Page 2 - Pathways Booklet 2020

A Foreword from the Principal

The Year 9 Pathways Programme is one of the key events of every student’s school career and represents the first
major decision that our young people have to make about their future. It gives every student a chance to
personalise their own curriculum for the first time. This means that the information, advice and guidance our young
people receive from their parents and school staff is of the utmost importance in order to help them make the
‘right’ choices.

For us, in our Catholic school, this process of decision making calls to mind the concept of vocation. Through the
Pathways Programme we offer an invitation to all our students to look to the future and ask themselves the
question “What is God calling me to be?”
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The Pathways Programme will run until the deadline for options to be received on Monday 23 March 2020, having
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initially been introduced to students at an assembly on Tuesday 11 February 2020.

The curriculum that all of our students will follow is divided into the Core Curriculum and the Optional Curriculum.
The Core Curriculum consists of 6 GCSE courses in Religious Education, English Language, English Literature,
Mathematics and Combined Science Double Award. In addition to this, all students follow non-examined courses of
study in Physical Education and Character and Culture, where they will work towards the PIXL EDGE LORIC Award
and follow the PSHE, RSE and Citizenship Curriculum. The Optional Curriculum allows students to follow three
further GCSE (or equivalent) subjects. Our students are fortunate to have a wide range of courses to follow, the
details of which are summarised in this booklet.

There has been much change in education in recent years, one of the more significant changes is that all GCSE
courses are now assessed through terminal examinations at the end of Year 11, although some may still contain
Controlled Assessment units. This has led to an increase in examined content.

Since 2018 all students are now awarded GCSE grades from 9 to 1, while vocational courses are still awarded pass,
merit and distinction grades. Student’s attainment and progress is measured against eight key subjects.
Consequently, in addition to the Core Curriculum, all students are required to study History or Geography. However,
pupils on the Open Pathway may opt to take French in block A instead. As part of the school’s commitment to meet
the Government expectation of upwards of 75% of students studying a foreign language by 2022, students in
teaching groups 9F1L, 92FL, 9F1R, 9F2R will take French. All other option subjects on offer are listed in the main
body of this booklet.

Our key options advice to all of our students is to select subjects that ensure they have a breadth and balance to
their studies and which will keep their options and opportunities wide open in the future. We have always
recommended that our students choose the subjects they enjoy and in which they have a track record of success.
Students should also be aware that, in the vast majority of cases, it will NOT be a requirement to have a GCSE in a
subject in order to be able to study it at A Level.

Finally, please note also that each of the options courses will only run if enough students opt for them; there are a
great number of courses available and a finite number of students, so the year group as a whole will shape the final
curriculum.

Thank you for your support during this process. Please contact subject leaders directly for additional specific advice
about courses or for more general curriculum enquiries please contact Mr A Trickett (Assistant Principal: Quality of
Education – Curriculum) at atrickett@hagleyrc.worcs.sch.uk/Mr Capponi (Head of Year) at
mcapponi@hagleyrc.worcs.sch.uk

Mr J Hodgson