1. THE 13-19 CURRICULUM Welcome to the Year 8 Curriculum Evening
Personalised Learning at SWCHS
Welcome to the Year 8 Curriculum Evening
Tuesday 16 January, 2018

2. Year 8 Curriculum Evening
Mrs Jane Watts
Year 8 Achievement
Coordinator

3. Year 8 Curriculum Evening
Mr Graham Oxborrow
Director of Curriculum

4. Aims
To outline key national developments that have influenced the curriculum at SWCHS
To outline the structure of the Key Stage Four curriculum for Years 9 to 11
To introduce the options courses available and the four ‘Learning Pathways’
To summarise key dates within the options process

5. National Context Key Stage 4:
Introduction over 3 years of ‘linear’, harder GCSE courses
Additional content in most subjects, notably Maths (+30%)
New grading structure: A*-G replaced by 9 (top) to 1 (lowest) ; top grade 9 is harder to achieve than A*!

6. National Context Key Stage 4:
Students must continue in education or training up to age 18, and to continue study of English and/or Maths if they do not attain a ‘4’ in Year 11
Practical skills-based courses eg Btecs include examination component and are harder

7. National Context Key Stage 3:
New, less prescriptive National Curriculum
Some new demands eg computing, cooking!
Key Stage 5:
Progressive introduction of linear A Levels
‘Stand alone’ AS Levels
Withdrawal of some ‘duplicating’ courses
Post-16 funding cuts

8. National Context Key Stage 4: A time of unprecedented change
Rightly or wrongly, the net effect of government policy is to drive schools towards a more traditional, academic curriculum.
Year 8 is third cohort through all ‘reformed’ courses - lessons have been learned!

9. Personalised Learning
KS4 courses consist of CORE and PERSONALISED elements:
Post-2015 Core: Taught Periods
English and English Literature 7
Maths
Science (9 in Year 9)
PE (4 in Year 9)
RPE
Personalised Learning Pathway 20
Total 50

10. Personalised Learning in the Core
In Science:
‘Triple Science’ sets will work towards completing 3 GCSEs in separate sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) in Year 11
Most other students will start a course working towards GCSE Combined Science – the equivalent of 2 GCSEs in Science covering content in Biology, Chemistry and Physics

11. Personalised Learning
Subjects available to personalise learning:
Expressive Arts: Art; Art 3D Design; Drama; Music
Humanities: Geography; History
Languages: French; German; Spanish; Latin (if course started in Y8)

12. Personalised Learning
Subjects available outside the core (Technology):
Engineering or ‘Metals’
Food
Graphics
‘Timbers’ (‘Resistant Materials’)
Textiles
Some combinations of Technology and Art subjects are not allowed

13. Personalised Learning
Subjects available outside the core:
Vocational and Computing: CiDA; Computer Science; Business; Applied Health & Social Care
Physical Education: PE; Dance

14. Personalised Learning
Personalised Learning is offered as a choice of 4 ‘Learning Pathways’, each worth the equivalent of at least 4 GCSEs and taught in 20 periods of time. Students choose from:
Pathway 1 = 1 GCSE from each of Expressive Arts, Humanities, Languages and Technology

15. Personalised Learning
Personalised Learning is offered as a choice of 4 ‘Learning Pathways’, each worth the equivalent of at least 4 GCSEs and taught in 20 periods of time. Students choose from:
Pathway 2 = 2 Expressive Arts or 2 Humanities or 2 Languages (including Latin) or 2 Technologies (where allowed), plus 2 from two areas not chosen as specialism

16. Personalised Learning
Personalised Learning is presented as a choice of 4 ‘learning pathways’, each worth the equivalent of at least 4 GCSEs and taught in 20 periods of time. Students choose from:
Pathway 3 = 1 from Business or Dance or Health & Social Care or CiDA or Computing or PE, plus 3 from Expressive Arts, Humanities, Languages or Technology (one from each of three Areas is encouraged but two from one Area might be possible)

17. Personalised Learning
Personalised Learning is presented as a choice of 4 ‘learning pathways’, each worth the equivalent of at least 4 GCSEs and taught in 20 periods of time. Students choose from:
Pathway 4 = 2 from Business or Dance or Health & Social Care or CiDA or Computing or PE, plus 2 from Expressive Arts, Humanities, Languages or Technology (but not two from any one area)

18. Personalised Learning
There are some additional constraints on combinations of Technology and Art courses – please read the Options Booklet carefully when published

