22 May 2014

To: All parents/carers of Year 7 students

Dear Parents/Carers

Re: Option choices for students in Year 8, 2014-2015

I am writing to you at this time to invite you to a meeting at St Julie’s Catholic High School for all parents/carers of current Year 7 students for the purpose of discussing your daughter’s Option choices for her GCSE studies. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 18 June 2014 at 6.30 pm.

The Government has made considerable changes to GCSE examinations in the last two years and there will be new GCSEs coming into effect in the next two years. One of the major changes that has taken place is the move back to linear GCSE examinations with no modules prior to a terminal examination at the end of Year 11. Additionally, the Government has made a commitment to ensure that GCSE examinations are a lot more rigorous by increasing the content requirement to be studied. As a result of these changes we have responded by changing the way that we prepare students for their GCSE examinations. Currently, students choose their options in Year 9 but only start to study their GCSE options in Year 10, which means that they only have five full terms from September of Year 10 through to their GCSE examinations starting at the beginning of May in Year 11.

With effect from 1st September 2014 students in Year 8 will decide upon their GCSE option choices during that year with a view to starting their GCSE courses in Year 9. This will mean that students will have up to eight full terms from the start of Year 9 through to their examinations in May of Year 11 to prepare for their GCSE examinations. This additional time will be used to develop essential skills, cover necessary content and reinforce knowledge, as the students progress through their studies. As such, we feel this will prepare the students more fully for the academic rigour that is required for the new GCSE system.

Therefore, we would like all parents/carers and their daughters to join us on Wednesday 18 June 2014 at 6.30 pm so that we can give further details of how the school will be supporting your daughter through the next 12 months in preparation for starting their GCSE studies. It would be helpful if you would complete the reply slip below and return it to me, via your daughter, by Friday 6 June 2014. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Yours faithfully

Mr T Alderman
Headteacher

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