Blenheim – Key Stage Four Options Brochure 2014-15
3
How to support
your child.
Dear Parents/Carers
The range of subjects and pathways on offer can be confusing. Add to that
the frequent announcements from the Department for Education and the
whole process of choosing options appears daunting.
The single most important factor is for your son/daughter to choose those
subjects to which they will commit, and work their hardest. This is far more
important than which pathway they are on, or whether or not the subjects
they have chosen fit into the Baccalaureate Pathway.
In today’s highly competitive job market, employers want to see good grades
far more than a particular combination of subjects. Choice of subjects at A-
level is far more important for particular career paths, than at GCSE,
therefore thinking beyond the GCSE is important (See Page 6).
We have carefully studied all the data available on your child, from Key Stage
2 levels to the most recent assessment data and have used this to make our
pathway recommendation.
This is a guideline, and we are happy to have a conversation if you or your
son/daughter feel they would be more successful on a different pathway.
We hope the information, advice and guidance presented in this brochure is
helpful in making the decisions.
Our Curriculum
Pathways.
The two pathways are:
Blenheim Pathway
– you will follow the core (compulsory)
curriculum of Maths, English Language, English Literature,
Double Award Science, PE and RS, taking exams in each of
these subjects.
In addition, you will choose
one
further subject from the
extended core. (Geography, History, French, German,
Spanish or Computing) and
three
further options of free
choice.
Baccalaureate Pathway
– this is a more academic pathway,
with the same core curriculum as the Blenheim pathway,
however
two
options are selected from the extended core -
a Humanity (History or Geography) and a modern foreign
language (French, German or Spanish).
Two
further options of free choice complete the
Baccalaureate pathway.
Both the Blenheim and Baccalaureate pathways provide a
good foundation for A-level study, followed by University or
employment.
Further guidance can be found
