options information for parents

OPTIONS INFORMATION FOR

PARENTS AND CARERS

This document is designed to support parents and carers in discussing the subject choices that young people might make in Year 10. It contains

critical information on the potential impact on those choices for the young person

Guidance for Parents and Carers

Information and Guidance for Parents and Carers

Supporting informed choices AMA 2013-14 2

Guidance for Options The choices that students make now will have a big impact on your future so it is very important that these choices are the best ones for each individual student. Students will need to talk to lots of people about the subjects that they intend to study:

1. Form Tutor 2. Parents or Carer’s 3. Subject teachers 4. Teachers from subjects that they have not studied but are interested in.

All of these people will help you make decisions about what you want to study but you make the final choice in consultation with other people such as your Head of Year. Students will need to review their own progress since primary school and decide how well they have worked, achieved and improved because this will have an impact on the courses that they choose to study in year 10 and 11 and then into the Sixth Form and on to University or work and training. To try and help students make maximum progress and be successful in year 10 and year 11 the school provides a wide range of study options some of which will provide more support for learning than others. It is really important that students go into courses that will allow them to make the best progress, achieve their best exam results and, enjoy their learning and have opportunities to be successful. Student’s exam results at the end of year 11 will be critical in determining what kind of course they progress into in the Sixth Form at Stoke Newington School. We expect nearly all our students to gain a minimum of 5A* to C grades at GCSE with the majority of students achieving many more than this, we expect more than 35% of students to achieve at least 3 A and A* grades and around 15% of students will achieve nearly all their grades at A and A*. To help students make the best choices of subjects for GCSE or BTEC and then to help them progress into an appropriate course post 16 and University we will be using a guidance process that looks at academic progress since joining Stoke Newington School. The starting point will be student levels on entry from Primary School (KS2 SAT scores) and your progress through into year 9. The aim of this process is to provide all students with a curriculum offer that provides the appropriate degree of support and challenge and that allows the individual to successfully manage their learning in year 10 and 11. A small number of students will need additional support to get to the 5 A* to C grades and another small number of students will need a lot of support to get to 5 A* to G grades at GCSE or through another equivalent course.



We will not let students make choices that are seen as unrealistic or inappropriate. Changes to GCSE and BTEC for students aged 14-‐16. All courses started in September 2013 will have external assessment either an exam or externally set task:

• some subjects will have no course work with all of the course being graded by the results of an end of course external exam (Maths)

• There are no longer modular exams taken during a course, nearly all exams will be taken at the end of year 11. ( there is an opportunity to sit Maths and English in November of Year 11 and a small number of students may do this)

• Only two non-‐GCSE qualifications will count towards a student target of 5A* to C.

• To achieve the English Baccalaureate students must achieve a minimum of a C grades in:

o English Language GCSE and completed a course in GCSE English Literature

o Maths GCSE o Two Science GCSE’s or Triple Science

Either GCSE History or Geography Either Spanish, French or any other GCSE Modern Foreign

Language (Turkish, Polish, etc.) or a Classical language such as Latin.

Computer Science GCSE

Raising the Participation Age and Sixth Form Study Students starting year 10 in September 2014 will be expected to remain in full time education, training or an approved programme of work and training such as an apprenticeship until they are 17 years old. It is important to think about progression into Sixth Form, and indeed into higher education, it becomes even more important that students make the best choices of subjects for them in KS4 and that they are successful in achieving the 5A* to C grades including Maths and English by the end of year 11. The changes to the GCSE exams means that students will have to work consistently across year 10 and year 11 to be properly prepared for their final exams at the end of year 11. There will be increased pressure on Sixth Form places around London and in Hackney due to Raising the Participation Age. The sixth form at Stoke Newington School has grown in numbers and becoming increasingly successful ranked in the top 10% of Sixth forms in England with some subjects ranked in the top 2%. This success has led to increasing pressure for places and we expect to recruit nearly 200 students in Year 12 in September 2014. A new Sixth Form block will open in March to support these developments.



