Y8 options presentation 2014

Rainhill High School Media Arts College

Year 8 Options March 2014 ‘Get the best Grades’

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

1. Options Process 2. Why Options in Year 8 3. SLT Contact People 4. Pathways 5. Arts College 6. Government Policy

7. Assessments Methods 8. Did You Know?

9. Do’s &Don’ts 10. Working Examples 11. Our Expectations 12. Timescales

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Options Process ü Booklet – one of 4 different colours ü 1 to 1 with SLT Adviser Career preferences, preferred skills, data sheet, reading age, FFT minimum target grade recommendation from current subjects.

- reduce down to 6 subjects ü Options Information Evening – tonight ü Decision Ask, Listen, talk to subject teachers, SLT, Parents

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Why Options in Year 8?

1. Students can focus on subjects they enjoy and achieve

in.

2. Teachers can spend time preparing students in the skills needed for GCSE during Y9.

3. Students can start their GCSEs when they are ready.

4. Students have 8 terms to prepare for GCSE, not 5.

5. Y8 stops being a year of educational ‘free wheeling’.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Senior Leadership Team - Contact People 8A 8B 8C 8D

Mr Pout Mrs Thorogood Miss Segal Miss Munro

8E 8F 8G 8H

Miss Walker Dr Beswick Mr Lamb Mr Pout

Mrs Thorogood (Deputy Headteacher) is leading this process.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Options – Core Curriculum 1. MA - everyone does GCSE Maths.

2. EN - everyone does GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature.

3. SC - students not doing 3 separate Sciences do 2 GCSEs Core and Additional Science 4. PE - GCSE or BTEC PE – evening – Tuesday 10th June – to give more information – and take a decision 5. ICT – Core ICT in Y9 - no qualification.

6. No Exams in RE, Citizenship, Health Education and Careers – taught through FFP

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Pathways – Play to your strengths!!

Pathway Block J

Block K

Block L

Block M

Blue

Arts

Ebacc Subject

Ebacc Subject

Free Choice

Green

Arts

Free choice – can be EBacc

Free choice – can be Ebacc

Free Choice

Red

Media Studies

Free choice

Free choice

Free Choice

Yellow

Arts

Guided choice

Guided choice

Guided choice

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

How many students in each pathway?

Pathway

How many students?

Blue

126

Green

101

Red

10

Yellow

14

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Pathways – Balance of GCSE’s and vocational Pathway

How Many GCSEs?

Options

Blue

10

Choose at least 3 PE? GCSEs

Green

9+

Choose at least 3 Options – GCSEs Choose no more than 2

Red

8

Choose a Minimum of 2 GCSEs

BTEC PE

Yellow

Max – 3

Choose a Minimum of 1 GCSE

PE BTEC plus maximum of 2 others

How many BTECs?

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Why Pathways? ü Large Comprehensive School – range of choice, to suit all abilities and interests. ü Not ‘one size fits all’ – play to student’s strengths. If your child finds their niche – something they are really good at – a lot of ‘life’ falls into place. ü We have placed your child in the pathway we think they will perform well in and consequently get the best possible grades. This is based on teacher’s professional opinion and data on performance and potential to date.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Arts College Our commitment to Arts College status is because we believe fundamentally in the positive impact creative learning through Arts subjects has on your child’s employability and life skills, especially; Communication Working Together Being adaptable Being flexible in your thinking Being creative If you want a copy of Case for the Arts – please take one

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options Creative Learning through Arts subjects

The employability of students with these skills improves.

• It makes no difference to applications for high quality vocational degree courses, e.g. Medicine, Law. • Did you know the arts and creative industries are the second largest private sector employer in the north west? UK’s creative industries are now worth £71.4 billion per year to the UK economy. In the period 2010-13 this sector’s growth of almost 10%pa outperformed all other sectors of UK industry, and it accounted for 1.68 million jobs in 2013, 6.7% of UK total.

•

Doing an Arts subject to GCSE is non negotiable

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Arts College

The choice; Fine Art Art Graphics Photography Music Computer Science

Dance Drama Art Textiles Media Studies

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Government Policy Changes Imposed by the Conservative / Liberal Government § Linear GCSEs from September 2012 § No more modular exams throughout year 10 and 11.

