1. Making the Right Choices 15th March 2018
Year 9 Options Evening
Making the Right Choices
15th March 2018

2. The Core Subjects English and English Literature (2 GCSEs) Mathematics
Combined Science(2 GCSEs)
Physical Education (Non examination)
Religious Education and Citizenship (via tutor time and drop down days).

3. Other Subjects Offered:
GCSE Art and Design: Fine Art
GCSE History
GCSE Art and Design: Photography
DIDA ICT: Digital Applications
GCSE Business
BTEC Media Studies
GCSE Citizenship Studies
GCSE Music
BTEC DT Award in Construction
GCSE Design Technology - Timbers
GCSE Drama
GCSE Design Technology - Textiles
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
GCSE Spanish
GCSE Geography
GCSE Sport Science
BTEC Health and Social Care
GCSE Separate Sciences
GCSE Statistics

4. New Government Recommendations:
All pupils study a minimum of 8 GCSE/BTEC subjects.
The English Baccalaureate is a measurement upon which secondary schools will be judged nationally.
All pupils will study a Modern Foreign Language by 2020.
All pupils will receive an Attainment 8 Score which will be calculated using 8 GCSE/BTEC grades.
All pupils will have an individual Progress 8 Score upon which secondary schools will also be judged nationally.

5. The English Baccalaureate
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a school performance measure which focuses on core academic subjects (Grades 9-5). The EBacc is made up of:
English
Mathematics
History or Geography
The Sciences
A Language
*The Government have stated that by 2025, 90% students will study the Ebacc subjects.

6. Why is it important now?
Some 6th Forms - particularly those attached to a school are already requesting the EBacc package as part of their entry criteria.
Some Universities, especially the Russell Group Universities, request the EBacc package as part of their entry criteria.
Increasingly, certain career paths are expecting that the EBacc subjects have been studied.

7. The English Baccalaureate at Emerson Park
All Students will study:
English Language
Mathematics
Combined Sciences (two qualifications) plus either
Geography, History, MFL, Separate Sciences
*We are not insisting that all students study a language

8. Child A
Child B
Child C
Child D
English
Mathematics
Combined Science
Triple Science
Choice 1: Geography
Choice 1: History
Choice 1: Spanish
Choice 2: Spanish
Choice 2: Textiles
Choice 2: Sports Science
Choice 2: History
Choice 3: Art
Choice 3: Construction
Choice 3: Food
Choice 3: Geography
Choice 4: Music
Choice 4: Geography
Choice 4: Drama
Choice 4: Spanish
English Literature

9. The Attainment 8 measure
12/4/2015
The Attainment 8 measure
The Attainment 8 score is an average point score across eight subjects.
English and Maths are worth double so the calculation is averaged using 10 subjects.
For the calculation, subjects studied as 3, 4 and 5 must be a combination of the EBacc subjects.
If a pupil does not have an EBacc subject included in their choices, their score for box five will be 0. This will decrease their average point score, resulting in a lower Attainment 8 score.
If a pupil studies less than 8 subjects, their average point score will still be calculated in the same way as every other pupil, resulting in a lower Attainment 8 score.

10. ‘Open’ qualifications1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
English
Maths
Science
History
Geography
Spanish
Choice 2
Choice 3
Choice 4
Ebacc qualifications
‘Open’ qualifications
For the calculation, subjects studied as 3, 4 and 5 must be a combination of the EBacc subjects.
If a pupil studies less than 8 subjects, or does not have an EBacc subject for number 5, their average point score will lower.
All pupils study 9 qualifications at Emerson Park (including two Sciences).
All pupils must study either History, Geography, Spanish or a third Science.

11. The Attainment 8 measure
All pupils nationally will be measured against the same criteria – their best 8 GCSE grades (including an ebacc subject) will be added together and averaged.
GCSE targets are set with the average Attainment 8 score in mind. These targets are based on prior attainment at Key Stage 2.
It is important for pupils to continue to study a broad and balanced curriculum at KS4.

12. The Progress 8 measure
This is a new measurement that the government will use to judge how well schools are performing nationally.
The Progress 8 score measures individual grades achieved in the final GCSE examination against the individual target grade. The progress score is the difference between the two.
The aim is to achieve a positive Progress 8 score because this shows that pupils have performed better than expected. It is possible to achieve a negative Progress 8 score.
The Progress 8 score is more important for the school than the individual pupil.
The Progress 8 score is calculated using the same subjects as the Attainment 8 score.

13. What Happens Next? Read the booklet together.
Careers Officer is available for further guidance.
Options Interviews – Monday 19th-29th March 2018.
Deadline for the green form is Wednesday 18th April

14. When making choices…. Do Not……
Select subjects based on friendship groups.
Select subjects just because the teacher is well liked.
Select subjects just because you haven’t studied them before.

15. When making choices…. Do…….
Think about the subjects for which you have the greatest aptitude.
Think about the subjects you enjoy and will be enthusiastic about.
Think about which subjects will be of greatest value for the future.