As a successful sixth form we expect to become increasingly popular with our own students but also with external recruitment of students that have been at other schools. By the time the current year 9 complete their exams in summer 2015 we expect to be in a position of having to turn students away and to be full on the basis of first applications. We want to make sure that our own students have first choice of staying in our school Sixth form but this does mean that they will need to reach the admissions criteria which is currently 5A* to C including Maths and English and a minimum of a B grade in the subjects that students choose to study in the sixth form. The standard progression pathway from 16 into University is to complete a course of 4 GCE AS levels in year 12 and 3 GCE A 2 levels, but some students with outstanding GCSE results may be asked to do a 5th AS Level and then continue with 4 A Levels. To progress into a top University such as University College London, London School of Economics, Oxford or Cambridge, AS and A2 exams will all need to be passed at A or A*. Most Universities currently require minimum of B grades at A Level. In some specific subject areas it is possible to progress to university with a BTEC Level 3 course and 1 A Level in a supporting subject; the BTEC Level 3 Sport course would be well supported by A level Psychology, Biology or another academic A level. Where students have gained a Distinction in their BTEC and a good grade in an A level (C or better), such as Biology they have gained entry to a prestigious sport degree course at Bath or Loughborough University. Many A level and BTECs depend upon you having studied particular subjects at GCSE. As a general rule you if you want to study a subject at A level, it is advisable to choose it at GCSE if it is available and you should be aiming to pass it with a minimum of a B grade. For more detailed information please look at our current Stoke Newington School Sixth Form Course Directory which is available on the sixth form page of our website. In terms of progression into higher education, if you are aiming to go to a good university you should aim to study at least 2 facilitating subjects at A level, these are:

• Maths and Further Maths • English (Literature) • Physics • Biology • Chemistry • Geography • History • Languages (Classical and Modern)

It is very important to understand that not taking at least two of these subjects at A level will significantly reduce your chances of securing a place at a top university. For more detailed information please look at the Russell Group’s ‘Informed Choices’ document which is available online.



Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects such as Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering or a Science specific degree will be better supported by following a Triple Science course at GCSE generally you need to achieve a GCSE A* to B grade to be able to study a science A Level such as Chemistry. You can move into Science A levels: Physics, Chemistry or Biology by successfully completing the Core and Additional Science courses as long as you achieve grades A*, A or B. Understanding learner progress:

Aggregate SAT scores from the end of year 6 is arrived at by adding together the individual scores in Maths English and Science, this could have been English L5 Maths L4 and Science L5 which would have given an aggregate score of 14.

5 English 4 Maths + 5 Science = 14 Aggregate (total)

What should my progress look like from KS2 in Yr 6 to the end of year 9 in individual subjects

KS2 results individual subject 2c 2b 2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

Good progress at KS3 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a 6c 6b 6a 7c 7b 7a

Outstanding progress at KS3 5c 5b 5a 6c 6b 6a 7c 7b 7a 8c 8b 8a

What should my GCSE target grades be

End of KS3 Grade 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a 6c 6b 6a 7c 7b 7a 8c 8b 8a

Good Progress in Year 10 and 11

C C C C B B B A A A A A* A* A* A*

Outstanding Progress in Year 10 and 11

C C B B B A A A A A* A* A* A* A* A*

What should my progress look like from KS2 in Yr 6 to the end of year 9 by aggregate score

KS2 results aggregate(total) 6 to 8 9-‐11 12-‐14 15

Good progress at KS3 (total) 12-‐14 15-‐17 18-‐21 21-‐24

Outstanding progress at KS3 15-‐17 18-‐21 22-‐24



By year 9 we would expect a student has improved his or her grades by at least 2 levels in each subject, which would look like this.

