Application BookletYear 8 Options 2018

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Introduction

Dear Year 8 studentsYou are now at the exciting stage of choosing which subjects you want to study during Key Stage 4. Over the coming weeks, a series of ‘Options’ assemblies and our formal Options Evening on 14th March will provide you with advice and guidance on the content of all subjects available for selection. You will need to think carefully about this process and ask plenty of relevant questions that will enable you to successfully select the right subject choices. The deadline for making your choices is March 21st. Below is a timeline of important dates.

It is important that you discuss your potential options with people you know well and who can help you make an informed choice. Clearly your parents or carers will be important in this process, however, other useful people include:

• your Form Tutor and other older students in your tutor group;• individual subject teachers and subject leaders; and• Mr D Wallace, our Careers Manager.

It is important that you choose subjects which you enjoy and are likely to be successful in; this should not be influenced by what your friends are doing or because you like a particular teacher. The government and other institutions, such as universities and colleges, are now placing an increased emphasis on EBacc subjects and recommend all students consider including History and/or Geography, and French and/or Spanish within their options selection. Please read the information on the EBacc qualification on page 4.

Please look carefully through the pages of this booklet and come along to our Options Evening on 14th March ready to ask lots of questions about the subjects that you have an interest in. Dr N Wood-Deputy Headteacher Mr R Williams-Progress Leader Year 8

From Dec 2017 Year 8 College Assemblies covering the process and courses will be ongoing until the deadline for applications.

March 7th, 5-7pm Parent Information Evening, about the GCSE curriculum, the grading structure, the options process and documents surrounding Year 8 Options.

Held in tutor rooms 5-7pm

14th March, 5-7pm Main Year 8 Options Evening. Parents and students can talk to teachers in all subject areas.

Feb - MarchDiscussions between form tutors and their Year 8 students about interests,

progress and potential options choices. All tutors must countersign students’ final options choices.

Feb - March All SPHERE lessons during this period will focus on options choices.

21st March Options deadline. All forms must have been returned to tutors.

May Options confirmation communicated to students.

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Why take Options in Year 8?

We believe taking options in Year 8, ready for Year 9, will improve your chances of success at GCSE.

Why?• The three year model offers more time to focus in all GCSE subjects. From 2015, the

government introduced a number of GCSE reforms that have been rolled out over time and affect each examination year (Year 11) differently. We believe the opportunity to study for three years will help students attain better outcomes in 2021.

• It has been shown that students who have a longer lead time on an unfamiliar subject before taking the exam are likely to have better exam outcomes.

• Students will have more time to spend exploring all areas of their course.• The GCSE structure as of 2015 is now linear, with exams at the end of the course in Year

11, rather than modular exams over a two year period. Having three years instead of two will allow for the preparation time required to ensure students are comfortable with the final exam structure and adequate time to prepare controlled assessment (coursework) where applicable.

• Year 9 will allow for preparation in each examined subject. Students will be given plenty of time to understand the concepts and skills involved and time to explore, expand and reflect on their areas of interest and engagement. Ongoing Pre–Public Examinations (mocks) in these three years will allow students to practice and develop exam techniques prior to final Public Examination in summer 2021

• Taking options in Year 8 is a commitment to four subject choices for the next three years. It is not expected that students will change their course during this time. Therefore, discussion and understanding with parents and teachers is vital.

We will endeavour to enable all students with their first choice of options, however, there are some circumstances where this may not be possible (due to timetabling etc.). Should this be the case, we will prioritise the reserve subject choices that you identify on your options form. Please consider these reserve choices very carefully and remember to include them on your form.

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The GCSE Exam Structure

GCSE exam structures are changing and students currently in Year 8 will be affected by on-going government reforms when they take their GCSEs in the summer of 2021. The following qualification features will then be in place:

• All examinations will be taken at the end of Year 11 and not in modular format throughout the course. All examinations will be entirely dependent upon examinations in summer 2021.

• Coursework or Controlled Assessment will be completely removed or decreased in most subject areas, although some will remain in Technical Award subjects.

• Exams will receive a grade structure ranging from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade available. This will replace the current A* to G grades in almost all subjects (this is outlined on each individual subject page within the subject pages booklet).

• Both English Language and Literature will be taught as part of the compulsory core GCSEs, alongside Maths, Combined Science, PE (Sports Science) and Personal Finance.

• Up to three non GCSE equivalent qualifications, known collectively as Technical Awards, will be recognised by the government – these are as rigorous as a GCSE subject and will have examinations as well as offering some practical and technical elements. In our subject offer, Technical Awards are likely to be available in Architecture, Business Studies, Food and Catering, Health and Social Care, ICT, and some areas of Sports Science.

Attainment 8Attainment of a student’s best eight subjects is now a key measure for judging student achievement. The ‘8’ relates to the number and type of qualification that students must achieve at the end of Year 11. Two of the qualifications must be GCSE English and GCSE Maths. Three further qualifications must come from GCSEs in the Sciences, MFL or Humanities. The final three qualifications can come from any other GCSE or approved BTEC qualifications.

