Year 9 Options Information Evening

Wednesday 27th January

2016-2018

Spalding High School Community

The standard core curriculum at Spalding High School comprises:

• Compulsory subjects • A modern foreign language: this year it will be

German • Geography or History • Religious Studies • 2 other subjects from the option choices

The Year 10 and 11 Curriculum

Spalding High School Resilience

Compulsory subjects GCSE Examination subjects: • English Language • English Literature • Mathematics • Science • Religious Studies • Geography or History • An MFL – this year it will be German

The Year 10 and 11 Curriculum

Spalding High School Respect

Non-examination subjects: • Cross curricular ICT • Careers Education • Citizenship taught via Religious Studies, PSHCE and across

the curriculum • PSHCE (personal, social, health and careers education) • Physical Education • All relevant subjects will provide opportunities for pupils to

develop confidence in mathematics and literacy.

Spalding High School Reflective

geography religious studies health and social care music

art and design history Spanish Latin business and communication systems physical education food and nutrition textiles technology drama product design technology computer science

Option Choices 2016 - 2018

Spalding High School Achievement

• You must choose two other subjects • It is important that you achieve a broad and balanced

curriculum • Consider the controlled assessment (coursework)

demands for the subjects you are interested in studying

• Choose subjects that you are good at and, very importantly, that you enjoy

How Do I Decide Which Option Subjects to Choose?

Spalding High School Happy

• If you have an idea about the career you would like to follow find out what GSCE subjects you may need

• Ask your subject teachers about your future chances in that subject

• Make your decisions based on what is the right choice for yourself (don’t choose a subject because your friends are going to opt for it!)

REMEMBER – a wide range of subjects at this stage will leave your options open for the future

Spalding High School Resourceful

• Starting tomorrow during lessons your subject teachers will talk to you about their GCSE courses

• Use your options booklet to read about the courses in detail and discuss them at home

• Use the websites listed in the booklet • You can talk to Y10 and Y11 students at the Options Fair • Your Form Tutor will help you to take on overall view of

your subject choices

Who can help me in making my option choices?

Spalding High School Education

• Seek advice in school about the careers aspect of your choices

• Talk to members of the pastoral staff, Mrs Abram, Mrs Waldron or Mrs O’Brien (Work Experience Coordinator)

• Attend the Year 9 Parents’ Meeting on Wednesday 10th February to confirm your decisions with subject teachers or deal with any remaining concerns you may have

• Talk to Mrs Jacqui Gilman (Lincolnshire County Council Careers Service) at the Year 9 Parents’ Meeting

Spalding High School Friendship

• Complete your name and form on the yellow preferences sheet included with you brochure

• Tick either Geography or History as your compulsory humanity

You then have a choice of two further subjects • Tick the two subjects you would like to take and put R

next to your reserve choice The form must be signed and dated and returned to your form tutor no later than Monday 22nd February 2016

Completing the Form

Spalding High School Honesty

• Subject Talks – Beginning 28th January in lessons • Options Fair – Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd

February at 1pm in the Hall • Parents’ Meeting – Wednesday 10th February at

4.20pm • Deadline for Options Forms – Monday 22nd February All option forms, signed by parents, should be

returned to Form Tutors by this date

Timetable of Events

Spalding High School Equality

Jacqui Gilman

Providing Information, Advice and Guidance for South Holland

What is the role of parents in making career decisions?

• “As their parent or carer, you are likely to be the single biggest influence on your child’s thoughts and feelings about their future career” http://www.careersadviceforparents.org

Choosing Options

Big Decision!! A lot of factors to consider!!

A few pointers to support your Daughter to help them decide…..

