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Castle View School

Next Steps

Next Steps

 

Next Steps – Future aspirations and making the right decision for GCSE study

At Castle View School we are passionate about supporting all of our students to help them make the right decisions about their future.

In the September of year 10, students begin their GCSE studies that last for 2 academic years and should provide them with the qualifications that they need to successfully move onto their choice of post 16 study at a College or Sixth Form.  Students make some really important decisions in the spring term of Year 9 and we support them with this to ensure that each of them makes the right choices for their future.

The curriculum in Year 10 and Year 11 is made up of a core curriculum that all students study including:

  • English Language
  • English Literature
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • P.E.

In addition to this students have a personalised curriculum that is made up of 4 subjects that they choose as courses of study to help them prepare for post 16 studies and their future aspirations. The range of subjects available to study in the personalised curriculum varies each year however they include subjects such as:

  • Business Studies
  • Construction
  • P.E.
  • Dance
  • Drama
  • Art
  • Music
  • Construction
  • Media Studies
  • Geography
  • History

The government requires that the majority of students study a foreign language and at least one humanities subject: History or Geography.   We will work with students who we feel would benefit from studying a language and we aim that almost all students do study one humanities subject at GCSE as part of their personalised curriculum.

Throughout the Spring and Summer term of year 9 we work with students to help them consider the career they may wish to pursue when they leave formal education;  the College or Sixth Form they may like to study at and the course/s that they are interested in studying post 16.   We want students to really think about their future and what they need to do/have to get there so that they make the right decisions.

Students will find that colleges, universities and employers may use the combination of subjects that they study as part of the selection criteria for entry to further and higher education so it is crucial make the right decisions based on their future aspirations.

In addition to the support we provide students with in school we ask that parents and carers:

  • Talk to your child about the possible careers that they may be interested in, the potential place of study for post 16 and which course/s they may wish to study;
  • Attend the Next Steps evening with your child to support them in visiting the many stands from visiting Colleges and Sixth Forms.
  • Meet your child’s current teachers to discuss what they are doing well at, how they can improve and what the study of this subject entails for GCSE.
  • Discuss with your child the GCSE curriculum they should be studying to help them achieve their goals and help them make a good, informed decision about which subjects are the right ones to study.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s form tutor in the first instance who will be happy to help.