Level 2 Technical Award

•History

•ICT – Level 2 Technical Award

•Media Studies

•Music

•Physical Education (grade 4- needed in Biology to be eligible) •Sport - Level 2 Technical Award

•Spanish (if studied this in Year 9)

See Mr Smailes on Thursday in the Septimus Hall on a ‘drop in basis’ for more information

See Mr Thompson or Mr Clougher on Thursday in the Septimus Hall on a ‘drop in basis’ for more information

See your English teacher on Thursday in the Septimus Hall for more information

Choose a balanced curriculum

We offer the EBACC combination to all pupils – but this is NOT compulsory. Instead you must choose at least Computer Science, French, Spanish, History or Geography as one option. We value the new high quality KS4 vocational courses such as the Technical Award in ICT. These have full parity with a GCSE and offer a more ‘hands on’ approach to learning. They suit the learning style of many pupils more effectively, as they only have one exam paper and offer more opportunities for continuous assessment.

Your reports will be issued w/b 5th February 2018. Your GCSE grading system uses numbers 1 to 9 in all subjects to identify grades of performance, with 9 being the top grade. Your GCSE exams will be taken at the end of the 2 year course in May or June 2020. There are fewer short-answer and more essay-style exam questions.

GCSE assessment – Reminder

Technical Award GCSE Grades L2 Distinction* 8-9 (A*) L2 Distinction 7 (A) L2 Merit 5-6 (B / C) L2 Pass 4 (C ) L1 Distinction 3 (D / E) L1 Merit 2-3 (E / F) L1 Pass 1-2 (F / G)

The estimated grade conversion table for the new GCSEs and for the new Technical Awards can be

seen below

NEW GCSE Grades OLD GCSE Grades 9 – 7 A* / A 6 – 5 B / C 4 – 3 C / D 3 – 1 E / F / G

Non-exam assessment The term ‘non-exam assessment’ covers a range of different forms of assessment. Non-exam assessments are not necessarily ‘internally’ or teacher-marked nor undertaken over an extended period of time. A performance may, for example, be undertaken under timed conditions and marked by a visiting exam board assessor. Will all GCSEs have non-exam assessment? No. The percentage depends on the range of skills to be assessed and the most effective way of assessing them. The breakdown for your courses is shown on the next slide:

Non-exam assessment overview:

• English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Biology,

Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science, Business Studies, Geography,

History and Religious Studies have no non-exam assessment.

• French and Spanish have 25% non-exam assessment.

• Media Studies has 30% non-exam assessment.

• GCSE Physical Education has 40% non-exam assessment.

• ICT Technical Award, Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE and

Graphic Design Technical Award have 50% non-exam assessment.

• Creative Media Technical Award, Drama GCSE and Music GCSE have

60% non-exam assessment.

• Food and Cookery Technical Award and BTEC Sport Technical Award

have 75% non-exam assessment.

• Art and Design has 100% non-exam assessment.

1. In the core subjects, pupils are ranked in order of the marks achieved in their Year 9 examinations. This data is used to create new sets.

2. Most pupils will remain in the same set throughout Years 10 and 11, although a small number may be moved when progress is reviewed. To make sure you get your option choices, pupils are shuffled from P band to Q band or vice versa.

Those not gaining a grade 4 or above at GCSE level in Maths and English Language will have to continue with these subjects post 16.

Other Important Information

Completing the Options Form

Make sure you meet the deadline of Wednesday 21st February 2018

Completing the Options Form

Check the instructions and eligibility criteria

Advice – Who to speak to • Parents/carers and other relatives.

• Subject teachers, who know your strengths and weaknesses in their subjects.

• Your Form Tutor, Miss Lascelles and Mrs Bengston who have an overall picture of your progress.

• Mr Moore, our Careers Co-ordinator.

• Mr Craggs, our Head of Sixth Form.