The Option Choice Process 2014-15

1. The Option Choice Process 2014-15 Good evening and welcome to all our parents and carers of S2 pupils. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

2. Introduction Mr Ross Hunter Depute Headteacher Senior School ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

3. Thank you • Parents and Carers • SDS (Careers) • Fife College • All Staff ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

4. Purposes of tonight • Part of the process to ensure all pupils are making well informed choices and decisions regarding their future. • Further develop parents and pupils understanding on CFE and the implications for S3 and beyond. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

5. A quick guide to why Scottish Education has introduced CFE? • Fast changing world. • “Future proof” our children – they must be able to respond to uncertainties and challenges to come. • Provide a curriculum that will equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st Century. • Core focus on Literacy/Numeracy/Health and Well-Being. • Teach “how to learn” – skills such as analysing, investigating, problem solving as well as applying. • Lifelong learning is indispensable under today’s conditions of rapid change and complexity. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

6. What does it mean to be an educated person in the 21st Century? “To develop the capacity to meet the uncertainties and challenges to come”. • Our job is to develop a passion for learning so this remains a lifelong process. • It is estimated that the school leaver today will have an average of 15 jobs in their lifetime • We have to be learners ourselves – role models to our youngsters. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

7. Dispositions for Learning: • Resilience – learning is hard but we stick at it and are able to recover from adversity. • Resourcefulness- we can deal skilfully with new situations. • Reflectiveness - we are aware of our strengths and development needs. • Responsibility – we take control of our own learning. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

8. Teaching in the CFE era • GHS staff remain committed to delivering the best learning and teaching experiences possible. Our job is to ensure we providing learning experiences which are as stimulating, engaging and challenging which lead to every pupil achieving their maximum potential. • CFE has provided much greater flexibility in how teachers choose to do this and has led to a significant improvement in teaching and learning experiences. • Every teacher is a learner and is working to develop and enhance their own skills. School priority. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

9. Skills approach • Teacher centred instructions with a focus on “learning as memorising” prepares pupils for a world that no longer exists. • It is essential that pupils develop higher orderskills of: • Problem solving • Analysing • Evaluating • Creating • Presenting • Skills for life, work and learning are key features of CFE. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

10. The Phases • S1-3 Broad General Education - Helping children make a smooth transition to the senior phase by building solid foundations for later specialisation. Breadth and depth are central to this phase as are personalisation and choice. 2. Senior phase S4-6 The curriculum for older pupils - either in S4 to S6, at college or pursuing other means of study. At GHS this means studying 5 subjects so we can facilitate deep learning and skill development. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

11. S1-3 This stage has a clear purpose “that all young people will have a strong platform for later learning and for successful transition to qualifications at the right level for them. All young people should experience all E’s and O’s up to an including third level as far as is consistent with their learning. Most learners will progress into level 4.” ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

12. What is the S3 experience in CFE? • S3 is a critical year for learners and the S3 experience is pivotal because it has several unique features which serve a number of purposes. It is: • When learners complete their entitlement to the Broad General Education (BGE), including all of the experiences and outcomes (Es and Os) to third level; • When, through personalisation, choice, and specialisation, learners have opportunities to stretch their learninginto fourth curriculum level Es and Osand beyond; and • The year when learning paves the way to qualificationsat the Senior Phase – the transition from E’s and O’s to qualifications. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

13. Developing the 4 capacities • The S3 curriculum provides learning experiences which continue to grow the attributes and capabilitiesof the four capacities in all learners. • successful learner • confident individual • responsible citizen • effective contributor • Developing the 4 capacities remain central to what we aim to achieve as a school. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

14. New Qualifications National Qualifications New Qualifications

15. Continues to 12 CfE Levels 4 SCQF LEVELS ≈ 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 early years

16. The Option Choice Process • This evening session. • Discussion in PSE classes. • Handbook and option form – available to view via the school website. • Option form to be issued tomorrow. • Progress Reports were issued on Monday16th December. • Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 4th February. • Option form to be returned by Friday 7th Feb. • Pupil interview with Guidance teacher. Parent can request to attend if they wish to. • All interviews completed by Friday18th February. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

17. Helping to choose • It is normal for many pupils to be unsure about their future careers. However it is worthwhile encouraging them to think about their career plans. • All parents are advised to access the following: • www.ucas.ac.uk – information on every university course in Britain including the Entry Profile (EP) which gives you the most up-to-date Scottish Qualifications which are required. • www.fife.ac.uk – Information on local college courses. • www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk – information on careers for pupils of all ages. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

18. English – (5) Mathematics – (5) School based courses – , RME, PSE, HE – 1 each (3) PE – (2). This reflects our commitment to developing Literacy, Numeracy and Health and well-being. In addition pupils will select 6 other subjects of their choice. 6 columns – 3 periods each (18) Option form based on a consultation process involving all S2 learners and facilitates a very high success rate in meeting choices selected by learners. The 33 period week ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

19. Option Form

20. Good reasons for choosing a subject • You enjoy studying them. • You are interested in them. • You are better at them than at others. • You would be interested in pursuing these subjects at N4/5 level in S4. • You feel the subject relates to a career choice you are interested in. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

21. Bad reasons for choosing a subject • The pupil likes / doesn’t like the teacher. • His / her friend has chosen that subject. • They think it is an easy option. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

22. What is expected from your youngster? • Attend school as regularly as possible. Please avoid any unnecessary absences. • Commitment to work in class and at home. • Respect for self, staff and peers – creates a good learning environment. • Adhering to the school dress code – contributes to classroom and overall school ethos. • Ambition – we are an ambitious school and we want all our pupils to be ambitious. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

23. Next Steps • Find out about each subject. Read the handbook and talk to teachers. Be sure that you and your son/daughter are aware of what each course entails. It may not be what you think. • Come to the Parents’ Evening on 4th February. 5 - 7.30pm • You can request to be present at your child’s interview with the Guidance teacher if necessary. Contact the guidance teacher. • Ensure your child hands in the proposed option choices, signed, by Friday 7th February. • Option choices will be finalised at the interview with the Guidance teacher. S2 interviews will be concluded by Tuesday 18th February. • The new timetable starts on Wednesday 4th June. ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’

24. Handbook www.fifedirect.org.uk/glenrotheshs ‘High expectations and no excuses. Only your best is good enough.’