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COURSES IN YEARS 10 AND 11
INTRODUCTION
At Holyrood Community School, we are most concerned that students make the best possible selection of courses in Years 10 and 11. In making these choices, students should take account of their particular needs, their developing abilities and interests and the changing demands of employment and career structures.
TAKE CARE
The next two years are very important. We hope that the decisions taken now enable success and satisfaction in Years 10 and 11 and beyond. Courses should be chosen with care; they may affect career choices and interests later on. Advice is available from subject teachers, Mrs Lucas [head of year 9] and tutors.
Students should think about the subjects they are good at, the subjects they enjoy and the subjects which they may need for a particular career. This should lead to positive choices rather than just following what friends are doing.
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WHAT TO DO
Read this booklet, the information about each subject and watch the film clips; use these together with advice as needed to decide which of the optional courses are best. Connexions will be represented at the parents evening on a ‘no appointment needed’ basis.
All parents will receive an information pack at the parents evening on 4th February including a choices form for their son/daughter. This can be returned as soon as decisions have been reached but must be returned to their tutor by Friday 26th February.
Mrs Lucas, Pastoral Team Leader for Year 9, will be seeing some students individually as we process all the forms. This is a complicated business and will take time.
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OUR NEXT STEP
We will try and make sure as many students as possible get the choices they want. It may be necessary for Mrs Lucas to see a few individual students and ask them to consider a reserve choice.
We will be contacting parents during the first half of the Summer Term to confirm the subjects your son/daughter has chosen.
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HOW MUCH CHOICE IS THERE?
All students must take:
- English and English Literature
- Maths
- Science
- PSHE
- PE
- ICT
- Technology
· Religious Studies
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HOW MUCH CHOICE IS THERE?
All students must take:
- English and English Literature
- Maths
- Science
- PSHE
- PE
- ICT
- Technology
· Religious Studies
There are 3 groups of subjects; pick one from each group – so all students get to choose 3 subjects. The ‘student choices form’ has full details of how this works.
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TIERS OF ENTRY AT GCSE
GCSE entries, like the SATs are divided into Tiers of Entry. When students are entered for the exams, they will be entered for the appropriate level or “tier” of the exam.
For the majority of subjects there are two tiers: Foundation (a grade C-G is possible) and Higher (a grade A*-D is possible). Details of which subjects this applies to are in the subject descriptions later in the booklet.
Decisions will not be made about Tiers of Entry until much closer to the examination in 2012 and parents will be kept informed via reports and parents’ evenings.
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BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE COURSES
We want to wish all our students success with their new courses. Hopefully their studies will be enjoyable as well as rewarding. It is natural that questions and concerns may arise during the next two years. Apart from our programme of parents’ evenings, careers guidance and consultations with subject teachers, we will be very happy to respond to any concerns students or parents may have.
We hope you will find this booklet useful.
Maurice Hicks - Head
Matthew Collins - Deputy Head
Mrs Lucas - Pastoral Team Leader
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NON EXAM COURSES FOR ALL STUDENTS
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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION (Non Exam)
During Years 10 and 11 all students participate in the PSHE/Citizenship programme. One session per week is timetabled for PSHE. A few of these sessions are spent with your tutor on very varied tasks. The rest of the course continues the Year 9 programme and will contain studies within the areas of: Careers Education, Health Education and Citizenship and Enterprise.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (Non Exam)
The PE course continues with 2 x 60 minute lessons for every student.
Throughout Key Stage 4, students combine games and non-games activities. Activities are carried out over a six-week period, but two activities will be selected to study in depth over the Key Stage.
An integrated fitness programme allows students to plan, perform and evaluate an individual fitness schedule.
Some areas of the curriculum are compulsory and others are offered in an option system to give students an element of choice over the activities they study.
Inter-tutor and inter-school competitions will continue throughout Key Stage 4.
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Course Descriptions
Read the information about the courses you are interested in very carefully before making any choices.
More detailed information about course specifications can be found on Examination Board web sites.
The following addresses may be helpful:
www.ocr.org.uk
www.aqa.org.uk
www.edexcel.org.uk
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