KS4 Course Choices, January 2015

“Shift Happens”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNutcmyShW4

6 minutes - 25seconds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNutcmyShW4

KS4 Course Choices

Helping your child to prepare for Key

Stage 4 and beyond

KS4 Course Choice Evening 1

Tuesday 20th January

1. How does the KS4 course

choice process work?

2. What courses must your child study during

KS4?

3. What courses can your child choose to study

during KS4?

4. What advice and guidance do we give about

course choices?

Resources published on the school websitewww.wilmslowhigh.com/curriculum/key-stage-3/course-choices-for-ks4/

Email queries to: [email protected]

All the resources being

used will be available on

the school website:

• presentations

• guidance materials

• weblinks

mailto:[email protected]

Core subjects

Mr Jones – Careers Education Coordinator

Mr Williams – PE Curriculum Team Leader

Mr Spence – English KS4 Team leader

Mr Jones – Science Curriculum Team

Leader

Mr Hughes – Maths Curriculum Team

Leader

Careers Education programme within the PHSCE curriculum – 1

• PHSCE is led by Mr Munro

• Careers Education is • coordinated by Mr P Jones

• supported by Mrs K Stephens

• with Careers Adviser input from Dr Rowe

What am I like?

What different types of qualification are there?

How do I use the information about KS4 Courses to make good choices?

What will the world of work be like?

1. How does the KS4 Course Choice

process work?


What am I like?

– What subjects, skills and issues do I like learning about?

– In what ways do I learn best?

• Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills

– What targets for self-development do I need to set?


process work?


What different types of qualification are there?

– GCSEs and A-Levels

– Vocational qualifications like BTECs

– Applied learning routes like Apprenticeships

How do I use the information about KS4 Courses to make good choices?


process work?

1. How does the KS4 Course

Choice process work?


What will the world of work be like?

– Next few years• Work Related Learning during Years 10 & 11

– In the longer term• “Shift Happens”

– How do I need to prepare? How will this affect my KS4 option choices


process work?

What happens this term?

Week beginning 12th January 2015– KS4 Course Choice Assemblies


Course Choice Evening 1 – presentation about Core Courses

Thursday 22nd January

Course Choices Evening 2 – information stands about Option Courses

Thursday 29th JanuaryYear 9 Parents’ Evening

Monday 2nd February– Initial Course Choice survey completed on VLE

Friday 27th February– Final Course Choice Form issued

Monday 9th March– Review Day with Tutors

Friday 13th March– Final Course Choices Form returned to tutors



1. How does the KS4 course choice process

work?

2. What courses must your child

study during KS4?


during KS4?

4. What advice and guidance do we give about

course choices?

30 periods of 50 minutes per week

10 courses studied per week

Courses 1-4 are Core

Courses 5-6 offer some choice about science

Courses 7-10 offer free choice

PHSCE – tutor time and suspended timetable days

PHSCE =

– Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE)

Personal Wellbeing

– PSHE – Economic wellbeing

– Citizenship

In KS4 – focus on preparing for the world

of work/study skills


study during KS4? – PHSCE

How is PHSCE covered? Form tutor

PHSCE Days

Term Topic

1 Philosophy in Focus

2 Citizenship and social media

3 Britain and the world + work experience

prep

4 Interview skills

Term Topic

1 D of E training

2 Personal finance and debt

3 Britain and Europe

4 Work related learning

5 Science and Technology day

6 Interview Skills

7 Study skills

8 Careers fair

Work Experience

Wilmslow High School believes that work experience during Year 10 is valuable:– Student feedback consistently states that important

lessons are learnt about the realities of the workplace

– Employer feedback is invariably very positive about attitudes, qualities and skills of our students

– Teacher feedback is that work experience contributes significantly to a growing maturity among students in Year 11

Work experience will take place during June Year 10 for one week.

Work Experience

Until 2011, work experience was fully

funded by the government.

School no longer receives money to pay for

the costs of risk assessing each of the

student’s placements.

In 2015 these checks are costing the school

£37 each and we have asked parents for a

£10 contribution towards this cost.


study during KS4?

Course

Number

Course Title Ppw =

12/30

1 - CORE PE 3

2 – CORE GCSE English Language

- external exams in Y115

3 – CORE GCSE English Literature


4 - CORE GCSE Mathematics


Course 1 – Core PE – Mr Williams

Why is core PE an important part of

the KS4 curriculum?

Kes days are gone

Personalised learning

pathways

Personal development

- PLTS

Lifelong skills

Encourage ‘X-tra’

Health and fitness –

active body and mind

Enjoyment

What does PE look like?

