Year 9 Options presentation

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Year 9 Options presentation

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Year 9 Option Choices 2008
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This presentation is designed to help students
and their parents to understand what is involved
when Year 9 students are choosing their optional
subjects for September 2008
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Year 10 Curriculum 2008-09
Everyone does the Compulsory core subjects
There are 5 option choices
Something needs to be chosen from each column
V,W, X, Y, Z.
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Which Science?
The first decision to think about is which
Science to choose? There are 3 choices -
1. Single Science Core Science only 5
options in V,W,X,Y,Z. Leads to 1 GCSE in Science
2. Double Science Core Science Double
Science in V 4 options in W,X,Y,Z. Leads to 2
GCSEs in Combined Science. (most students will
do this choice)
3. Separate Sciences Core ScienceTriple
Science in V W 3 options in X,Y,Z. Biology,
Chemistry Physics studied separately leading to
3 GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry Physics.
(students keen on Science who are considering
taking a Science subject at an Advanced Level
should consider this choice)
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GCSE, BTEC or Entry Level?
The next thing to consider is which courses are
best suited to the ability level of the student -
GCSE Courses Traditional courses studied for
5 hours a fortnight and usually assessed with a
combination of coursework (typically 20 of final
mark) and terminal examinations.
BTEC Courses More vocational in content and
greater emphasis on continuous assessment.
Studied for 9 or 10 hours a fortnight over two
option lines. Certificate awarded equivalent to
2 GCSEs.
Entry Level Courses Offered to students who
would, at this stage in their academic career,
may have difficulties with the demands of the
other courses
We can help with this by providing an Advice
Sheet which indicates what we think should be the
types of courses chosen. You can choose a
combination of these courses if you like.
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Which Pathway?
You now need to consider which pathway to choose
- the combination of Science and other subjects
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Now look at the options
BTEC Courses
X
GCSE equivalent courses
X
X
X
X
Entry level courses
Note if you pick a BTEC course in one line you
must also choose it in the other line it appears
in
Now you need to pick one thing from each line
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Making the decisions
Who can help?
Subject teachers they know their students
well and have an idea of their capability
Heads of Subject they know what is needed to
be successful doing a subject
Senior Staff book a personal interview at the
Year 9 Options Evening
Form Tutors they have the interests of their
students at heart and will be honest
David Hunt (Career Wales West) he knows lots
about qualifications Careers
Mr Owen Mr Messenger they know Year 9
students very well
Parents/Guardians they have been about a lot
longer and know more than Year 9
What else can help?
Subject Descriptors there is an information
sheet on every subject, including the Core
Subjects. They are available from Mr
Scholfield/Mr Rees, Heads of Subject or can
be taken off the Options part of the School
web-site. (Word format)
Careers leaflets you can get these off David
Hunt
The Internet you can research lots about
Careers qualifications on the Net
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Commonly asked questions

• How will I know which courses are best for me to
  study?
• the Advice sheet produced for each student is a
  good guide
• talk with Senior Staff and David Hunt at the
  Year 9 Options Evening
• talk with Subject teachers and Heads of Subject

Can I choose BTEC and GCSEs? Yes but be
careful to choose the BTEC course in 2 lines
Is there any possibility of moving a course from
one line into another? No the combination of
subjects in each line is fixed now. We would not
be able to offer a subject in another line.
Can you choose the same subject twice in
different lines? No there is no point because
the lessons will be the same in each case
Can you do the same subject at GCSE and also BTEC
level? No they are too similar to one another
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Advice Sheet
We have produced an individual Advice Sheet for
every member of Year 9 which calculates an
Option score for them based on their
performance in their subjects to-date. From this
we have suggested which combination of courses we
would advise them to choose. There are four
levels of advice
Any combination of GCSE and BTEC courses these
students are able enough to choose anything they
want to off the Options Form
A combination of GCSE and at least one BTEC
course these students may find taking 4 or 5
GCSEs for their options very difficult and may
do better limiting the GCSEs they take
A combination of BTEC and Entry Level courses
these students will find GCSE courses very
difficult and, unless there is a special reason,
we would advise against taking GCSEs
Entry Level courses these students will find
the demands of both GCSE and BTEC courses too
difficult. Mr Messenger should be consulted over
their Option choices.