An important step.
The first time students have the choice.
Think carefully.
Difficult to make a serious error about the future.
But it does determine what a student does for the next two
years.
 Breadth and Balance
 Range of skills
 Enjoyment and Interest.
 Post 16 Choices.
 Adaptability.
 English Baccalaureate
 Keeping doors open!
The EBAC is a performance measure introduced
into school league tables in 2011. It is not a
qualification in itself. The measure shows where
students have achieved a Grade C or better across
a core of academic subjects – English,
Mathematics, History or Geography, The Sciences
and a Modern Foreign Language.
“Prediction is very difficult, especially about
the future.”
Niels Bohr
Danish physicist (1885 - 1962)
“If you want peace, prepare for war”
The choice of A Level subjects should be based around interest & enjoyment of the
subject, ability to do well in the subject and what is needed for a specific degree.
However, ‘selecting’ universities such as those in the Russell Group and 1994 Group
are highly competitive, demand high grades and have preferred subjects. The Russell
Group has produced a document, Informed Choices, giving advice about choosing A
Level subjects for entry to one of
its institutions. A synopsis is below:The Russell Group prefers what they term as ‘facilitating’ subjects:-
 English
 Chemistry
 Maths
 Geography
 Physics
 History
 Biology
 Languages
• Need to achieve an absolute minimum of 5
Grade A*-Cs including English + Maths.
• Prospectus details individual subject
requirements. Grade B in all chosen subjects
• E.g. Maths/French: grade B or above
• Ask your teachers for their advice.
THE COMPULSORY CURRICULUM
This is a fixed set of subjects which the majority of
students study.
OPTION CHOICES
Up to four further choices selected from a large
range of subjects.

