1. Welcome to Year 8
Options evening

2. Mr Cooke Vice Principal

3. The school’s aspiration:

4. BE YOURSELF - YOU’RE SPECIAL - UNIQUE

5. Why a Three Year Key Stage 4?
60 hours more per option subject
Deeper learning and engagement
Better outcomes
Earlier opportunities to think about the future
GCSE RPE by the end of Year 10

6. Inspiring excellence, fulfilling potential
New KS4 courses are more demanding
designing the options with this in mind ……..
Sufficient stretch and challenge
Sufficient support
Appropriate learning styles and course make up
………..leads to different pathways

7. Miss Nightingale Vice Principal

8. What does the Key Stage 4 curriculum look like?
All students continue with certain subjects as part of the National Curriculum (Core Curriculum)
English
Maths
Science
Personal Development (PD)
Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (RPE)
Core Physical Education (PE)

9. In addition, students choose a number of options
Optional subjects
In addition, students choose a number of options
Each option subject has 4 ppf in Years 9 and 10 and 5ppf in Year 11
The list of options and details regarding the subjects can be found in the Options Booklet
Most options lead to GCSE or equivalent accreditation

11. Year 8 Options Pathways
No one pathway is better or worse than another, they are just different journeys through KS4.

12. Why have Pathways? To inspire excellence and to fulfil potential
To stretch and challenge all pupils
To support those of who need more support
To meet the learning styles of all our learners
To meet the more demanding nature of the KS4 courses
To ensure pupils do not ‘drop’ subjects throughout KS4
To increase the number of pupils studying EBACC subjects

13. How does this affect Your Son/Daughter
Pathways will be decided based on prior data (KS2), potential (CATs & NGRT), current performance, teacher recommendations and FT recommendations. This will then be looked at by Mrs Nichols and Miss Nightingale to make the final decisions.
Your son/daughter will only receive the booklet for the pathway which has been chosen for them.
Some pupils will have a choice if they are on the cusp of two pathways through a discussion with Miss Nightingale (already taking place).
Nothing is set in stone, but will need to be discussed. So if they want to do a subject not on their pathway this can happen and is not a reason for changing pathways.
All pupils will have a 121 options interview.
A second interview will be on offer for those who wish to discuss subjects not on their pathway (parents are welcome).
No one pathway is better or worse than another they are just different journeys through KS4.

14. The Green Pathway
One option choice taken with two extra English and two extra Maths lessons with your English and Maths teachers
One Option given to Foundation Learning (ASDAN in Year 9 and College in Years 10 & 11
Two other free choices
Recommended that you take History or Geography
Recommended that you take at least one vocational/creative subject

15. What are vocational awards?
- much less reliant on an exam and more on continuous assessment
- related to employment in a particular ‘sector’
- recommended for progression to further education in that sector

16. Our Vocational awards BTEC Sport - Hospitality and Catering
BTEC Performing Arts (Dance/Drama
BTEC Business
ICT iMedia

17. The Pink Pathway Combined (Double Science) Three other free choices
A mixture of vocational and academic courses
Compulsory to take either History, Computer Science, Geography or Languages
A recommendation to take at least one vocational/creative subject

18. The English Baccalaureate
‘Awarded’ when students secure at least grade 5 in;
English
Maths
Science (Combined or Triple)
A modern language
History or Geography

19. The Yellow Pathway
One option choice taken with the language you currently study
One Option given a humanity subject (History A or B or Geography)
Two other free choices
A choice of other vocational and academic subjects
Recommendation that you take at least one vocational/creative subject.

20. The Black Pathway
One option choice taken with the language you currently study
One option given a humanity subject (History A or B or Geography)
One option to take Triple Science
One other free choice
Recommendation to take a vocational/creative subject.

21. Combinations you can’t do…
Can’t do Drama AND Dance
Can’t do more than ONE Art option
Can’t do History A AND History B
Can’t study a language you have not already studied
Can’t do a vocational AND a GCSE in the same subject (ie: GCSE PE and Sport BTEC)

22. How do you know which subjects are available on your pathway?
Pathway map on page 7 of the options booklet
Options form
Tags on each subject page of the options booklet

23. Our Recommendation
For all students to choose at least one vocational or creative subject
For Green Pathway students to chose History or Geography

24. Completing your Option Forms
Please ensure you read through the instructions carefully
Numbers are required to show choices
‘R’ is required to indicate reserve choices
Deadline is 28th February 2018
Options confirmation letters will go out on 29th June 2018

25. Mrs Nichols Head of Year 8

26. Making choices Information and guidance is key to making good choices
Parents and carers
Form tutors
Subject teachers
Careers websites indicated at the back of the KS4 Options booklet
Careers library and department

27. Guidance for making choices
Students should try to select courses from as
many different disciplines as possible
2. They can only choose one of the two History
courses
When choosing a language, students should choose the language they are currently studying
They can only choose one Art and Design course
5. They can only choose one of the Music courses
Explain why there are rules- broad and balanced curriculum + logistics

28. How should your Son/Daughter choose?
Think, discuss
Assembly presentations
Individual interview
Read the booklet
Come to Options Evening
Talk to your tutor

29. Bad reasons for choosing?
My friends are doing it
I want the same teacher in Year 9 as I had in Year 8
Last minute rush
I think I ought to do this subject (but don’t really know why)
The subject sounds good
My older sister did it

30. Important dates
30th January Options Assembly 31st January Options Evening 22nd February Parents Evening 5th – 23rd February Individual interviews 28th February Option forms handed in 29th June Draft options choice confirmation (by letter)
Parents evening can offer vital guidance as to a students ability to attain well in any given subject

31. Students were given their booklets this afternoon
They were also given their option choice sheet for the pathway chosen for them.
Please remember this is not set in stone and interviews may mean a few changes occur or other options subjects are made available.

32. Subject Workshop sessions
Will be held in the classrooms in Lower School
Timetables are posted in Lower School and in the PAC foyer
You can attend up to 6 workshop sessions
Senior members of staff will be available in Lower School if you have any further questions
There are also copies available on the tables in the foyer
Each session will last approximately 15 mins