February2017
DearParent/Guardian,
Yourson/daughterinYear10isintheprocessofgivingconsiderationtowhich
optionalsubjectswillbestudiedinYear11.Iwouldliketoinformyouofkeyevents
inthesubjectchoiceprocessincludingtheParents’MeetingonFriday10th
FebruaryandtheCareersInterviewsonTuesday22ndMarch.
A‘GCSESubjectChoice’guidealongwiththeSubjectChoiceFormshavebeen
publishedontheSchoolwebsitehttp://www.wallacehigh.org/about/academic/
ThesubjectchoiceandCareersDepartmentdocumentationwillbecollected
followingthecareersinterviewsonTuesday22ndMarch.
Itshouldbepointedoutatthisstagethatdependingonthenumberofpupils
choosingcertainsubjectssomealterationsmayhavetobemadetothecurriculum
onoffer.Wewillkeepyouinformedshouldthisarise.
Yourssincerely
DCleland
Vice-Principal
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GCSESubjectChoice
September2017-2018
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ChoiceofsubjectsforYear112017/2018
Guidelines
1. Ifapupilhasaclearideaofthecareer/careerareahe/shewouldliketopursue,
thenthechoiceofsubjectsshouldbeguidedbytherequirementsofthat
intendedcareer.
2. Ifapupilfindsitdifficulttodecideonaparticularcareerorsubject,thenthe
followingpointsshouldbeconsidered:
(a) considercarefullythosesubjectsthatareenjoyedandinwhichthereis
provenacademicabilityorpotential.
(b) trytomaintainabalanceofsubjects.Inthiswayawiderrangeofoptionsis
keptopen.
MakingYourChoice
A InWallaceHighSchoolthefollowingGCSEsubjectsarecompulsoryinYear11
andaretakenbyallpupils.
English
EnglishLiterature
Mathematics
ReligiousStudies(Short&LongCourse)
FurtherMathematics(Top70intheyearbasedonYear10SummerExam).
Theabovesubjectsarenotincludedintheoptiongroupsthatrequirepupilsto
makechoices.
B Inaddition,pupilsmustselectONEsubjectfromeachoptiongrouponthe
accompanyingchoicesheet.
Note:
1. Thearrangementofsubjectswithintheoptiongroupsensuresthatallpupils
takeatleastonescienceandamodernforeignlanguage.
2. Itisessentialthatpotentialcareerpathwaysareinvestigatedbeforedeciding
onhowmany,andwhich,sciencesshouldbechosen;asignificantnumberof
universitycourseshaveveryspecificsciencerequirements.Pupilsconsidering
takingBiologyasan‘A’levelarestronglyadvisedtotakeGCSEChemistry.
Additionally,pupilsintendingtotakeengineeringtypecoursesatuniversity
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musttakePhysics,andpossiblyChemistry,dependingontheengineering
discipline.ThecurrentQUBprospectusstatesthatstudentsintendingto
enteracourseinMedicineorDentistrymusthavestudiedallthreescience
subjectstoatleastGCSE(withBiologyandChemistryto‘A’level).Itis
expectedthatmostpupilswilltaketwoGCSEscienceswithsmallernumbers
takingallthreeoronlyone.
3. Pupilscanselecteither(orboth)ofthelanguagestheycurrentlystudy.
4. AllpupilswillfollowacourseofPhysicalEducationaspartoftheir
curriculum.ThePhysicalEducationinOption3doesnotreferto
‘recreational’PEbutreferstoPEasafullGCSEsubject.However,dueto
timetablingconstraintsthenumberofpupilstakingPEmayhavetobe
limited.Allpupilsoptingforthiscoursemustplayatleastonesportforthe
school.
5. SomepupilswhohavestruggledwithlanguagesthroughoutKeyStage3will
betimetabledforanalternativeGCSEsubject(asopposedtocontinuingwith
alanguageforGCSE).TheModernLanguagesDepartmentwillidentifythe
pupilsconcernedlaterinthisacademicyear.Parentsofpupilsinvolvedwill
bekeptfullyinformedandinformationconcerningthecoursewillbe
providedtotherelevantpupilsinduecourse.
InformationonavailablecoursesisincludedintheGCSEbooklet.(Availablefrom
theschoolwebsite).
Mostpupilswillfollowacurriculumthatincludes10GCSEsubjects,assummarised
below.
English,EnglishLiterature,Mathematics ReligiousStudies.
Option1,Option2,Option3,Option4,Option5,Option6
FurtherMathematics(Top70intheyearbasedonYear10SummerExam).
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Year11ProvisionalSubjectChoice2017–18
Name:………………………………………………
OPTION1 OPTION2 OPTION3
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Art
BusStudies
HE
Geography
History
Journalism
Technology
ClassSet:……
BiologyHistory
HE
DigitalTechnology
Music
PE
Physics
OPTION4
OPTION5
OPTION6
Biology
BusStudies
Chemistry
Geography
DigitalTechnology
Technology
Art
Chemistry
French
Geography
History
MIA
Physics
French
German
Spanish
PleasenoteDigitalTechnologyisthenewnameforICT.
ChooseONEsubjectfromeachoptionboxandenteritintheappropriatecolumn
below.
Option1
Option2
Option3
Option4
Option5
Option6
Careerareaofinterest:(ifknown)………………………………………
Parent/GuardianSignature:……………………………………………
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WallaceHighSchoolYear10GCSESubjectChoice-CareersAdvice
Nameofpupilandclassset
Listtheskillsyouthinkyouhave.
Listthequalitiesyouthinkyouhave. Stateyourlearning
style/intelligencetype.Thinkback
toyourY9and10LLWlessons.
Whatareyouracademicstrengths?
Whatcareerplansdoyouhave?
ListyouroptionalGCSEchoices
1.
WhydidIchoosethissubject?
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
PleasereturnthisformwithallotherGCSEdocumentationattheYear10careersinterviewonthe22ndMarch 2017.
PupilSignature……………InterviewerSignature………………Date…………
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