7 English 6 Maths + 7 Science = 20 Aggregate (total)

This is an example of good progression

• If a student has a got a SATS score of 12 or more at the end of KS2 in Year 6 then they should be getting a KS3 assessment score in year 9 of close to, or more than 18, an average of two levels of progress in each of your subjects.

• If students are making outstanding progress across the 3 years of KS3 then their

year 9 assessment score can increase by more than two levels resulting in an aggregate of 21 plus at the end of KS3.

• This aggregate score is important because it provides one indicator of how well students

will progress towards meeting the minimum target of 5 A* to C grades in their GCSE exams. An assessment aggregate (English+Maths+Science) score in year 9 of 11 to 13 is a good indicator that students will achieve the minimum target with a spread of grades from C to A*.

• A assessment score of 19 plus at the end of KS3 means that all of a student’s grades GCSE grades should be A to A*

• An aggregate assessment score of 11 or less at the end of KS3 reduces a student’s

chances of getting 5 A* to C grades as a minimum at GCSE by following a standard GCSE curriculum, so it is worth including at least one BTEC in choices for year 10 and year 11.

• A assessment score of 10 or less at KS3 means that you will need support to get 5 A*

to G grades at GCSE and you should choose subjects that are supported Options and these will be clearly marked on the Option Form.



Qualifications Ladder

Levels Academic General Qualifications

Vocational qualifications -‐ work ready qualifications

Work based /skills Qualifications

5 Honours Degree

4 Degree

Higher National Diploma Higher National Certificate Higher Level Apprenticeship

Foundation Degree NVQ 4

3 A Level GCE

BTEC Nationals Award, Cert & Diplomas

Short courses NVQ 3

Advanced Apprenticeship

2 GCSE A*-‐C

BTEC Firsts Diplomas & Certificates

Short courses

NVQ 2 Work Skills

Apprenticeship

1 GCSE D-‐G

BTEC Introductory Diplomas & Certificates

Short courses

NVQ 1 ALaN ESOL

Work Skills



Examples of Student Progression Ahmed Ahmed is clear that he wants to go university and knows that to get into a top university he needs to have a balance of subjects but understands that it will help him if he chooses at least two facilitating subjects that he will be able to continue to study at A Level in the Sixth Form. He wants to continue Spanish at GCSE and History at GCSE in Year 10 and Year 11 he knows that this will leave him with two other option choices.

• This will mean that Ahmed is studying all the subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate and will still have two other subject choices.

• He started in Yr 7 with KS2 results of 5 in English, 5 in Maths and 4 in Science and has a predicted aggregate assessment score of 20 at the end of KS3 with 7 in English, 7 in Maths and 6 in Science so Ahmed has made good progress of at least 2 levels in each area. Ahmed has the odd day off because he has quite severe Asthma but in general his punctuality and attendance are excellent. Ahmed is a very talented Musician, although he is generally good at everything. He chooses Spanish, History, Music and Photography because he can do Art outside of school. Ahmed will be studying 9 GCSE courses in KS4 English Language GCSE English Literature GCSE Maths GCSE Science Core GCSE Science Additional GCSE Spanish History Music Photography Non GCSE courses will be PE and RE/Life Skills. If Ahmed continues to have good or outstanding progress he will be expected to get grades A and A* in all of his subjects this will be particularly important if he wants to go Oxford, Cambridge or a Russell Group University.



