4. Core Curriculum: 30 lessons per fortnight
Core Curriculum
Core Core PE
Science
Core RE
Core ICT
PSHE
Maths
English
5. Non-Core Science – 6 periods
• Single Science
– Core Science - one GCSE
– Plus Certificate in Personal and Social Development
• Additional Science
– Combines with Core Science to make 2 GCSEs
• Triple Science
– 3 separate GCSEs: Biology, Physics and Chemistry
• Students are placed on one of these courses
dependent on their performance in Year 9
Science assessments
6. Options – 24 periods per fortnight
• A range of GCSE, Cambridge National, and
BTEC courses
• Four options
• 6 periods per fortnight in each option
• Options organised into two pathways
7. Subjects on offer
• Specialising:
History, Geography, RS, Music, Dance, Drama,
Technology
subjects, languages, ICT, PE/Sport...
• “New” Subjects: Business Studies, Health and
Social Care, Media Studies, Construction
8. Qualifications on offer
• GCSE
– Awarded from A*-G
– Combination of exams and controlled assessment
• Cambridge National / BTEC
– Awarded Distinction, Merit, or Pass
– “Vocational” or work-based learning
– Available in Sport, Business, Construction, and
ICT(iMedia)
9. The English Baccalaureate
• Represents breadth and strength in academic
achievement
• Awarded to any student gaining A*-C in GCSE:
– English Language
– Two Sciences
– Mathematics
– History or Geography
– A Language
• Not to be confused with the English
Baccalaureate Certificate
10. The importance of a language
• The English Baccalaureate places studying a
language at the heart of the curriculum
• The Russell Group (top 20 UK Universities) have
designated languages as “enabling subjects”
• Some universities have made a language at GCSE
a requirement for studying any degree course
• The global economy will increasingly require
linguistic ability
13. Things to consider - students
Do consider: Do not consider:
• What do I enjoy? • Choosing subjects just to be
• What am I good at? with friends
• What to I want to do post- • Choosing subjects because
16? “I like/don’t like the
– Sixth form? teacher”
– College?
– Apprenticeship/employment?
• Choosing subjects “because
you ought to”
• Choose a good range of
subjects
• Read your report carefully
14. Things to consider - parents
• Read the recommendations of subject
teachers in the report carefully
• Discuss progress and suitability with subject
staff at parents’ evening
• Discuss with your children what they want to
do, and whether this will keep the right
options open post-16
15. Options Viability
• We will make every effort to meet students’
first option choices
• Where this is not possible, we will use the
reserve choice
• On rare occasions, some options do not
recruit a viable group
• Students cannot take the same subject twice –
this includes Sport with GCSE PE, or Applied
ICT with GCSE Computing.
16. Important Dates
• Monday 7th January: Options Assembly
• Wednesday 9th January: Options Evening
• Thursday 17th January: Subject Evening
• Friday 25th January: Final Deadline for
completing options in Insight
17. Sources of advice and information
• Other parents / friends
• Students in Key Stage 4 and Sixth Form
• Subject Staff / Tutor / Head of Year
• Careers Team
• Mr Kenny and the Learning Support team
• School Website
• Senior Staff – Mr Hildrew or Mr Gaynor
WelcomeProvide informationOpportunity for questions
Choice allows students to “make their own timetable”Choosing subjects they want to study should increase their motivation and chances of success
60 periods per fortnightBroken down into two halves – 30 periods compulsory core curriculum, 30 periods of “Options”
Core Curriculum: English & English Literature (two GCSEs)Maths (one GCSE)Core Science (one GCSE)Physical Education (JSLA)Philosophy and Ethics (Short Course GCSE)ICT (OCR National)PSHEProvides a secure and balanced foundation upon which students can buildEquips all students with the basic functional skills to develop into responsible adults – reading, writing, arithmetic but also physical education in the broadest sense (including healthy lifestyles, team working and leadership), ICT skills, and moral and social education through the RE course and the PSHE curriculum.
First part of the “Options” half of the curriculum is the top-up ScienceStudents are selectedAttendance may be taken into accountPSD provides students with excellent personal and social skills in team work, problem solving, and confidence buildingNote that both Additional and Triple Science are perfectly adequate preparation for A Level Sciences.
Non-GCSE subjects are available in Construction, ICT, Business Studies and SportAll non-GCSE subjects have a statistical equivalence to GCSE, although the government is currently considering the Wolf Report’s findings and reviewing the provision of vocational education. Just yesterday we were informed that OCR have withdrawn support from the Diploma in Creative and Media which will no longer run in September.
Clear emphasis on broad academic achievementIntroduced by Michael Gove as a flagship of the new government’s education policy, but it has won the support of the Labour Education Spokesman Stephen Twigg who announced in November that he supported the Ebac.We also support it here at Chew Valley – it is the right choice for the majority of our students and provides the right foundation for progression to further study. The first three elements of the Ebac are core. Our options structure is designed so that the academic pathway steers students into the remaining elements of the Bac through their options.
Russell Group includes Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, UCL, Imperial, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield…We have consciously placed a much greater emphasis on continuing with a language post-16 because we believe that it is really important. In our view between two thirds and three quarters of our students should be taking a language at KS4.
Academic Pathway – Ebac, focused on GCSE, preparation for A Level and University StudyApplied Pathway – non-GCSE vocational subjects, preparation for College / apprenticeships. Still possible to achieve the Ebac by taking French/Spanish and History/Geography in options 3 and 4
Completed online – issues with logins / usernames / passwords to LeighStudents without access should bring a note from parents and tutors can then complete the options
Slide shown to students
and do not run; students will be asked to opt againThis always involves consultation with parents