Joshua's Year 8 School Options

School has certainly changed since I was Joshua's age as we never got to make options in Year8. However Year 8 students nowadays get the opportunity to make choices from elements of the curriculum they will study in Year 9.  Maths, English, Science, French/Spanish, History, Geography, ERP, Citizenship and Competitive Sport remain compulsory and students are required to choose their other subjects as outlined below, but then they get to pick three subjects from a list of taster options which they study in Year 9. We sat down with Josh to go through all the choices with him and I have to say I am very pleased with his selection:

Computing and ICT

Students will be introduced to a variety of aspects of Computing and ICT including developing creativity, digital media, developing and applying analytic and computational thinking skills, understanding how technology affects safety, privacy and identity.  The year will be a combination of Computer Science and ICT to allow for informed option choices to be made for Year 10.  

Design & Technology

Students will get an introduction to product design through exploring a number of iterative design projects and industry manufacturing processes including sketching ideas, technical drawing, model making (prototyping), 2D & 3D digital design, 3D printing, and laser cutting. We will be working with, and learning about the properties of, a variety of materials including paper and boards, wood, plastics, metals, and smart materials. Some fundamental skills we will focus on throughout the course are creativity, problem solving and working to deadlines.

Business & Enterprise

Business and Enterprise Students will be introduced to the ‘world of business’ this will include an introduction to Marketing, Finance and Production. Students will develop a range of skills, useful for studying GCSE Business and the Enterprise Tech Award in Year 10 and 11. These skills will include: leadership, presentation and creativity. Students will have the opportunity develop their own business idea, and create a business plan, which they will pitch to an audience, ‘Dragons Den’ style.