English

Mathematics

Science

Physical Education

BPE
 Information and Communication Technology
French
Art and Design
German
Geography
Fashion and Textiles
History
Resistant Materials
Product Design
Computing
Music
Law
Catering
ICT
But what if your child finds studying lots of academic
lessons difficult?
GCSE course in Health and Social Care
Extended Project Qualification
Certificate of Design & Technology
Block A
Block B
Block C
Art
Computing
Fashion
French
Geography
ICT
Art
Catering (Express)
Geography
German
History
Product Design
Art
French
Geography
History
ICT
Law
Study + (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (With
Engineering) (Express)
Study + (Guided Choice)
Extended Project Qualification (Guided Choice)
(counts as two options)
Block D
French
German
History
Law
Music
Sports Leadership
Catering (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Certificate of Design & Technology (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Health and Social Care (counts as two options)
Block A
Block B
Block C
Art
Computing
Fashion
French
Geography
ICT
Art
Catering (Express)
Geography
German
History
Product Design
Art
French
Geography
History
ICT
Law
Study + (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (With
Engineering) (Express)
Study + (Guided Choice)
French
German
History
Law
Music
Sports Leadership
Catering (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Certificate of Design & Technology (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Extended Project Qualification (Guided Choice) (counts
as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
A
Block D
Health and Social Care (counts as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
B
Choose One Option from Block
C
Choose One Option from Block
D
Priority
Priority
Priority
Priority
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Art
Block A
Block B
Block C
Art
Computing
Fashion
French
Geography
ICT
Art
Catering (Express)
Geography
German
History
Product Design
Art
French
Geography
History
ICT
Law
Study + (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (With
Engineering) (Express)
Study + (Guided Choice)
French
German
History
Law
Music
Sports Leadership
Catering (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Certificate of Design & Technology (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Extended Project Qualification (Guided Choice) (counts
as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
A
Block D
Health and Social Care (counts as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
B
Choose One Option from Block
C
Choose One Option from Block
D
Priority
Priority
Priority
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Art
Priority
3
Reserve Choice
Block A
Block B
Block C
Art
Computing
Fashion
French
Geography
ICT
Art
Catering (Express)
Geography
German
History
Product Design
Art
French
Geography
History
ICT
Law
Study + (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (With
Engineering) (Express)
Study + (Guided Choice)
French
German
History
Law
Music
Sports Leadership
Catering (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Certificate of Design & Technology (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Extended Project Qualification (Guided Choice) (counts
as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
A
Block D
Health and Social Care (counts as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
B
Choose One Option from Block
C
Choose One Option from Block
D
Priority
Priority
Priority
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Art
Priority
3
Reserve Choice
Law
Block A
Block B
Block C
Art
Computing
Fashion
French
Geography
ICT
Art
Catering (Express)
Geography
German
History
Product Design
Art
French
Geography
History
ICT
Law
Study + (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (With
Engineering) (Express)
Study + (Guided Choice)
Block D
French
German
History
Law
Music
Sports Leadership
Catering (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Certificate of Design & Technology (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Extended Project Qualification (Guided Choice) (counts
as two options)
Health and Social Care (counts as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
A
Choose One Option from Block
B
Choose One Option from Block
C
Choose One Option from Block
D
Art
French
Geography
Music
Priority
Priority
Priority
Priority
3
2
1
4
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
History
German
Sports Leadership
Law
Block A
Block B
Block C
Art
Computing
Fashion
French
Geography
ICT
Art
Catering (Express)
Geography
German
History
Product Design
Art
French
Geography
History
ICT
Law
Study + (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (With
Engineering) (Express)
Study + (Guided Choice)
Block D
French
German
History
Law
Music
Sports Leadership
Catering (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Certificate of Design & Technology (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Extended Project Qualification (Guided Choice) (counts
as two options)
Health and Social Care (counts as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
A
Choose One Option from Block
B
Choose One Option from Block
C
Choose One Option from Block
D
Extended Project Qualification
Extended Project Qualification
Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care
Priority
Priority
Priority
Priority
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Block A
Block B
Block C
Art
Computing
Fashion
French
Geography
ICT
Art
Catering (Express)
Geography
German
History
Product Design
Art
French
Geography
History
ICT
Law
Study + (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (With
Engineering) (Express)
Study + (Guided Choice)
Block D
French
German
History
Law
Music
Sports Leadership
Catering (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Certificate of Design & Technology (Guided Choice)
Resistant Materials (Standard)
(counts as two options)
Extended Project Qualification (Guided Choice) (counts
as two options)
Health and Social Care (counts as two options)
Choose One Option from Block
A
Choose One Option from Block
B
Choose One Option from Block
C
Choose One Option from Block
D
ICT
German
Catering
Catering
Priority
Priority
Priority
Priority
2
3
1
1
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
Reserve Choice
History
Art
French
Law
The students
need to
consider these
questions:
They need to
talk to:
 What am I good at?
 What do I enjoy?
 What do I need?
 Parents
 Form teacher
 Subject teachers
Carry out
research:
 Careers library
 Internet
 Options’ Assembly
 Options’ Evening for parents – today!
 Guidance work in tutorial time and Subject Assemblies.
 Reports, Options Study Guide and Options’ Application form go home
by Thursday 16th January.
 Parent / Teacher subject evening – Thursday 23rd January.
 Completed option form to your child’s form teacher by Friday 1st
February.
GCSE
English
Head of Department:
Mike Martin
English Language
Exam
(60%)
+
Controlled Assessment
(40%)
Over the two years you will study a range of
fiction, non-fiction, and media texts. You will
also produce your own creative writing
using a range of stimulus materials and
complete a written study of spoken
language. You will sit one terminal exam
and complete four pieces of Controlled
Assessment, all of which contribute to your
final GCSE grade.
The course also requires you to complete
three oral assessments, speaking in a
range of contexts. Your score for these will
be recorded on your final GCSE certificate.
+
English Literature
Exam x 2
(75%)
+
Controlled Assessment
(25%)
Alongside
the
English
Language
specification detailed above, you will study
a range of prose, poetry and drama from
different cultures and periods. You will sit
two further exams and submit one
additional piece of Controlled Assessment
in order to achieve your Literature GCSE.
This is a varied and enjoyable course,
introducing you to different authors and
literacy traditions which will influence your
own reading and writing.
A typical English Language Controlled assessment folder
might contain:
• Explore the ways a writer creates sympathy for one or more characters
in a novel you have studied. (30)
• Write an article for a local newspaper about something you would like
to change in your community. (10)
• Write a monologue for a character from a literary text you have
studied. (10)
• Compare the ways in which people talk in different situations (e.g. at
work, with friends, with their parents) and why these changes occur.
(20)
• Plus an SPAG mark (10)
A typical English Literature controlled assessment folder might
contain:
In what ways are disturbed characters important in The Tempest and in
Lord of the Flies? (40).
------------------------
Possible Unit 1 exam texts include:
• Of Mice and Men
• The Woman in Black
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Crucible
• Lord of the Flies
• Touching the Void
------------------------
Unit 2 poetry will be based on one of the following clusters:
• Character & Voice
• Place
• Conflict
• Relationships
You will also answer one question on an ‘unseen’ poem.
Or
English
Exam
(60%)
+
Controlled Assessment
(40%)
Over the two years you will study a range of fiction,
non-fiction, and media texts as well as a selection of
poetry and at least one Shakespeare play. You will
also produce your own creative writing using a range
of stimulus materials. You will sit one terminal exam
and complete five pieces of Controlled Assessment,
all of which contribute to your final GCSE grade.
The course also requires you to complete three oral
assessments, speaking in a range of contexts. Your
score for these will be recorded on your final GCSE
certificate.
A typical English Controlled assessment folder might
contain:
•
Explore the ways a writer creates sympathy for one or more characters in a novel
you have studied. (15)
•
Explore the ways attitudes to war are presented in a selection of war poems. (15)
•
Explore the ways the contrast between different generations is developed in
Romeo and Juliet.
•
Take the line from a Shakespeare play and use it as the title for your own piece of
writing. (15)
•
Write a newspaper article about a televisin programme young people would either
love or loathe. (15)
•
Plus an SPAG mark (15)
Contact us anytime
• Sheila Hirst - Head of Maths
• maths@ulverstonvictoria.cumbria.sch.uk
• Will reply within 24 hours
GCSE Maths
• 3 year course
• Leading to GCSE examination in the summer
of year 11
• 1 in 3 of our students getting A or A*
• All our students getting A* to C
Maths isn’t that difficult, not with your help.
How can you help
• Encourage your son/daughter to be proud of their
homework
• Ask them about what they are doing in maths, just
listening can help
• Support with homework by saying lets sit down and
you tell me what you think
• Encourage them to do revision using recommended
websites such as
• Mymaths
• Mangahigh
• Methodmaths
• hegartymaths
• CGP on our vle
• Mathswatch dvd
Biology
Unit 1
Chemistry
Unit 1
Physics
Unit 1
Core
Science A
ISA
Additional
Science
ISA
Biology
Unit 2
Chemistry
Unit 2
Physics
Unit 2
Biology
Unit 3
Chemistry
Unit 3
Physics
Unit 3
Biology
ISA
Chemistry
ISA
Physics
ISA
GCSE
Science
Options
Biology
Unit 1
Chemistry
Unit 1
Physics
Unit 1
Core
Science A
ISA
Additional
Science
ISA
Biology
Unit 2
Chemistry
Unit 2
Physics
Unit 2
Biology
Unit 3
Chemistry
Unit 3
Physics
Unit 3
Biology
ISA
Chemistry
ISA
Physics
ISA
GCSE
Science
Options