Year 9 Options Booklet 2021 2022 - Boldon School

Year 9

Options Booklet
  2021 - 2022

Dear Parent/Guardian

At the end of Year 9 students have to make two further option
choices. This includes deciding on whether to continue studying
Geography or History to GCSE level and to continue studying
Digital IT or RE to GCSE level. To further support students with
these option choices, we have arranged for each subject to provide
further information about the content and structure of the subject
through video/powerpoint presentations.

All these videos and presentations are now available on the school
website (https://boldonschool.com/our-school/curriculum/) and
your child will get an opportunity to view the presentations in
school week commencing Monday 29 March 2021. The deadline for
option choices is Thursday 1 April 2021 by a paper based form.
We emphasise the importance of good attendance in Years 10 and
11. Some GCSE and BTEC subjects involve coursework. This counts
towards their final grade and will occur at different stages
throughout the course. It is only by attending school regularly that
your child’s chances of success are maximised.
Yours sincerely

Mr D Fairclough
Assistant Head Teacher

Geography
Geography is about understanding the world’s people, places and
environments. It illuminates the past, explains the present and
prepares us for the future. Students will continue to develop
their knowledge and understanding of physical and human
geography and the links between them as well as their
cartographic, numeracy and enquiry skills. It is a linear course
that is assessed through three examinations at the end of Year 11.
The course is split into three sections:
Unit 1 – Living with the Physical Environment. This covers Natural
Hazards (tectonic hazards, weather hazards, climate change),
Ecosystems (including tropical rainforests and hot deserts) and
Coasts & Rivers.
Unit 2 – Challenges in the Human Environment. This covers Urban
Issues and Challenges, Changing Economic World and Resource
Management (inclufing food, energy and water).
Unit 3 – Geographical Applications. This includes fieldwork
enquiries and an Issue Evaluation, based around a decision making
exercise using a pre-release resources booklet made available 12
weeks before the Unit 3 examination.
Course assessment
    Paper 1—Living in the Physical
     Environment (90 minute examination)
    Paper 2—Challenges in the Human Environment (90 minute
     examination)
    Paper 3—Geographical Applications (75 minute examination
     including pre-release)

History
The GCSE history content comprises of four sections, each will be
examined by a one hour examination. The GCSE course will allow
students to study a range of historical topics and develop useful
skills for the future such as examining source material and
developing an argument.      Students will study the following
elements:
    Conflict and Tension: The First World War, 1894 – 1918
This is is an in-depth study of the First World War, why it
happened and key events such as the Battle of Somme.
    America, 1920 -1973: Opportunity and Inequality
This is a study of 20th century America that looks at key events
including the rise of gangsters in the 1920s, the depression in the
USA and the Civil Rights movement and actions of figures such as
Martin Luther King.
    Norman England 1066 – 1100
This module takes students back to
1066, to learn about key events such
as the Battle of Hastings and the building of castles across
England. It touches on topics taught in Year 7.
    Health and the People (1100 – Present day)
This module looks at a history of medicine and health throughout
time. It looks at diseases such as the black death and Smallpox and
how certain diseases were treated through the work of individuals
such as Edward Jenner. It also allows students to look at modern
day events such as the formation of the NHS. This module is useful
if students want to go into a career in nursing or medicine.

Digital IT
The demand for IT & Digital skills is growing rapidly on a daily basis.
Almost all jobs require employees to have some form of digital
understanding. Jobs in Digital IT can be exceptionally well paid and
rewarding and the opportunities are endless. The skills are
transferrable, meaning you could travel anywhere in the world and
pursue a career in Digital IT. Every business requires IT support to
ensure digital products, services and systems work effectively.
Studying Digital IT will provide you with the ability to understand
logic and processes and advance in the way you think and relate to
the world. By studying Digital IT, see below the various types of jobs
you can have with an IT qualification.
    Social Media Influencer / App Developer / Games Developer /
     Web Developer / Software / Video Game Designer
    Cyber Security / Network Administrator / User Interface
     Designer
Course Structure
You will develop knowledge in a range of key
areas required to work in the IT sector. You
will learn a range of topics including; social media
influencing, social media applications, ethical hacking,
cyber security, user interfaces and cloud technologies.
If you are an individual who struggles with the pressures
of an exam determining your final grade, Digital IT is a combination
of coursework and an examination. This means your full grade will
not be determined by an examination.
    60% coursework / 40% exam

Religious Education

Religious studies is an integral part of the curriculum and
students will follow the GCSE course set by the AQA examination
board. This new specification provides students with the
opportunity to learn about the beliefs and practices of 2 major
world religions, alongside a variety of moral and ethical issues that
impact the world today. This is a linear course which is
assessed through two examinations in Year 11 and the units
covered across Years 10 and 11 are:

   An in depth study of 2 world religions. All students will study
    Christianity, with the second religion being either
    Buddhism or Judaism. For each religion students will learn
    about the key beliefs, teachings and practices.

The course also includes 4 thematic studies. These look at major
issues in the world we live in from different faith perspectives.

   Relationships and families, which includes topics such as
    marriage, divorce, cohabitation, starting a family and gender
    roles and equality
   Religion and life, which includes topics such as the origins and
    values of the universe, the origins and values of human life
   Religion, peace and conflict, which includes topics such as the
    reasons for war, peace, reconciliation and forgiveness, Holy
    and ‘Just’ war rules, terrorism and the work of peacemakers
   Religion, crime and punishment, which includes topics such as
    the causes and impacts of crime, aims and forms of
    punishment, including arguments for
    and against corporal punishment and
    the death penalty. This unit also
    looks at the concept of forgiveness
    and how prisoners can be reformed
    and rehabilitated.

Contacts
If you have any problems or queries please do not hesitate to
contact the following members of staff at Boldon School:

Mr D Fairclough Assistant Head Teacher
Mrs J Patterson Assistant Head Teacher
Mr N Burrell     Faculty Leader

Phone 0191 5362176

Email
david.fairclough@boldonschool.org.uk
joanne.patterson@boldonschool.org.uk
neil.burrell@boldonschool.org.uk

Options

… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
                                                                                           Options

                                                                        Name

                                                                        Tutor Group

                                                                         Please tick ONE box in section 1 and 2 overpage

                                                                                 and return this page to either

                                                                        Mr D Fairclough / Mrs J Patterson / Mr N Burrell

                                                                                 The deadline for option choices
                                                                                   by this paper based form is
                                                                                     Thursday 1 April 2021

Select ONE Option from Box 1 and ONE Option from Box 2 for
the options you wish to continue to GCSE / Year 11.

         Box 1—Option Subjects
    (Select ONE option from the list below)
                                                      
                 Geography

                   History

         Box 2—Option Subjects
    (Select ONE option from the list below)
                                                      
                  Digital IT

            Religious Education

If a student is interested in studying both Geography and History
then this may be possible. Please contact the school via the
contact details on the previous pages in this booklet for further
information.