Careers Development Programme

Choosing the right subjects for GCSE

Your son/daughter will make initial GCSE choices in February so that next year’s timetable can be blocked and staffing planned. They will confirm their choices at the end of this term. There is the opportunity to add any supporting comments on both initial and final option-choice forms if you feel particularly strongly about the choices that have been made. Once the final options form is submitted, the allocation of options will be made based on the information supplied on the form. Once choices have been made, the College reserves the right to withdraw any courses for which there is insufficient demand. We try to accommodate all subject choices within the prescribed framework. However, subjects are sometimes oversubscribed and availability of staffing prevents additional classes. If this is the case, we will contact you to discuss alternatives. On the following pages, you will find more information about each subject, as well as some useful advice from the Head of Careers and Higher Education, Sharon Allmark. These will help you when weighing up the various factors involved in making the most appropriate choices.

Stephen Badger Deputy Head (Teaching & Learning)

GCSE Reforms Daily Routine

• All GCSE subjects are now graded and assessed using the new 9-1 structure; • 9 is the highest grade, awarded to the very best candidates in the subject. The official definition of a grade-9 candidate is that they will be ‘in the top 20% of those achieving grades 7-9 in the subject’; • In every subject, the content is more demanding and the assessment more rigorous than previously; • The assessment will be mainly by exam. In some subjects such as Drama and Art, other types of assessment will be used only where they are needed to test essential skills. For further information about assessment, please speak to the relevant Head of Department. Tiering of exams The new GCSEs are only split into foundation tier and higher tier if one single exam paper does not give all students the opportunity to show their knowledge and abilities. Consequently, exams are tiered in Biology, Chemistry, French, German, Maths, Physics and Spanish. New grading structure Current grading structure 9 A* 8 7 A 6 5 4 C 3 D 2 E F 1 G U U

9 is awarded to those pupils achieving what would currently be a top A*: perhaps at around 96%+

GOOD PASS (DfE) 5 and above = top of C and above Schools are no longer AWARDING assessed on A*-C 4 and above = bottom of C and above statistics, but on ‘9-4’ statistics.

What to wear You should wear your full school uniform or LWC sports kit during the school working day, so until 4.00pm or the end of your activities (whatever is later). The dress code for tea is ‘relaxed’ BUT please don’t wear shorts or dirty sports kit. You will be sent back to your boarding house to change if you do. Exeats and Half Terms It is also worth remembering College finishes at 4.00pm (or after your activity) on exeat or half terms. Saturday 8.45—9.15 am Breakfast 9.15 am Latest time for all girls to register 9.30 am Activity 11.30 am End of Saturday School 12.00 pm Lunch Afternoon Sports Fixtures Under the updated structure, the ‘good Evening Routine B pass’ for Maths and English is a 5, which is Activities may run at any time in the evenings between 4.00pm and 9.00pm. These may be academic, on the border between cultural or sporting. These are voluntary, but pupils (including day pupils) will be expected to attend a C and a B under the some specified compulsory enrichment or school events, and are expected to attend rehearsals, etc. to which they are committed. old system. You may be collected at any time in the evening but you must sign out before you leave.