with choices in year 9

8/14/2019 With Choices in Year 9

1/7

Contents

with choices in Year 9

In Year 9 your son or daughter will be making a choice about which subjects and

courses to study in Years 10 and 11. They will need to choose which GCSE subjects

they want to take and, depending on what their school oers, they may also be able to

choose rom a range o other courses as well - such as the new Diploma.

This newsletter aims to help you support your son or daughter with the choices they

will have in Year 9.

Introduction

www.connexions-bs.co.uk

Introduction What can

my teenager

study?

Dierent ways

o learning

What does

my teenagers

school oer?

Whats new? 7 sources o

support or

your teenager

What happens

ater Year 11?

You might also

like to know

about

Where can I

fnd out more?

Page1

Page 3 Page 3 Page 5

Page 6 Page 6 Page 7

Page 2 Page 3

1


2/7



The main academic and vocational courses that may be on oer at your teenagers school include:

Not all schools will oer the same courses, so

your son or daughter will need to check what is

available rom their school beore they make a

decision. There are some compulsory subjects

that everyone will have to take, and other

subjects which your son or daughter can

choose rom.

Everyone has to take English, maths and science.

In addition there are some other subjects that they

will need to study but may not have to take exams

in. These include inormation communication

technology (ICT), careers education, citizenship,

physical education (PE), religious studies and

work-related learning.

GCSEs are oered by all schools in a variety o subjects,

including Applied GCSEs in vocational subjects and short

GCSE courses.

Entry level courses can help students to progress onto GCSEs,

or other qualifcations, and are available in a range o subjects.

Some schools may oer NVQs, which are work-related

qualifcations, involving hands-on learning and work

placements.

VRQs include BTECs, City & Guilds and OCR National courses.

They are based around broad areas o work such as art and

design or business studies. VRQs also include a range o shorter

vocational courses taken alongside GCSEs.

The Diploma is a new qualifcation or 14-19 year olds, which

combines classroom learning with work-related and practical

experience see Whats new? on page 3 or more inormationabout The Diploma.

I your son or daughter is not yet ready to study one o the

courses above due to learning difculties or disabilities, they

may be able to take pre-entry level qualifcations at their

school.

GCSE

(General Certifcate o

Secondary Education)

Entry level qualifcations

NVQ

(National Vocational

Qualifcations)

VRQ

(Vocationally Related

Qualifcations)

The Diploma

Pre-entry level qualifcations

To fnd out more about compulsory and optional subjects, including new courses,

visit www.connexions-direct.com/whichwaynow and click on Choose the right options.

What can my teenager study?

2


3/7



Vocational courses, such as NVQs, BTECs, and

OCR Nationals, oer a chance to learn work-

related skills through hands-on practical learning,

projects and real workplace experience.

GCSEs cover general education subjects such

as English, maths, modern oreign languages,

science and history. The balance o coursework

and exams is changing - see the Whats new?

(below) or details.

Some courses, like The Diploma (see Whats

new?), combine classroom and hands-on

learning.

It may be possible to take a mixture o GCSEs

alongside vocational qualifcations such as an

OCR National, or a BTEC.

As well as choosing the subjects they want to take, your son or daughter will also need to think about theway they preer to study and learn.

Over the next ew years, the government is making some changes to the education system or 14-19 year

olds. These changes are designed to give young people more choice and to help them learn in the waythat suits them best.

The Local Area Prospectus

www.youchoose14-19.co.uk is a website

eaturing a searchable database o all the

14-19 courses on oer in Birmingham and

Solihull schools, colleges, and work-based

learning providers.

Select Birmingham or Solihull on the Where do

you want to go? webpage and then click on

14-19 PROVIDERS. You will then be able to

search or your teenagers school to fnd out

whats on oer.

School options evenings

You should be invited to attend an options

evening with your son or daughter at their school.

This will give you a chance to talk with teachers

or careers co-ordinators about what is available.

The school may also provide an options booklet

with details o all the courses and subjects

oered.

There are two main ways your son or daughter can fnd out which courses their school oers:

Dierent ways o learning

What does my teenagers school oer?