Not set on ability

Personalised -

Pathway choices

Double and single

period

Maximum performers

Outwitting opponents

Creative performers

Healthy lifestyle

Coaching/Leadership

Opportunities/Accreditation

Coaching awards

Leadership

experience – School

Games makers,

Ambassadors.

Rugby Referees,

Football Referees,

Netball Umpires,

Trampolining Judges

Links with

Community Clubs

What do the students say?Years 10 and 11

“Fun”

“Appreciate that we get to choose our own

activities”

“Work with people with similar interests and

abilities”

“Enjoy high activity, game based lessons”

“Focus on things I really enjoy”

“Break from exam pressure”

Audit: 91% KS4 Students rate their lessons as

Good or Excellent in terms of Enjoyment

Courses 2 & 3 – English – Mr

Spence

English Language and English

Literature

• Students are awarded 2 GCSEs

• Students are currently taught in 4

ability bands and have 5 lessons per

week

• Both courses are assessed through

external examination

English Language (AQA)

Explorations in Creative Reading and

Writing (Unit 1)

a. Reading and analysing a range of non-

fiction and literary non-fiction texts from

the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries

b. Writing for a specific audience, purpose

and form linked to section A

How can parents support this?

Encourage reading of varied material


Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives

(Unit 2)

a. Reading a literary text (extract) and

identifying how writers engage and

influence their readers

b. Writing their own creative text exploring a

theme identified in section A


Non-examination assessment (Unit 3)

Allowing students to demonstrate their

speaking and listening skills by:

giving a presentation in a formal context

responding to questions and feedback

using spoken Standard English

English Literature (AQA)

Shakespeare and the C19th Novel (Unit 1)

English Literature (AQA)

English Literature

Modern Texts and Poetry

a. Drama or Prose

Is there a choice of texts?

English Literature

Modern Texts and Poetry

b. Poetry

15 poems that are set by the exam board and

studied in class (1789 – present day)

A response to an unseen poem

…and finally…

All of the literature examinations are closed

text

There are now no tiers of entry for English

Language or Literature so all students will

sit exactly the same examinations

Assessment will be carried out regularly

during the course so that the progress of all

students can be monitored

Course 4 – Maths – Mr Hughes

• Course structure

• What can I expect

my child to

achieve?

• Assessment

demands

• Support available

Course structure

Higher tier

2 year linear course

100% examination over

3x1½ hr exams

Exam board – Edexcel

Most suitable for sets 1-3

Range of grades available

9-4

Foundation tier

2 year linear course

100% examination over

3x1½ hr exams

Exam board - Edexcel

Suitable for sets 4-6

Range of grades

available 5-1

What can I expect my child to

achieve?

• Monitoring performance

GCSE 9 7 5 4 1

Y11 set A* A B C D E F G U Total

1 33 25 5 63

2 1 13 38 11 1 64

3 1 29 26 5 61

4 2 35 13 1 51

5 4 13 17 13 47

6 1 2 10 6 19

Assessment demands

Multi-step/problem solving elementEg Chris owns a clothes shop.

He bought 50 shirts at £12 for each shirt.

He chose the selling price of each shirt so that he would make a

profit of 30% on each shirt.

He sold 20 shirts at this price.

Chris then reduced the selling price of each shirt by 15%.

He then sold the remaining shirts at this reduced selling price.

Has Chris made a profit or loss?

You must explain your answer clearly.

• Assessed under 5 general headings – Number;

Algebra; Ratio, proportion and rates of change;

Geometry & Measures; Probability & Statistics

Support available (1)

• www.mymaths.co.uk

• Lunchtime support with Mr Hughes and Mrs Mackintosh

Support available (2)

Courses 5 & 6 – Science – Mr G

Jones

Route 2 – “Double” GCSE

science

• Year 10 external exams

GCSE Science


GCSE Additional

Science

or

GCSE Additional

Applied Science

Keeps Course 7 free to select a

different GCSE subject

For the student who prefers to have

more breadth to their portfolio of

KS4 qualifications

You can pursue GCSE A-Level

science subjects with this route

Students taught in sets based on

ability

Courses 5, 6 & 7– Science – Mr G

Jones

Route 1 – “Triple” GCSE

science


GCSE Biology

GCSE Chemistry

GCSE Physics

Only for students attaining

National Curriculum level of

6.5 or higher

Students taught in two-groups of

similar ability

Requires “Triple Science” to

be selected in Course 7

leaving only 3 other choices

from Courses 8 - 10

For the student already keen

to specialise in the sciences

and willing to have less

breadth to their portfolio of

KS4 qualifications

Do you need more information about

the science GCSEs before deciding?