Helping your Daughter to choose

• Look at what interests them • Help to Identify skills and qualities • Consider subjects that they are good at

and can cope with • Look for a challenge and the possibility

of trying new subjects • Research to make up their own mind • Future career choices

Skills and Qualities

Communication Teamwork Initiative/Self-motivation Leadership

Networking

Planning/Organising Flexibility Time Management Creativity Computer Skills

Skills Calm Confident Responsible

Hardworking Adaptable Friendly

Qualities

Importance of the English Baccalaureate for future career choices “Academically focused GCSEs you don’t have to study these to go to University but they give you a good mix of GCSE subjects and keep your options open” Andy Garner Which University 2015. A wider choice of the traditional curriculum allows a wider choice at Post 16. What will be the entry requirements for Universities or employment in the future???

Job Information

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

www.teeninfolincs.co.uk

Career Videos

www.icould.com

www.careersbox.co.uk

UCAS – What Degree do I want to do and what Qualifications do I need for the

course www.ucas.com

Careers websites for young people and

parents.

www.brightknowledge.org - articles about different jobs. Practical information about pay, likes and dislikes about specific careers. www.teeninfolincs.co.uk – Information, help and advice for young people and their parents in the Lincolnshire area. Information about options at Post 16 and 18 and practical help with CVs. nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk – job profile information. www.icould.com – visual careers information. www.careersbox.co.uk – careers information by sector. www.parentalguidance.org.uk - careers information for parents. www.planitplus.net/careerzone - work experience advice. www.plotr.co.uk – support with career decision making. www.gov.uk/UKCES information about the Top 40 careers of the future. www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk – information about careers in Engineering for young people and parents. http://www.citb.co.uk/audience/parents-carers practical careers information for parents. www.futuremorph.org – information about STEM careers. www.ucas.com – information about Further and Higher Education courses www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/ information about Apprenticeships and other Gap Year opportunities after A Levels. www.apprenticeships.gov.uk – information about Apprenticeships and vacancies

• GCSEs qualifications are being reformed • New GCSEs in English Language and Literature and

Mathematics were introduced in September 2015 (Y9 have already started these new courses in addition to new courses in Science and Religious Studies)

• Most other subjects will start new courses in September 2016

• These new GCSEs will have a grading scale from 9 to 1

Reformed GCSEs

Spalding High School Teamwork

Spalding High School Caring

• There are other major changes in the way the new GCSEs are assessed

• In many subjects controlled assessment (coursework) has been removed

• This means that 100% of the assessment comes at the end of the course in the form of terminal examinations

Reformed GCSEs

Spalding High School Creative

• Subjects where controlled assessment has been removed: English language and Literature, Geography, History

• Subjects where the element of controlled assessment has been reduced: MFLs, PE, Food & Nutrition

• Subjects remaining the same: Maths, Science & RS (no controlled assessment) Art, Music & Drama (60 – 100% controlled assessment)

Reformed GCSEs

Spalding High School Determination

• ‘GCSE Maths is going to change and get more demanding for everyone. The volume of subject content has increased and the demand of that content is increasing too, with harder topics being introduced’

• The changes are designed to help students emerge from GCSE mathematics with a level of confidence and fluency that will provide a genuine foundation for the rest of their learning and working lives

GCSE Mathematics

Spalding High School Independent

• Closed book examinations • 19th century contexts • Extensive reading skills • Intensive reading skill • Memorising quotations / paraphrasing • Unseen texts

GCSE English Language and Literature

Spalding High School Excellence

• The levels pupils achieved in their Key Stage 2 SATS. • Age (years and months) • Sex • CATS scores (tests taken in Year 7)

• Achievement in subjects since pupils have been at SHS

Aspirational GCSE Target Grades

Spalding High School Supportive

Used to produce an ESTIMATE of GCSE performance (FFT GCSE estimate)

Spalding High School Confident

Subject Aspirational GCSE Target

Grade

FFT GCSE

Estimate

Current Working Grade

Effort

Religious Education

B B C E

Art & Design

A* B A AE

Geography A B A AE

German A* B A* AE

Spanish A* B B E

• O Outstanding • AE Above Expected • E Expected • BE Below expected • I Inadequate

Effort

Spalding High School Safe