Changes to GCSEs

The main change to GCSEs, that will aect your

son or daughter, is the introduction o internal

assessment in place o course work. From

September 2009, initially in nine general subjects

including English literature, geography and history,

there will no longer be any coursework set and

marked by teachers. Instead, there will be

controlled assessments set by exam boards and

supervised by teachers. The coursework element is

being removed entirely rom GCSE maths.

In more practical and applied subjects like art and

design and music there will still be coursework

assignments but with stronger controls and more

supervision rom teachers.

Ask your son or daughters school about the

balance o coursework and exams or individual

subjects.

Whats new?

3


4/7



This is a new qualifcation or 14-19 year olds,

which combines classroom study with work

placements and hands-on experience.

In Years 10 and 11, the Diploma can be studied

alongside GCSEs at two levels:

Foundation Diploma - a level 1 qualifcation

comparable to 5 GCSEs at grades D-G

Higher Diploma - a level 2 qualifcationcomparable to 7 GCSEs at grades A*-C.

From September 2009 there will be Diplomas on

oer in ten broad subject areas:

Business, Administration and Finance

Construction and the Built Environment

Creative and Media

Engineering

Environmental and Land-based

Hair and Beauty

Hospitality

Inormation Technology

Manuacturing and Product Design

Society, Health and Development

However, as the Diploma is a new qualifcation, it

is not yet available everywhere. Check whats on

oer at your teenagers school by using the online

Local Area Prospectus www.youchoose14-19.co.uk

or their schools options booklet.

The September GuaranteeThe September Guarantee is a key part o theGovernments plan to reduce the number o

NEET young people (not engaged in education,

employment or training). It is the guarantee o an

oer o a place in learning or every young person

in Year 11. This means that your daughter or son

should be oered a learning place by the end o

September 2011 (to commence no later than the

beginning o the January 2012 term).

The guarantee has been extended to 17 yearolds to give those who enrol on one year or short

courses, or who leave the activity they chose

when leaving school, urther opportunities to

engage in learning. A place in learning includes

ull-time education, an Apprenticeship and e2e

(Entry to Employment).

The Diploma

Whats new? - continued

4


5/7



1 Your local Connexions Service

Your local Connexions Service provides

inormation, advice and guidance to all young

people between the ages o 13 and 19, or up

to 25 or those with a learning difculty and/or

disability.

Your teenager will have access to a Connexions

personal adviser (PA) while they are at school.

Their Connexions PA can help with:

Choosing subjects and courses in Year 9and beyond

Finding out about career ideas

Personal problems or worries.

Once they have let school, they can still get

help rom a Connexions PA through their local

Connexions Centre. You can fnd contact details

or Connexions Centres at


(click on Contact us in the let-hand menu).

2 Support or teenagers with learningdifculties/disabilities (LDD)

From Year 9, young people with LDD will get

help to start making plans or the end o Year 11

- this is called Transition Planning. Our booklet

Planning or Transition will help you to support

your teenager during their move rom school to

adult lie.

You may be able to get a copy o Planning or

Transition rom your son or daughters school.

You can also visit www.connexions-bs.co.ukand click on Parents and Carers then Young

people with learning difculties/disabilities

to read the webpages or download a copy o

the booklet.

3 Year 9 Choices Card

This is a handy card or your teenager to

keep, which tells them where to fnd important

inormation about their Year 9 options. The card

was delivered to schools in early November.

4 Choices @ 14 webpages

The Choices @ 14 pages on our website

www.connexions-bs.co.uk are ull o inormation

to help your teenager with their Year 9 options.

The inormation on the webpages are available in

a printable booklet ormat Choices @ 14 Guide.

Click on Download our publications. There is

also a larger print edition o the Choices @ 14

Guide.

5 Careers Sotware

As a Birmingham or Solihull student your son or

daughter can access careers sotware programs

Kudos Online and E-CLIPS through our website

www.connexions-bs.co.uk (click on Careers

sotware). They will need codes rom their

school to log on to the programs and should

ask their school or details. These programs can

help your teenager to fnd out more about which

careers might suit them and get actsheets about

hundreds o dierent jobs.