Pages 25-34 of the Key Stage 4 Courses

booklet describe the content of the different

science GCSEs in more detail using

diagrams supplied by the AQA exam board

Science Team Leaders will be in Room 48

on Thursday 22nd January to answer any

further questions

3. What courses can your child

study during KS4?

Course

Number

Course Title Ppw =

12/30

7 – CHOICE See option booklet 3

8 – CHOICESee option booklet 3



3. What courses can your child study

during KS4?

SINGLE CHOICE ie 10% of curriculum (3ppw)

Art and Design / Art Graphic Communications / 3-Dimensional Design / Photography

Drama

Music/ Music (Technology)

PE – either GCSE or BTEC qualification


study during KS4?


French

German

Spanish

Media Studies

Statistics

ICT: two qualification pathways guided by teachers


study during KS4?


Geography

History

Religious Studies (1 year) – ‘full’ GCSE

– Followed by Sociology in Y11

Business – two qualification pathways guided by teachers


study during KS4?


Design and Technology:

– Food Technology

– Catering

– Textiles

– Resistant Materials

– Product Design

– Systems and Control

– Child Development


study during KS4?

3. What courses can your child study

during KS4?

EXTRAS?

GCSE Dance within Core PE (Course 1)

Other suggestions?


study during KS4?

Individual Programmes – making your

learning personalised to you

MySkills Programme

– builds on Core PHSCE programme

– Students identified by Heads of House

Personal Studies

– support course for students who work with Learning

Support

BE AWARE Courses can only run if…

– … enough students want to do them to make them affordable

Courses that need highly specialist facilities…

– … will have limited numbers of places on them

We will use our professional judgement to decide if a course is appropriate


study during KS4?



1. How does the KS4 course choice process

work?

2. What courses must your child study during

KS4?


during KS4?

4. What advice and guidance do

we give about course choices?

4. What advice and guidance do we

give about course choices?

KS4

Courses

booklet

p.8

4. What advice and guidance do we

give about course choices?

How am I going to decide?

English Baccalaureate subjects at GCSE

The following core academic subjects at GCSE are termed English Baccalaureate subjects:

English; mathematics; the sciences (including computing); history or geography; a language.

This combination is believed:

• To provide a strong grounding for lifelong learning

• and enables students to maximise the post-16 progression routes open to them.

Consequently, although this will not be appropriate for all students, we do recommend that you

give very serious consideration to selecting at least one (or more) of the following subjects

through the options process:

• computing;

• French;

• geography;

• German;

• history;

• Spanish;

• triple science.

“English Baccalaureate”

Recognises GCSE achievement at grade C or better in English, maths, double science PLUS....

1 x MFL – ie French, German or Spanish from Courses 7 - 10

1 x “humanity” – ie Geography or History from Courses 7 -10

WOULD LEAVE YOU between 1 and 2 other choices from Courses 7-10

Examination reforms

Only English Lang/Lit and maths

A-G = 9 – 1 (9 = top grade)

Mainly examinations

More depth/demanding

2 years, no modules

Foundation and higher tier

November re-sits (Eng Lang/maths)


Date / times Event 3

Thursday 22nd

January 2015

6.00 - 8.00 pm

KS4 Course Choices Evening 2:

Market place format in various locations around

school:

All Curriculum Teams offering courses in course

choice columns

Careers advice drop-in opportunity

Staff will be available to discuss whether the courses

they offer will suit your child. Students should

accompany parents in full school uniform



Thursday 29th

January 2015

Year 9 Parents' Evening

opportunity to discuss progress in those subjects

presently studied and gain further advice regarding

which courses to study in Years 10 and 11.


Monday 2nd

February 2015

Deadline for return of Initial Course Choices

We will use this information to

provide additional advice and guidance to students

regarding the suitability of their initial course

choices

determine whether there should be any change to

course availability

Do the same

for Courses,

8, 9 & 10



Friday 27th

February 2015

Final Course Choices questionnaire made available

to students

What happens next?


Monday 9th

March 2015

Review Day with tutors - advice and guidance on

option choices.


Friday 13th

March 2015

Deadline for submission of Final Course Choices

form

What happens in summer

term?

Date / times Activities

March - July

• Analysis of student choices

• Determination of course viability – remember

courses can only run if enough students opt for

them

• Advice and guidance if new choices required

• Confirmed choices letter

Thank you for listening

Drive home safely

KS4 Course Choices, January 2015

Education

Transcript of KS4 Course Choices, January 2015