Yr9 (3 year) GCSE Pathways Crompton House – Yr8 options information evening KN Yr9 (3 year) GCSE Pathways

In Short – KS4 at Crompton House KN Students will follow 1 of 3 pathways Majority of students to select 4 options Each option will be taught in 5 hours per fortnight, for 3 years Students designated to have the necessary aptitude will be expected to follow a Language and at least one Humanities subject on the red pathway.

Timeline October – Options Assembly – Pupils  November/December – Science and Language tests to determine pathways / Separate Science suitability – details to be communicated in October December – First Year 8 report issued January – Personalised Options Pathway letter sent out January - GCSE ‘Taster lessons’ Tuesday 5th/12th February - Year 8 Parents Evening (by Bands) Wednesday 13th March – Options ‘Subject Information’ Evening – Options Information Booklet issued March – Second Year 8 report issued March 20th/21st – Options GUIDANCE from HOY/CTL/SLT Deadline for choices – Friday 5th April

Compulsory subjects English (Language and Literature) Maths Science (2 Types: Science or the option Separate Sciences) PE Religious Studies Yr9 Life Studies (PSHE/Citizenship and Work Related Learning) [Also supported through Form time in Yr9, 10 and 11]

Science explained Separate Sciences – 3 separate subjects/lessons – Biology, Chemistry, Physics. 3 separate GCSE Qualifications. Exams at the end of Year 11. 13 lessons per fortnight. Science GCSE – Lessons taught as Science, however Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics covered. 2 Qualifications – Science and Additional Science – exams at the end of Year 11. 8 lessons per fortnight.

Option Choices - Draft Fine Art and Art Multimedia (2 different options, only 1 per pupil can be studied) Business Studies Sociology Food and Nutrition French Geography German History Music PE Separate Sciences Design Technology Drama Computer Science

Personalised Pathways

Pathway Principles 1. To create appropriate pathways for different ability students - Challenge for those whom this is appropriate, whilst ensuring appropriate curriculum and support, for those who need it. 2. Students obtaining qualifications in all of the Ebacc subjects, where appropriate: in response to changing national priorities, employment, university admissions etc 3. To increase the quality and depth of learning in GCSE exam courses - by providing increased time for option subjects, we will be decreasing the pressure on teachers and students to get through the syllabus. This will give students longer to learn the fundamentals of each subject, encourage deep learning and help ensure that students make appropriate post 16 choices. - This is especially important given the increased academic, literacy and numeracy demands, of the new GCSEs

Red Pathway: 3 year KS4 4 options Must follow a Language AND Must follow History and/or Geography Students guided into appropriate, GCSE courses for remaining options, whilst maintaining a balance of subject types GCSE Separate Sciences option - offered to some, following the December tests (uses 1 option up) or they will follow Science GCSE

Yellow Pathway: 3 year KS4 4 options Will follow a language if appropriate Or will follow History and/or Geography if MFL not deemed appropriate. GCSE Separate Sciences option - offered to some, following the December tests (uses 1 option up) or they will follow Science GCSE Students guided into appropriate GCSE courses for remaining options

Blue Pathway: 3 year KS4 4/3 Options ‘Unlikely’ to follow a language Likely to do Science GCSE Some students selected by Maths and English to follow Communication Studies and/or Practical Maths Small group to follow level 1 BTEC Work Skills ICT BTEC also available (which can be level 1 or level 2) Students guided into GCSE and BTEC courses for remaining options

Languages In terms of the language to be chosen and studied at GCSE, this will be the language which has been studied for the previous 2 years.

Last year - How it worked in reality Red and Yellow pathways essentially offered the same choices, with the main difference being the choice to study only a language OR humanity on the yellow pathway. Therefore many students on the red and yellow pathways ended up studying similar subjects, in the same classes. Pupils on the Blue Pathway benefited from a choice of both academic subjects (often exam based) and the more vocational subjects (which often offer more project based assessment) December tests in Science and Languages are very important The vast majority of students were allocated their first choice of subjects, however this cannot be guaranteed. It is very important to put them in order of preference, if there are any issues Mr Holt (curriculum deputy) will contact you.

Our aim - personalisation

How to make your choices Which subjects do you enjoy? Which subjects do you seem to be good at / succeed in? A variety of types of subject is always advisable, don’t overburden yourself! Have you any idea what you want to do in the future? If so, do you need specific subjects for this? [Do not choose ‘what your friends are doing’ or ‘because you like a teacher’ (you may not get them next year!)]

Timeline October – Options Assembly – Pupils  November/December – Science and Language tests to determine pathways / Separate Science suitability – details to be communicated in October December – First Year 8 report issued January – Personalised Options Pathway letter sent out January - GCSE ‘Taster lessons’ Tuesday 5th/12th February - Year 8 Parents Evening (by Bands) Wednesday 13th March – Options ‘Subject Information’ Evening – Options Information Booklet issued March – Second Year 8 report issued March 20th/21st – Options GUIDANCE from HOY/CTL/SLT Deadline for choices – Friday 5th April

Any questions? Please see myself, Mr Holt or Mr Newell at the end, or alternatively e-mail me at: In addition to the handout, this presentation will be placed on the school website. r.smith@cromptonhouse.org