YEAR 9 Options What Are Options Choices Year

YEAR 9 Options

What Are Options Choices? Year 9 students are given the opportunity to have choice about what they study in Year 10.

Why Choose? • Play to their strengths; • Make learning more enjoyable and relevant to their interests; • Prepare students for their future; college, 6 th form, university, careers etc.

Why Choose? ‘We were restricted in what we were allowed to learn. The things I wanted to do weren’t there, so I couldn’t be bothered’ Rod Ellingworth Coach, Team Sky

What do Year 10 s have to study? English Mathematics Science Physical Education

English and Maths Grades

Science Courses • Double Science (4 hours) (2 GCSEs) • Triple Science (7 hours) (3 GCSEs: Biology, Chemistry, Physics) Triple Science uses ONE option choice Students will get further information and guidance in their Science lessons.

How many option choices do students have?

Are there any rules about choices? The first choice must be one of: • Triple Science • History • Geography • French • Spanish • Computer Science

Are there any other requirements? English Baccalaureate (or EBacc) Recognises students who have gained a C grade or above in: • English • Mathematics • History or Geography • Science • A Foreign Language. Future of the EBacc ? Considering university ? Likely to get C grades in all the above?

Any other advice? • Be careful not to narrow choices too much. • This could affect future choices for further education and employment. • Talk to the teacher about which course is best where two are offered in one subject area (IT, Sport, Science)

• Languages French or Spanish at GCSE? Students must be studying these languages now to continue with them.

What choices can I make? Students will be able to choose FOUR of the following, which must include AT LEAST ONE in green: • ART AND DESIGN FRENCH MEDIA STUDIES BUSINESS GEOGRAPHY MUSIC PRODUCT DESIGN COMPUTER SCIENCE HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS SOCIOLOGY CREATIVE i. MEDIA HISTORY PHOTOGRAPHY DRAMA HOSPITALITY PHYSICAL EDUCATION SPANISH TRIPLE SCIENCE

What could choices look like? 1. 2. 3. 4. R. Triple Science French Spanish Geography History 1. 2. 3. 4. R. Computer Science Art Music Product Design Drama 1. 2. 3. 4. R. Spanish History Business Media Studies Physical Education 1. 2. 3. 4. R. Geography Drama Sociology Creative i. Media Photography

Key Dates Options Timeline Thursday 21 January Launch Assembly Thursday 21 January – Thursday 28 January Class teachers / Subject Leaders to talk to students about Year 10 courses Wednesday 27 January Options evening – named booklet to go home with parents Wednesday 27 January. Friday 29 January Mentors to discuss options with mentees and support completion of form Monday 1 February Form submitted (collected during tutor group session), signed by students Thursday 11 February Confirmation Form – This will be given to students to take home and will require parents’ signatures to confirm the options choices

OPTIONS FORM Name: Tutor group: BUSINESS COMPUTER SCIENCE CREATIVE i. MEDIA – Cambridge National DRAMA FRENCH GEOGRAPHY HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE - BTEC HISTORY HOSPITALITY ART AND DESIGN Tutor: MUSIC – BTEC / GCSE PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS PHOTOGRAPHY PHYSICAL EDUCATION PRODUCT DESIGN SOCIOLOGY SPANISH TRIPLE SCIENCE MEDIA STUDIES

OPTIONS FORM Name: Tutor group: BUSINESS 1 COMPUTER SCIENCE CREATIVE i. MEDIA – Cambridge National DRAMA FRENCH GEOGRAPHY HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE - BTEC 3 HISTORY HOSPITALITY ART AND DESIGN Tutor: 4 MUSIC – BTEC / GCSE R PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS PHOTOGRAPHY PHYSICAL EDUCATION PRODUCT DESIGN SOCIOLOGY 2 SPANISH TRIPLE SCIENCE MEDIA STUDIES

Support • Teachers • Subject leaders • Tutors Mr Morgan Mrs Devine Options booklet Ms Hutchinson Mrs Waring

Support • Carole Foster, our careers adviser Appointments can be made through Mrs Devine • Mr Handy, Assistant Head – Enterprise, Employability and Enrichment Email for careers or options advice: options@caludoncastle. co. uk

What our students say… Don’t pick it if you’re not going to put the work in. Work hard; give effort or you won’t get the grades you want My subjects will help me in the future Make sure you enjoy a subject before you pick it Choose subjects which will help you find a job, but don’t do something if you won’t put the effort in My subjects are lots of work, but fun and definitely worth it

Next Steps • Checking process: are all students doing an appropriate set of courses for them? • Viability of groups? • Can we make each student’s choices fit? Email for careers or options advice: options@caludoncastle. co. uk

Thank you • Please fill in your parent survey form