Introduction to Pathways
Dear Parent/Carer,
I would like to welcome you all to the Pathways process for this year, an exciting time, and one in which important decisions need to be made, and so which therefore can also make it something of a difficult time. Please remember that we are here to help and to support, and these webpages have been designed to inform you about this exciting phase in your child’s education.
At North Chadderton School, we want all our students to leave with qualifications in high quality subjects and with the highest possible grades, and we aim to provide a broad and challenging curriculum offer which is rich in knowledge and skills, which students will enjoy and which is both ambitious and inclusive for all.
In pursuit of these aims, we offer a rich array of options subjects drawn from a wide range of acadmic and vocational areas, social sciences, creative, performance, research, humanities, vocational, technology and so on. As we are ambitious and inclusive, all students will follow the same pathway, although within that there is plenty of scope for variety.
Alongside the compulsory, core curriculum, which includes English, Mathematics and Science, students will be able to select additional subjects to study depending on their preferences. All students will also study an optional core subject of either History, Geography or Spanish, subjects highly prized by employers and college or university entrance tutors and which the geovernment identify as crucial to their key priorities of improving media literacy, knowledge and understanding of global issues, and gainign insight into the challenges it faces. they also provide rich opportunities to develop key transferable skills of evaluation, research and communication. Beyond that, students have the opportunity to specialise and pick subjects that they will enjoy and will help develop the skills they need for the future.
To help in making informed decisions, there is a wealth of information about each subject we offer contained within this section of our website. In addition, our Pathways To Success evening provides the opportunity for parents/carers and students to come into the school, to hear presentations from subject specialists and from key members of staff involved in the pathways process an d with some of our current year 10 and 11 students. These will help you and your child fully understand the process and make the right choices. We would urge you to read careful through not only the subject pages, but through our introductory and information pages which contains important details about the process of choosing subjects, forbidden combinations of qualifications and factors which should be considered when choosing option subjects.
Within the pages of this section of our website are the details of all the subjects we offer at Key Stage 4, however subjects will only run if there are a minimum number of students choosing them. Where there is demand for a subject, it will run. If a subject will not run due to insufficient numbers of students opting for it, we will discuss alternatives with each student who has chosen it as an option.
Each course we offer has a devoted page in this section of the site, which outlines key pieces of information to enable choices to be made. You will find links to careers information which will help you to envisage where each subject might potentially take you beyond study at Key Stage 4, a link also takes you to that course's curriculum map outlining content, and an array of other useful information and websites links for associated careers, professional bodies and educational support.
If you have any queries or questions during the next few weeks, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the following members of the Pathways to Success team:
- Mr A. Bateman- Assistant Director, Curriculum
- Mr M Sumner- Head of Year
- Mrs L Fallows- Assistant Head of Key Stage 3
- Mr A Azad- Careers Adviser
- Your child's year 9 Form Tutor
A Bateman
Mr A. Bateman,
Assistant Director, Curriculum