Year 8
Options:
Parents
(Open Evening)Why you’ll love North-Year 8 Options
With new, more rigorous GCSEs, with more content , needing more
revision and more targeted skill development
New for 2015:
Year 8s will choose their options at Middle School by the end of June.
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More focussed Year 9
Same opportunities as 11-18 schools
Your daughter/son will start Year 9 ready for 3 years studying only the
subjects they need and enjoy.
Information opportunities explaining the process from November.
WHY?
New more rigorous GCSEs
More revision, more content, more targeted skill
development
In line with other 11-18 schools
Makes Year 9 more focussed-optimise strengths
WHY?
Emphasis on the “currency” of GCSEs-a
broad curriculum. Not expecting them
to know what they want to do.
How will they choose?
Routes booklets home-March 4
Guided Pathways Evening- March 8
Subject Taster Day (at North) -March 23
4 Routes- setting students on the right path (as we know
one path doesn’t suit all)
More subject tasters from mid-May.
Individual guidance meetings (with parents if you wish)
Discussions with HoD at MS who will liaise with HoD at
North
Teacher advice at MSs
Which subjects do you enjoy and are you good at?
Class teachers-advice on whether more practical or
analytical.
Are they working towards Age Related Expectations?
(If so they should reach a grade 5)
Class teacher will have overview.
We, at North, will inform about new subjects.
Each child will study
English Language/English Literature
Maths (maybe leading to Further)
Science (double or separate)
4 options (generally)
And will do PE
They will have half a term to switch when they get
to us. All sorted by October half term.
How will I know which GCSEs my child
should take?
What do they enjoy and what are they good at?
Don’t pick because of teacher, siblings or friends
Don’t worry about not know what they want “to do”
They’ll get a booklet outlining the key elements of all
GCSEs/courses on 4 March in time for Guided
Pathways Evening on 8th.
The 4 Routes
Russell Route -40% most able. Will have to do a language (French
or Spanish) AND a humanity (history or geography). NB Staffing
and Spanish warning
Open Route -Next 45%. Will have to do at least one from French,
history or geography
Gateway Route-Next 13%
2% Very particular needs
(all %s approximate)
• Certain subjects only in certain routes e.g. Psychology only in
Route 4
• Routes flexible and SEN aware
Expected option subjects
French, Spanish, history, geography,
psychology, sociology, art, music, preapprenticeship in engineering, Resistant
Materials, BTEC IT, PE theory, food,
separate sciences, BTEC Health and Social
Care, BTEC business, film studies, Religion
and Society, drama, media studies,
textiles, and computer science.
(No Dance but could be done extra curricularly)
Why?
So that every child…Can achieve what
they’re capable of.