Attainment 8 Measure

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

English Double-weighted*

Maths Double-weighted

EBacc Qualifications (3x Sciences, Geography, History and

MFL)

‘Open Group’ Remaining EBacc qualifications

and other approved qualifications (GCSEs, and Technical Awards)

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3

Attainment 8 Measure

*Higher score of English Language or English Literature double-weighted. Students will take both qualifications

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3

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The English Baccalaureate – EBacc

How to use this guide

The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is not a qualification but the acquisition of a group of highly valued facilitating academic subjects.

Acquisition of the EBacc requires students to successfully pass the existing ‘core subjects’ plus at least:

One Humanities subject (Geography or History)

and

One Language (French or Spanish)

This combination of subjects is becoming increasingly important and they are on the list of Russell Group ‘facilitating subjects’ at Post-16. If you have ambitions to consider studying at university, we would strongly recommend considering these subjects.

EBacc

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Types of Courses

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How to make your course choices

Vocational Subject Choice STAR Programme (Stratford Training and Apprenticeship Route) is only to be chosen following discussion (or by invitation). Inclusion within the STAR programme will occupy at least TWO option blocksYear 9 Pre-Vocational Training STAR programme

Year 10/11 Level 2 STAR programme or Hair and Beauty VTCT Level 2

Please note that in order to choose Hair and Beauty you have to complete the Year 9 STAR programme.

Changing Option ChoicesStudents are not expected to change their option choices once they have been agreed. In certain exceptional cases changes can be made, but these will be done in consultation with staff and parents and cannot occur after the first couple of weeks of the Autumn Term. It is therefore very important that you consider both your first choice options and your reserve choices very carefully.

Now choose four subjects (and two reserve choices) from the lists below and follow the instructions on the form at the back of this booklet

Compulsory Core Subjects

English Lang, English Lit, Maths (& Personal Finance) , Combined Science & Sports Science

Triple Science (EBacc) Health & Social Care

Architecture & Construction Hospitality & Catering

Art & Design iMedia

Business Studies Materials Technology

Dance Music

Drama Photography

Fashion & Textiles Sociology

French (EBacc) Spanish (EBacc)

Geography (EBacc)

History (EBacc)

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Core Subjects

Our compulsory core subjects are studied by all students.

General GuidanceIn addition to the examined core subjects, all students must participate in the non-examined SPHERE course outlined below. This is in line with government guidelines and consequently students are not able to ‘opt out’ of these lessons. This non-examined subject is aimed at providing students with a basic grounding in personal health, ethics and society. These are all important ‘employability skills’ for students.

SPHERE – Social, Personal, Health and Religious EducationAll students will participate in SPHERE over the next three years. The aim of the course is primarily concerned with helping students develop the skills and knowledge necessary for the transition from school into the adult world. Great emphasis is given to the careers aspects of the course and the development of each student’s readiness for the next step in their education, employment and training beyond sixteen.

Other aspects include an understanding of personal health, relationship education, citizenship and economic well-being as well as exploration of the primary religious characteristics and diversity and values of the United Kingdom. This course is intended to round the individual and support students as they move to adulthood and is not examined.

Career Education Guidance:Our nationally recognised career information and guidance is integrated into the curriculum in a number of ways. In particular, during the school year students will receive impartial career information through their SPHERE lessons. There will also be times when extra-curricular support is provided for specific courses, often through visiting professionals.

Extra-Curricular: GSCE Computer Science:Students have the opportunity to study GCSE Computer Science as an extra-curricular course. Delivered after school, this is a popular and successful course but will require commitment to after school study for the duration of the two year course. Further details will be made available in Year 9.

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Options Form - How to Complete

The core subjects of English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Combined Science and PE are all pre-selected for you, therefore you do not need to write them on your application form.

1. Indicate clearly your intention to select and study subjects that qualify for the EBacc certificate.

2. Select one subject from each of the four option blocks (A to D). Clearly identify your choice in the area provided.

3. Underneath each of your four subject choices, indicate clearly which is your first, second, third and fourth rank order preference. In the event of an option subject being unavailable, this information will allow us to consider carefully any changes that we may need to make on your behalf.

4. Indicate clearly two further reserve choices in the event that we are unable to meet all of your first choice options.

Please note: The STAR Programme can only be selected by prior agreement. Please discuss with Mr R Williams or Mr D Wallace.

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Options Form

Student Name…………………………………………………...................... Tutor Group…………….

Parent Signature.................................................................... Tutor Signature ............................

Please return to your form tutor by March 21st 2018

Do you want to complete the EBacc? (Please circle) YES / NO

If YES then you must select at least one language (highlighted green) and one Humanity (highlighted blue) to qualify for the EBacc.

Stratford upon Avon SchoolAlcester RoadStratford upon AvonWarwickshireCV37 9DHE: staff@stratfordschool.co.ukT:01789 268051

@StraUponAvonSchwww.stratforduponavonschool.com