1. Birchwood High School your dreams, your future, our challenge YEAR 8 OPTIONS EVENING JANUARY 2016

2. WELCOME Dr Ingate Principal KEY STAGE 4 CURRICULUM & OPTIONS PROCESS Mr Connor Assistant Principal Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

3. WHAT ARE OPTIONS? All students in all secondary schools across the country take part in an options process. Options is the term used to describe the subjects you choose to study at GCSE level. Options allow you to make choices about what you study at school and what qualifications you will achieve at 16. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

4. WHY A THREE YEAR GCSE? Greater depth of learning – Students knowledge, skills and understanding can be developed over a longer, more sustained period of time. Greater personalisation – Students have earlier ownership of their educational pathway and research has shown that this is vital in securing highly motivated learners, good behaviour and improved outcomes. Greater level of challenge – Students are introduced to more complex ideas and material at a younger age to stimulate progression. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

5. EDUCATIONAL REFORM NEW GCSE’s From September 2016 all subjects will be running new GCSEs. Many subjects will become examination only with controlled assessment or coursework units being removed or slimmed down in value. There will also be a new grading system for GCSE. Grades will now run from 1 – 9 as opposed to the ‘old’ system of G – A*. It is fair to say that the new GCSEs are more challenging and require a greater depth of knowledge. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

6. EDUCATIONAL REFORM Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

7. EDUCATIONAL REFORM BTECs. Equivalent qualification to GCSE. Some eight million people can boast a BTEC qualification. Modular, Academic, practical, skills-based. As with GCSEs they have been redesigned to satisfy more challenging criteria. BTECs will be assessed and graded using a different system from GCSE. Provide excellent progression to Sixth Form, College and Apprenticeships. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

8. EDUCATIONAL REFORM ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE (E BACC) Not a separate qualification in itself but a government driven expectation. All schools nationally have to ensure increasing numbers of students are studying for E BACC subjects. Recognises good performance (Grade 5 or above) in the following: English (Language or Literature) Maths Science A Modern Foreign Language (French, Spanish or German) A Humanities Subject (History or Geography) Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

9. FUTURE PROGRESSION All students now have to stay in education or training until the age of 18. The majority of Birchwood students enter sixth form after GCSEs. This requires a strong set of results (GCSE grades averaging 4/5 or above) across all of your subjects. Most of these (80%) will also go on to university. Some students opt for college courses. These will require GCSE grades averaging 3/4 or equivalent BTEC grades. A smaller number of students will opt for apprenticeships. This number is likely to grow as the government have pledged to provide three million apprenticeships by 2020. Grade requirements will vary. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

10. THE CORE CURRICULUM ENGLISH All students will study for both English Language GCSE and English Literature GCSE. MATHSAll students will study Maths GCSE. SCIENCEThe majority of students will study Triple or Double Science GCSE. Some students will study Core Science GCSE. PEAll students will still receive compulsory core PE. This is not examined. SOCIAL STUDIESAll students will receive an hour a week. This includes statutory units on Religious Studies, Citizenship & PSHE. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

11. PATHWAYS EXPLAINED Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

12. Pathway 1 and 2 Students who are a capable of taking Triple or Double Science and are considered strong linguists will be expected to follow this pathway. In total they would study for 11 or 12 GCSE level qualifications and be expected to progress on to sixth form or equivalent to study A levels. Core Block EnglishMathsPE Triple or Double Science Social Studies History Geography French Spanish German Music Art Drama Dance French Statistics PE History Religious Studies Geography Media OR Film Studies R.M. OR Graphics OR Textiles Food ICT BTEC Business Studies BTEC Health & Social Care BTEC (Maximum two tech to be taken) Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

13. Pathway 3 Students who are able to do the Double Science course and at least one Humanities or Language subject. In total they would study for 10 or 11 GCSE level qualifications and be expected to progress on to sixth form, college or an apprenticeship. Core Block EnglishMathsPE Double ScienceSocial Studies History Geography French Spanish German Music Art Drama Dance French Statistics PE History Religious Studies Geography Media OR Film Studies R.M. OR Graphics OR Textiles Food ICT BTEC Business Studies BTEC Health & Social Care BTEC Construction BTEC (Maximum two tech to be taken) Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

14. Pathway 4 Students who require to work at a more manageable pace suited to their needs and should achieve at least 5 GCSE’s or their equivalent. They may also would benefit form work related learning later in the programme. Students will progress to college or onto apprenticeships. Target Average Level 4 Core Block EnglishMathsPE ScienceSocial Studies Music Art Drama Dance PE Religious Studies Media OR Film Studies Resistant Materials OR Textiles OR Graphics Business Studies BTEC Health & Social Care BTEC Construction BTEC ICT BTEC Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

15. THE OPTIONS FORM Options forms will be allocated to students on the different pathways. Subjects should be ranked in order of preference when making choices. A reserve subject must be considered carefully and treated as a viable choice. Some courses will be dependent on student numbers and some courses will have a limited capacity. This may therefore lead to changes to some allocations. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

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19. TIMELINE Friday 22 January- Year 8 interims. Friday 22 January- Option Booklets taken home. Tuesday 26 January- Options forms given out. Tuesday 26 January- Options Evening. Tuesday 1 March- Year 8 Parents Evening. Thursday 3 March - Deadline for completed options forms to be handed in. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

20. INFORMATION, ADVICE & GUIDANCE Parents and carers – What might you want to do in the future? Which subjects are you strongest at or enjoy the most? Which subjects do your parents think are your best? Older siblings – What was their experience of options choices? Is there anything they would have done differently? Form tutors – Advice and guidance on the options process. Subject teachers – These are the best people to speak to if you are unsure about your suitability for a subject or if you are still unsure of what a subject will be like. KS4 Options booklet – Contains all the information Careers guidance websites https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/youngpeople/Pages/Youngpeople.aspx Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge

21. MAKING SENSIBLE CHOICES Don’t panic! A successful combination. It’s about YOU, not your friends. It’s about the COURSE, not the teacher. The ‘reserve’ is important. Take your time – Thursday 3 March. Birchwood High Schoolyour dreams, your future, our challenge