Dear Parents/ Carers

Key Stage 4 is an important time in your child’s life. It is when they will make important choices which will shape their future. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that all students can succeed whatever their abilities and strengths.

Students will remain their current J and L bands studying core subjects within these bands.  Subjects in the EBacc (The English Baccalaureate) or Free choice option blocks may be across bands in some cases and are based on aptitude in the subject and timetable constraints.

At the end of the spring term in Year 8, students will be provided with option choices which mean each individual can follow a programme of study which will allow them to progress to further/higher education or employment.  Options choices offered to students will be based on their Key Stage 2 attainment predictions along with their progress during Key Stage 3. You can be assured that the Academy will place your child on the most appropriate pathway for them to succeed.

All pathways offer the opportunity to follow a core curriculum, alongside optional subjects in which students have an ability, talent and interest. As an Academy we expect students will study at least one humanity subject (Geography and/or History). It is Academy policy that a large number of students will be expected to study French and/or German alongside their options and this will be indicated on their personalised options form.

We would like you to discuss optional subjects with your child as it is important they make informed choices as it may be difficult to make changes once all students have chosen due to set sizes and timetable restrictions. To support this process staff have placed short videos on SharePoint giving descriptions of the subject and assessments involved and students will have subject assemblies for those subjects that are new to their curriculum or can discuss further with relevant faculties/departments as indicated in this booklet.

Good reasons for making option choices are:

• Because students enjoy a subject,
• Because students are good at the subject and/or
• Because it will support their future career choice.

It is also recommended that the options chosen provide a balanced range of subjects in order to provide choice in their future study. It is important that a subject is not chosen because a child likes their current teacher as they may be with a different teacher next year. Choosing a subject to follow friends is also not a good idea as they may be in a different class and this may not be relevant to their own career pathways.

In addition to the subjects above all students will follow a Personal Development Programme for 1 period per week. This programme is designed to support students by covering the topics of Work Related Learning, Careers, Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), Enterprise, Personal Finance and Citizenship. Some students will study an ASDAN course in Personal and Social Effectiveness as one of their subjects in their recommended pathway.

Subjects shown in purple are the core curriculum and will be studied by all students. These are the subjects that are essential for students when entering further/higher education or employment later in their lives.

We offer both GCSE and vocational subjects as options to suit a range of learning styles. Where the subject is vocational, this may be a BTEC Level 2, Tech Awards and other Technical Awards. The vast majority of students studying a vocational qualification will be working towards achieving a level 2 qualification (which is equivalent to a GCSE).

Please note, we may change course specifications (see current information on subjects) during the duration of a programme of study where there is a specification change imposed by the board and/or we feel it is in the best interests of the students on the course to change the specification to enhance their progress and attainment.

The chart below shows subjects that may be studied during Key Stage 4       

On the personalised options’ form, which will be provided to your child just prior to the parents evening on Thursday 9^th March 2023, students should indicate their choice against a subject. We will endeavour to ensure that students get their first choice, but this is not always possible as some subjects have limited places, some subjects may not be viable (if not enough students choose the subject and it is not viable) and so students may be asked for a follow up choice.

Some subjects combinations are not advisable options such as choosing two subjects with very similar subject content and skills such as the combinations below. Therefore, in these areas only one from each of these should be chosen:

Art or Art and Design;  

Design Technology or Textiles

Business or  Business Enterprise.

Please note, some subjects will only be offered to certain students for educational reasons, where this is the case and you wish your child to be considered for this subject, please discuss this with Ms Cook.

It is important that students find out about the courses and what the style of assessments are and gather a variety of information to make informed choices.

Students should:

• speak with their teachers,
• speak to their form tutor and other Pastoral staff
• consult with yourselves
• listen to the subject presentations carefully
• review the SharePoint subject sites,
• read the booklet
• refer to the website and subject specification websites for courses

Please encourage your child to find out as much as they can about a course before they choose their options.

It is not always easy to change options in September or after they have started the course for a variety of reasons so it is important to make the right choices.  Changes will only be made in exceptional circumstances.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding option choices or pathways available, please view the video below. Do not hesitate to contact us by email - KS4Options@josephleckieacademy.co.uk for further clarification if required. Or you or your child can arrange a meeting to speak with Ms Cook, Vice Principal at the Academy.

Options forms will need to be returned by Friday 17^th March 2023 to Ms Pace (in the Art Block).