19. Personalised Learning
The idea is to maintain breadth and balance
Nationally and locally, schools are moving to a more academic curriculum; at SWCHS we will therefore require students to opt for at least one English Baccalaureate subject within their four options subjects

20. The English Baccalaureate
At present is a performance measure not a qualification
Students must achieve 5+ passes in Maths, English Language, two Sciences (can include Computer Science), History or Geography, and a Language
Uncertainty about attitude of (top) universities
See briefing sheet for more information

21. The English Baccalaureate
Students will therefore need to opt for at least one from:
Computer Science
French
Geography
German
History
Latin
Spanish

22. Who will fly Easyjet’s aircraft?

23. What Can We Do? A National Issue!
Easyjet pilot working
With Year 8 girls last year
See beyond gender stereotypes – there are great careers out there for boys and girls
Follow your passions and interests – don’t be put off by others!
Find out what qualifications different careers need
Choose the right qualifications at GCSE and A level

24. Who is this and what is her job?
“Is this Britain's most successful female engineer?” (Daily Telegraph)

25. Who is this and what is her job?
Ailie MacAdam: a former student at SWCHS!

26. Year 8 Curriculum Evening
Mrs Jane Watts
Year 8 Achievement Coordinator

27. Guidance All students will understand how their choices:
Fit into a balanced and coherent personalised curriculum.
Have consequences for future study and career. Avoid gender bias!
Are based on accurate information on progress and motivation.
Should be based on their own personal strengths rather than those of their friends or the desire to have their current teacher.

28. Guidance Y8 Curriculum Evening: 16th January.
Y8 Progress Check 2: published mid-February
Specific subject queries about student progress should be raised at Parents’ Evenings or directed to subject teachers via or phone call.
More general queries should be directed to the form tutor in the first instance. In some instances, parents can request to join the scheduled tutorial by ing the tutor. NB: tutors will not be able to answer subject specific questions.
Options Booklets will be given out after the Options Assembly: 19th February.

29. Key Dates
Year 8 options assembly: 19 February (Options Booklet issued)
Year 8 Progress Check: February
Year 8S Parents’ Evening: 8 March
Year 8W Parents’ Evening: 15 March
Senior staff will be available for further queries on options during those evenings
Option forms submitted: 21 March

30. Guidance
Further support is offered by or
An appointment can be made with Mrs Revell for specific career information. Please make requests through Mr Osborne on
Queries regarding the structure of options choices should be made with Mr Oxborrow on

31. Y8 Spring Progress Check (mid-February)
Learner Score
Improvement Codes
Comment on progress
Where student is in relation to
end of Year 8 SWCHS expectations

32. Comments on Progress good progress or some concerns about progress
Is about students’ progress from their individual starting points in each subject:
excellent progress
good progress
or some concerns about progress
serious concerns about progress
If there are concerns, the Learner Score & Improvement codes should indicate why.
If there are concerns, there may be underperformance at GCSE.

33. End of Year 8 Expectations
Where a student is in relation to ‘SWCHS end of Y8 expectations’ in each subject and how well prepared they are for GCSE
‘On track to be …. by the end of the year’:
‘Well above’
‘Above’
‘Meeting’
‘Working towards’
A student ‘meeting’ expectations indicates that, if they continue to make good progress, they are likely to go on to achieve a Grade 5 at GCSE in this subject at the end of Y11.

34. An Example Making more progress in History than Geography
Subject
Learner Score
Comment Codes
Progress
SWCHS end of Y8 expectations
History 1 P
Excellent
Working towards
Geography 2
M, H
Good
French
German
H, P
Technology
Meeting
Making more progress in History than Geography
Making more progress in French than German
Highest attainment in Technology

35. Higher attainment (and better progress) in History than Geography
Subject
Learner Score
Comment Codes
Progress
SWCHS end of Y8 expectations
History 3
D, F, M
Some concerns
Well above
Geography 4
B, F, D
Serious concerns
Above
French
F, M
German 2 P
Good
Music 1
Excellent
Meeting
Higher attainment (and better progress) in History than Geography
Higher attainment in French than German but better progress (and Learner Score) in German

36. Contacts Goxborrow@swchs.net Jwatts@swchs.net Aosborne@swchs.net
THE CURRICULUM
Contacts

37. Personalised Learning at SWCHS The Year 8 Curriculum Evening
THE CURRICULUM
Personalised Learning at SWCHS
The Year 8 Curriculum Evening
Tuesday 16 January, 2018