Therefore virtually all students do their GCSEs at the end of Y11. § Controlled assessments taking the place of coursework. § All dependent on final examinations in Year 11

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Government Policy Changes Imposed by the Conservative / Liberal Government § New grading system § In English and Maths – your child will get a 1 to 9 Mark, with 1 being the best. § In all other subjects they will get an A*-G grade as at present. § Tier’s of entry remain in Maths, e.g. Foundation and Higher. § An increase in the emphasis on spelling, punctuation, grammar in a number of GCSE courses. 5% of marks

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Government Policy Changes Imposed by the Conservative / Liberal Government § Raising of the Education Leaving Age to 18 – not just

Sixth Form – FE College, Apprenticeship § It is getting harder to get grades, - QCDA – ‘2013 C grade in Maths same standard as 2012 B grade’.

• Schools will be judged on BEST8 not 5ACEM – this is better.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Government Policy Changes Imposed by the Conservative / Liberal Government • Schools will be judged on BEST8 not 5ACEM.

• • • •

English, Maths 3 Ebacc Subjects 3 Non Ebacc subjects – can be BTECs or GCSEs This is better.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

English Baccalaureate What subjects are in it?

English, Maths, and any 3 GCSEs from Science, History, Geography, Languages, Computer Science.

Languages – for Rainhill are French, Spanish or German.

You must get A*-C in every subject to get it.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

English Baccalaureate - Don’t worry about University • Russell Group Universities have said Ebacc not • • • •

important.

‘New’ Universities – vocational degree’s – Ebacc not important.

New funding for Universities – A and 2Bs at A Level.

A level choice is very important, it is grades at GCSE that count.

Facilitating A levels – only need to do 2 out of 4 to get into a top university.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

English Baccalaureate At Rainhill • Compulsory for Blue Pathway students • Optional for Green students.

• Be careful not to jump on a bandwagon – just because people are talking about it.

• Does your child enjoy those subjects?

• Will they get an A*-C in all Ebacc subjects?

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Did You Know?

• • • •

• •

No longer have AS exams linked to A2s – so therefore Universities will look even more closely at GCSE results.

To get to Liverpool or Manchester University you will need 5A*s at GCSE. Most universities expect B grades at GCSE English AND GCSE Maths Entry to our Sixth Form College is at least 5+A*-C including English & Maths. You need B’s at GCSE if you want to carry on with that subjects at A level There are only 140 places in Y12 at Rainhill Sixth Form College.

Except Oxford and Cambridge, universities look at your GCSE grades not the subjects taken.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Do’s

ü Students – do subjects you will enjoy. ü Choose subjects where you will get A*s,

rather than subjects you think you should do but will get a C or below. ü Parents - have a look at UCAS Website www.ucas.com ü Ask Sixth Form staff for advice

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options Don’ts Parents " Don’t rely on your experience of school / university – a lot has changed, and is changing as we speak " Don’t impose your career aspirations onto your child.

Students " Don’t do a subject because your friend is doing it " Don’t do a subject because it fits with your idea of a career.

Parents " Don’t take your child out of school during Year 9, 10 or Year 11 – for any reason. See Assessment methods.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Choosing Subjects - Working Examples History or Geography?

History requires lots of reading and long written answers Geography needs you to use numbers and to write short written answers.

What is your skills preference?

What level are your literacy skills – reading age, spelling age, ability to do extended writing?

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Working Examples Spanish and German Only opt for it – if you have studied before in Year 8 Only exception if it is the first language used at home.

Core and Additional or 3 separate GCSEs in Science?

Double Science does not stop you becoming a Doctor or Vet Places on Separate Science GCSEs are based on performance and teacher recommendation.

Science Faculty have already said Yes or No – based on ability and performance

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

My Expectations 1. Of each Student ü Everyone achieves their full potential ü Everyone gives their best every lesson, every day ü Don’t put things off – do it today 2. Of the School ü Excellent teaching. To provide an individual route to success, lots of support and as much help as is required. ü Lots of help, especially in Y11, e.g. Maximise, 1 to 1 help.

3. Of Parents ü ‘Tough Love’ & Good Communication.

4. Of everyone ü Don’t settle for second best .... It’s a tough world out there

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Timescales from here... § Options Forms in to Form Tutors by Friday 28th § § § § §

March.

SLT check each student’s choices are ‘sensible’ and match GCSE minimums.

Mrs Thorogood looks at preferences - expect some moving around after forms are in.

Dr Beswick writes the timetable.

Some GCSEs will begin early – En, Ma, Sc after Whit.

September – start option courses.

Rainhill High School Media Arts College Year 8 Options

Thank you for listening Talk to the teachers of those subjects on your shortlist You are welcome to stay to ask me any questions Mrs Thorogood is in the Sports Hall if you want to speak to her.

Sixth Form staff are in the Sports Hall if you want to speak to them.

SLT link staff – first point of contact