6 The Local Area Prospectus

www.youchoose14-19.co.uk is a website

eaturing a searchable database o all the

14-19 courses on oer in Birmingham and

Solihull schools, colleges, and work-based

learning providers.

7 Which way now?

www.connexions-direct.com/whichwaynoweatures quizzes, tools and checklists to help with

Year 9 options. Which way now? is also available

as a ree printed booklet.

7sources o support or your teenager

5


6/7



Beyond 16

Includes inormation about career planning,

education, employment, Apprenticeships

and e2e.

What next? Special choices post 16

These pages contain inormation about the

choices at 16 or young people with learning

difculties/disabilities.

Intouch with your teenagers uture

This is our newsletter or parents and carers

o young people in Year 11, available as web

pages or a printable download. Click on

Parents and Carers and then Parents oYear 11 students your teenagers uture.

Getting a Saturday, holiday or part-time job

Your son or daughter may want to start a

Saturday, holiday or part-time job while theyre at

school. A part-time job can be a great way to gain

work experience but there are some rules about

how many hours they can work.

To fnd out more visit www.connexions-bs.co.uk

and click on Parents and Carers ollowed by

Parents o Year 11 students your teenagers

uture and then selectyoung people and

employment.

The World o Work

The world o work is changing all the time. One

way you can support your teenager to prepare or

these changes is by helping them to fnd out more

about job trends.

To help you, and your son or daughter, fnd out

more about these trends there is a new World o

Work section on our website


This new World o Work section has all you

need to know about whats happening in 15 main

jobs sectors including; Business, Administration

and Finance, Creative and Media, Engineering,

Hospitality, IT, Retail Business, Society, Health

and Development, and Science. You will be able

to fnd out about the jobs on oer, skills and

interests you need, local job trends, and how to

get started in a career, in each o these sectors.

Check them out by visiting:

www.connexions-bs.co.uk and clicking on the

World o Work.

Remember, whatever kind o career your son ordaughter is interested in, most employers are

looking or people with good English, maths, ICT,

team work and communication skills.

What happens ater Year 11?

You might also like to know about...

6

Your teenager will study the options theyve chosen in Year 9 throughout Years 10 and 11. Ater Year

11 they will have more choices to make. I your son or daughter has an idea o what they want to do

ater Year 11, it can help them make the right choices now!

There are three sections o our website www.connexions-bs.co.uk where you can fnd out more

about Year 11 choices:


7/7



Try some o these websites or more advice and resources aimed at parents and carers.

2008 Birmingham City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

The inormation contained in this publication was as accurate as possible at the time o being produced.

www.connexions-direct.com/parentcarer

The parents and carers webguide to all the

options. Click on Choices in Year 9 or lots o

inormation on Year 9 options. I you are looking

ahead there are also pages or 16+ and 18+

choices, as well as a guide to supporting your

teenager. Parents and Carers - Guide to options

14-19 is also available as a printed booklet.

www.parentscentre.gov.uk

Covers a range o topics or parents and carers,

including making choices at key decision times.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/parents

Inormation on everything rom the new Diploma

and the National Curriculum, to fnance and

money.

www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u

Case studies and articles on hundreds o dierent

job titles on the jobs4U searchable job database.

www.birmingham.gov.uk/parents.bcc

Birmingham City Council webpages explaining

their services or parents and amilies.

www.solihull.gov.uk

Solihull Council website.

Where can I fnd out more?

7

Special support or parents/carers o young people with disabilities or learning difculties.

www.connexions-bs.co.uk (click on Parents

and Carers in the let-hand menu). From the

parents and carers page click on Young people

with learning difculties/disabilities in the let-hand

menu. This section o the site is or parents and

carers o young people, aged 13 to 19, who have

a Statement o Special Educational Needs.

www.direct.gov.uk/DisabledPeople

Government site outlining the rights o people with

disabilities, their education and available benefts.

www.parentpartnership.org.uk

Provides inormation, advice and support or

parents o young people with special needs.

with choices in year 9

Documents