CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL -DUBAI

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL -DUBAI

Your Choice at Thirteen Plus

KS4 OPTIONS GUIDE 2016-18

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CONTENTS

PAGE

WELCOME TO CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

LETTER TO PARENTS OPTION BLOCKS KS4 BTEC UNDERTAKING FORM PATHWAYS PLANNING BTEC COURSES GCSE/IGCSE COURSES ADDITIONAL COURSES

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GEMS

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Advice and Guidance

Read course descriptions Discuss your options with

Your parents/carer Ask your teachers for advice Please note it is the subject that

is chosen and not the teacher Make provisional choices in boxes

Of options table Try to avoid similar subjects to

Welcome to Cambridge International School

Cambridge International School is one of the most established and successful international schools in Dubai. The school was initially founded in 1983 in Karama as The Cambridge High School. The school has well over 2000 students from around 80 nationalities attending its current campus in Garhoud.

Cambridge International School has grown from strength to strength over the years and has a well-proven track record of success in both academic and extra-curricular activities.

At Key Stage 4 (year 10 and 11) a wide range of courses are offered to prepare students for higher and further education, training and employment. We expect all students to select a balanced range of subjects and encourage students to continue through to Post-16. This will equip them to make choices from a wide range of universities and education providers, as well as preparing them for future employment.

A large percentage of our students who move on to post-16 carry on to higher education. The most common pathways chosen are UK, Canadian, American, Australian and UAE universities. Students are guided through the various application procedures in school. Information sessions are conducted throughout the year by CIS guidance staff as well as visiting guest speakers.

Cambridge International School offers a unique international learning experience for students. Its education programme maintains a holistic perspective and is based on the principles of Global Citizenship, Growing by Learning, Pursuing Excellence and Leading through Innovation.

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Letter to parents

3 ensura bread

Dear Parents and Guardians, KS4 Options

Year 9 is a particularly important year as it marks the end of of the Key Stage 3 and the journey towards KS4 examination courses that will be examined at the end of year 11. Decisions now need to be made about the most appropriate courses to be studied for individuals.

In choosing subjects, students' should think carefully about the following points:

? What do I enjoy? ? What am I good at? ? What do I need for future A-Level choices? ? Do I have a balance of subjects?

Please read this Year 9 Option guidance booklet. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the relevant Faculty Leader, Head of Year or our Careers Counselor.

The KS4 Curriculum

All students must study the following subjects:? Arabic for (Arabs) ? Islamic Studies (for Muslims)/Global Perspectives (all other students) ? English Language ? Mathematics ? One Science subject

All options selected are preferences and subject confirmation is dependent on course numbers, teacher recommendations and CAT4 scores.

Please copy pages 4 and 6 of the Option guidance booklet complete and return to your Learning Manager by Monday 22nd February. Following initial selection students may be asked to meet Faculty Leaders, teachers or the Head of Year to discuss their preferences. Parents may also be asked to attend meetings to discuss choices.

Students selecting BTEC subjects must complete and sign the disclaimer on page 5 to say they understand that BTEC is not recognised by the MOE. Yours sincerely,

Ms. Su Boyd

Ms. Lourdina Franco

Head of Middle School

Head of Senior School

KS4 Option Lists 2016-2018

Compulsory Subjects English Maths

Science & Computer

Science Physics

Biology

Languages & Options

Art

Business

Options

BTEC Options

Literature French

Business Studies Accounting

BTEC Creative Media

BTEC Information Technology

Humanities Options

Psychology

Sociology

Islamiyat ( for Muslims)

Chemistry

Arabic2

Economics

BTEC Business Studies

Geography

Global perspectives ( Computer

for non- Muslims)

Science

Drama

Travel and Tourism

BTEC Music

History

Arabic 1 ( for Arabs)

ICT

Art

Environmental Management

Please select your first and second preference.

Subject 1 Subject 2 Subject 3 Subject 4 Subject 5

Subject 6

First preference

Second preference

I, (student name)______________________________ in class_______________ confirm my preferred choices and recognise that these may be amended after consultation. Signed________________________ Date ________________ Countersigned (parent) ________________________ PS: Arab students will have Arabic plus 5 subjects as optional choices.

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Undertaking of understanding when selecting BTEC courses

I (parent name)___________________________________ understand that the BTEC courses are not currently recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education and therefore cannot be attested. At present, the following UAE universities recognise BTEC without attestation Middlesex, Heriot Watt and The American University in Dubai. Universities outside Dubai may or not recognise the qualification. Charges for the BTEC courses are payable before completion of the course and are not refundable once the student is enrolled. Registration for BTEC level 2 courses last year was 1200 AED, this cost is to be reviewed but is a guideline for the charges for the 2016-18 courses.

Signed_______________________ parent of _____________________________

(print name in full, as on passport) in class _______________________________ Date_____________________

Please return to the Learning Manager by 22nd February 2016

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PATHWAYS

The first step towards your future career is to plan out the journey. The activity below is designed to help you map this out effectively so that you are able to make better informed decisions. If you have a couple of different careers in mind, you will need to use multiple pathway maps. In order to complete your map you will need to complete some research

My desired career is...

What qualifications are needed? (i.e. degree, vocational cert' etc...)

What are the pre-requisites in order to achieve the above/what would be good to do?

What will the Post 16 requirements/needs be?

What levels do I need to access these courses and what am I predicted to achieve?

Subject

Level

CAT4 Prediction

What I need

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to achieve

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