Amy Amy is clear that she wants to go university but because she has strengths and weaknesses in different subjects she knows that she has to build on her strengths. She has enjoyed her Language so she wants to continue with French and her strongest subjects in school are PE, Drama and Technology she particularly likes Graphics. She has talked to her PE teachers and likes the sound of the BTEC Sport course and would consider doing it for the double option if she could fit her other subjects Drama and Graphics. Amy started school with KS2 results of 4 in English, 4 in Maths and 4 in Science. Amy has made reasonably good progress with predicted level 6 in English and level 5 in Maths and Level 6 in Science at the end of year 9. Amy has excellent attendance and progress but her progress checks can vary from Excellent to Good by subject. Amy will choose the BTEC Sport First Award and French this means that she can then choose Graphics GCSE and Drama GCSE. Amy will be studying 8 GCSE courses and a BTEC course which means that she is studying 9 GCSE courses. English Language GCSE English Literature GCSE Maths GCSE Science Core GCSE Science Additional GCSE Sport Award BTEC French GCSE Geography GCSE Drama GCSE

Non GCSE subjects in PE, Re and Life Skills Amy will need to achieve B, A and A* grades in all of her subjects if she is to get into a good university her results in Maths and English are particularly important with Progression into Post 16 and then to University.



Adam Adam has moved schools he got into trouble in year 9 and came to Stoke Newington for a fresh start. Adam had a KS2 SAT score of 10 but with missing some school and moving schools he has not made the progress that would have been expected of him. Adam likes practical learning he enjoys Art, Drama, PE and Technology; he quite likes languages but is worried that because he missed so much school he will struggle if he chooses Spanish in Year 10. Adam gets on well with his teachers but still has too much time off school. His predicted end of KS3 results are 4 in English, 4 in Science and 4 in Maths so his aggregate score is 12. Adam has very mixed progress checks his attendance is below 85% and his Effort grades tend to be 2 and 3. Having completed his self-‐assessment Adam chooses to do subjects that will allow him to do lots of practical course work. Adam chooses to do BTEC Sport Award, Resistant Materials, Art and Spanish, this means that Adam will be studying 9 courses in in year 10 and year 11. 8 GCSE courses and 1 BTEC course.

English Language GCSE English Literature GCSE Maths GCSE

Science Core GCSE

Science Additional GCSE

Sport BTEC Award

Graphics GCSE

Art GCSE

Spanish GCSE

Non GCSE subjects in PE, Re/Life Skills.



Aisha Aisha has had support in her lessons since she started school. Aisha needs support when reading any long pieces of text and struggles with numbers being able to add simple sums but struggles with numbers above 20. Aisha has very low KS2 SAT scores because she was largely assessed as working towards a level or at Level 2. Aisha loves school and has a really good group of very supportive friends but sometimes struggles in lessons because she finds many of her lessons too difficult. Aisha has very good progress checks her Behaviour, Effort and Homework are always at a level 4 but her grade data is often at level 2. Aisha has had help to complete her self-‐assessment Aisha chooses to do subjects that will allow her to do subjects where she is really supported. Aisha chooses to do the Art supported study course for two options, Non-‐GCSE Cookery, and a supported Music Course. So Aisha will be studying a mixture of GCSE and non-‐GCSE courses that will help her make progress into a post 16 course.

English approved programme of study

English Literature GCSE if appropriate

Maths supported study GCSE if appropriate

Science Core approved programme of study BTEC L1 Science if appropriate

Art and Photography supported study

Art and Photography supported study

V Certificate in Music Jamie’s Food Course

Non GCSE subjects in PE, Re/Life Skills.



Important Issues for Students Students need to look at all of the course information and talk to subject teachers about the requirements of that subject:

1. The amount of coursework and or controlled assessments 2. The amount of work that will need to be completed outside of normal lesson

time. 3. Homework

Are there additional requirements for the course that will affect the amount of time that can be spent on other subjects?

1. A study residential 2. Field trips 3. After school rehearsal or practical course commitments

These are all going to be an important consideration when looking at the total package of Options and core subjects chosen to study. Use this table to look at the total amount of work needed to be completed.

Subject Coursework Percentage

Other Workload

Trips etc.

Exam Percentage

English Language

English Literature

Maths

Core Science

Additional Science

Option A

Option B

Option C

Option D



Important Questions?

options information for parents

Documents

majority of students

students exam results

small number of students

best progress

carers information

subject choices

best choices of subjects

end of year