OPTIONS MEETING FEBRUARY 2017
Current Year 11 students
• New GCSEs in English and Maths
• Old GCSEs in everything else
Current Year 10 and Year 9 students
• New GCSEs in English and Maths
• New GCSEs in everything else
…nearly!
What new GCSEs look like….Grades
A new grading scale of 9 to 1 will be used, with 9 being the top grade.
This will allow greater differentiation between students and will help
distinguish the new GCSEs from previous versions.
DfE
OLD GRADE
NEW GRADE
What new GCSEs look like….Assessment
Assessment will be mainly by exam, with other types of assessment
used only where they are needed to test essential skills.
Courses will be designed for two years of study – they will no longer be
divided into different modules and students will take all their exams in
one period at the end of their course.
DfE
So, Controlled Assessment is not continuing in many subjects.
No modular exams in Year 10.
More assessment is via exams in Year 11.
What new GCSEs look like….Content
There will be new, more demanding content, which has been developed
by government and the exam boards.
These GCSEs set higher expectations. They demand more from all
students and specifically provide further challenge to those aiming to
achieve top grades.
So, tougher and more content.
DfE
Helping students achieve
1. Content and skills delivery in Year 9. In some subjects after All Change; in
some subjects you have already started covering GCSE material.
2. Reducing the number of GCSEs that students take.
3. Previously (Year 11 and older) five Option subjects; now students will
study four.
4. Fewer subjects = reduced revision, fewer exams, lower stress levels,
more time for English and Maths, one fewer subject setting homework
every week.
5. Almost all schools have three or four Options now.
6. Languages: as a Language is so useful, in the past we insisted that all
students study at least one. Now, only students that are particularly
strong at Languages have to – others can choose to.
7. Changes to Science delivery.
Science
In science, the level of detail and scientific knowledge
required has increased significantly, and there are
clearer mathematical requirements for each topic.
New content has been added, including the study of
the human genome, gene technology, life cycle
analysis, nanoparticles and space physics.
So, tougher and more content.
DfE
Science
From September 2016, there are 4 GCSE qualifications in
science that students can take:
GCSE (9-1) Combined Science (Double Award)
GCSE (9-1) Biology
GCSE (9–1) Chemistry
GCSE (9–1) Physics
Students will either take the Combined Science (two GCSEs) or
Biology, Chemistry and Physics (three GCSEs). Both routes will
allow access to all grades (9-1).
Science - Combined
• Combined Science (Two GCSEs) – increased teaching time. Now ten
lessons per fortnight i.e. once per day
• The Combined Science route would be fine for students applying for
Psychology and/or Physical Education at A Level.
Science - Separate
Separate Sciences (Three GCSEs) – increased teaching time. Twelve
lessons for the Combined Science content plus the extra content that
needs to be covered. i.e. twelve lessons of Science spread over ten
days.
The pace will be high and there will be longer exams to take.
It is expected that students applying for Biology, Chemistry and/or
Physics A Level courses in the Sixth Form would have followed the
separate Sciences route, as they would have covered more Science
topics.
Combined Sciences or Separate Sciences?
Science staff will decide which students at Freman will follow this
course.
Decisions will be taken later this year so that teachers will have seen
more Year 9 work and assessments.
Students will start on their Science GCSE courses at All Change on July
3rd.
Freman Options - Timeline and Deadline
• Booklet
• Consultation evenings
• Interview – bring draft filled in. Must choose 7 subjects.
• Finalise choices
• Deadline is 9.00 24th March. (Friday, one week before the Easter holidays.)
INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS