Whitley Bay High School
Parents’ Options Evening
9th January 2014
The purpose of this
presentation
To offer advice to allow you to help your daughter
or son to make good choices and start to think
about their future
To introduce the guidance team and their expertise
so that you know who to contact with a question
To outline the process we will undertake over the
next few weeks
To give you a flavour of what the study of different
subjects is like
Brave New World
21st Century
Learning
Digital Natives
Family learning
Harnessing the
power of
new technologies
Students are seriously considering
whether the costs of tuition fees
represent value for money
3 years @ £9,000
plus living expenses
of £3,000 per year =
£36,000
Part time & Saturday jobs are like gold
dust
• We have reintroduced Work Experience
placements in year 10 for 2014
Recession and technology have
changed employment trends
We are advising students about options in a
time of considerable employment instability –
even in shortage areas
• Employers are able to be exceptionally
choosy about who they take on because
currently many young people are willing to
work for free just to build up experience in a
particular field
• - for example – it’s not unusual for us to
have 100 plus enquiries for a support staff
role in school
• How important are the
option choices being
made by this group of
Year 9 students?
• How does the options
process work at
Whitley Bay High
School?
Key Dates
Wed Jan 8th
Students options
assembly
Thurs Jan
9th
Parents Options
Evening
Wed Jan
22nd
Yr. 9 Subject Evening
(P&Q)
Tues Jan
28th
Yr. 9 Subject Evening
(R&S)
Wed 29th
Jan
Options Meetings
begin
The Guidance Team

Michael Wright
Head of Year 9

Simon Hall
Assistant Head of Year

Rachel Mays

Ian Short
Head of School
Assistant Headteacher. Ic Timetable
•
Andy Clark
Assistant Headteacher

Linda Buckle
Assistant Headteacher

Sarah Lackenby
Assistant Headteacher

Steve Wilson
Assistant Headteacher

Kerry Lord
Assistant Headteacher

Steve Williams
Assistant Headteacher

Justine Chapman
Assistant Headteacher

Pamela Tatters
Applied Studies Co-ordinator

James Mackenzie
SENCO

Marie Emmerson
Options Administrator

Anne Heffernan
Connexions
Possible Year 10 Option
Blocks 2014-2015
Option Block A
Option Block B
Option Block C
Option Block D
Art
Art
Art
Art
Business Studies
Business Studies
Business Studies
Business Studies
Geography
Geography
Geography
Geography
History
History
History
History
French
French
French
French
Physical Education
ICT
Physical Education
Electronic Products
Music
Resistant Materials
German
Resistant Materials
Electronic Products
Food Technology
ICT
Food Technology
Food Technology
Graphic Products
Graphic Products
ICT
Textiles
Child Development
Food Technology
Textiles
Child Development
Dance
Drama
Drama
ICT
Philosophy and Ethics
Applied Studies
Applied Studies
BTEC Engineering
BTEC Engineering
Music
VGCSE Health & Social Care
VGCSE Health & Social Care
• What happens at the
meeting itself?
What factors should I think about when
making my choices?
Joe and Abby in 2013 with new
Year 10
• How can I find out more
about a particular subject
– especially if I have never
experienced it yet?
www.whitleybayhighschool.org
Learning styles 1 & 2
• How do we evaluate the
curriculum we offer and
quality assure our
provision?
• We talk frequently to lots of
groups of students formally
and informally
• We constantly monitor
progress and results
Frequently Asked Questions
• You will on your seat a sheet
containing our responses to the most
frequently asked questions, concerning
the options process.
• For example…
• What is the new
‘English Baccalaureate’
and will I have to take
it?
• How does the school
decide who takes Dual
Award Science or Triple
Sciences?
• Reserve choice
Friends and Teachers
• What shall I do if my
particular query hasn’t
been addressed in this
evening’s presentation?
Whitley Bay High School
Options Information Query
Name of student
Name of parent to be contacted
Phone number
Best date & time to catch you
Outline briefly the nature of your query
And finally…
• One piece of advice from our
volunteer students