1. Key Stage 4 Options 2017 Information for Year 8
Welcome!
From Aspiration to Success

2. Options 2017 Information for Parents
Why are changing to a 3-year Key Stage 4?
GCSEs are going to be more challenging
GCSEs will have more content than before
Many other schools are doing the same
To allow enough time to:
cover the content
go into enough depth
revisit content over the 3 years

3. Options 2017 Information for Parents
Our Principles
To provide a broad and balanced curriculum
High expectations and achievement for all students
To support and challenge all students to achieve their best
To equip students for life after school

4. Options 2017 Information for Parents
Qualifications:
GCSE = General Certificate in Secondary Education
BTEC = Business and Technology Education Council. These are vocational, practical and developed by the Education and Business sectors in partnership
Foundation Learning = Some students will take this course instead of French and Humanities. We will speak to you about this if we think your child would benefit from the course
New Grades 9-1 = The Government calls GCSEs grades 9-5 ‘good GCSEs’
Entry level: Grades below grade 1

5. C and D: Arts, Technology Sport, ICT,
A and B: French, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Citizenship
Core:
English, Maths, Science, Lifeskills and PE
2 subjects:
3 lessons each per week
Core:
English (5), Maths (5), Science (5),
Lifeskills (1), PE (3)
9 qualifications

6. a Modern Foreign Language
The English Baccalaureate: This is a Government measurement of success.
For the EBacc, students would need to achieve 9-5 grades in:
English Language
Maths
2 Sciences (GCSE)
AND
a Modern Foreign Language
History OR Geography.
Some universities like to see this on an application. A language qualification gives people an advantage when applying for jobs and courses.

7. Triple Science:
This leads to 3 separate GCSEs in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
This benefits young people looking to go on to study and work in areas like medicine and higher level engineering.
The Science Faculty will select students who have the potential to study and do well in three Sciences.

8. Blocks A and B: French Geography History Religious Studies Citizenship
BLOCK A
P or O (Preferred or Other)
French
and
Hist P 
Geog
There is an expectation that students in the Immersion French group will take French
BLOCK B RS
Citizenship

9. Blocks C & D:
Interested in Computer science? Tick the box
P and O in Block C and also
P and O in Block D to show your PREFERRED and OTHER choices
Block C:
Block D:
Art  P
Industrial Product Design
Drama
Product Design: Graphics
BTEC Music
Textiles
BTEC Dance
Food Technology  O
ICT
(Don’t make this
a P in both blocks or put ICT as an O)
BTEC Sport
(Don’t make this a P choice in both Blocks)
Triple Science
There will be 2 weeks of Lifeskills lessons for students to work through the Options booklet. The deadline for the Options form is Thursday 9th March