This booklet contains details of all the courses available in Key Stage 4. It is designed to help students, parents and carers understand the option choices and to enable students to make fully informed decisions. The choices students are going to make are extremely important and should be in consultation with parents/carers, teaching and pastoral staff. Mr Farmer, our Careers' advisor, is on hand to offer support alongside the Head of Year 9.

The Guided Pathways Choices 2024 booklet is available to view here. 

The Guided Pathways Choices Form is available to view here.

7th January onwards: Year 9 Choices Interviews.

These will take place with either a senior member of staff, a Head of Year, SEND Key Worker or our Careers Advisor. Your child should bring their choices with them written down to this interview and will be informed of the date/time/location by their form tutor. 

27th February: Year 9 Parents’ Evening 15:30 - 18:00.

This is an extremely important Parents’ Evening so that you can be well-informed about your child’s progress in their subjects and ask any additional questions you may have about Year 9 Choices. 

16th January: Year 9 Choices Evening.

For parents/carers only. This takes place on Tuesday 30th January, at 17:30. We look forward to seeing you there. 

TBC: Year 9 Choices assemblies.

These are for students only and will inform students about those subjects at KS4 they won’t have studied before or may be unfamiliar with. Please ensure your child is in full attendance all week. 

TBC: Deadline for the Year 9 Choices form.

Parents should oversee the completion of this form to ensure they are aware of their child’s choices.

At these events, we will hopefully increase the information you already have, and will enable you to make a well-informed decision with your child about their options for Year 10 and 11. It is important to note, choices made at Key Stage 4 can form and facilitate the basis of further study or training at Key Stage 5.

The Choices process has been designed to maximise choices without restricting potential subject clashes into separate option blocks. Once all the options choice forms are collated, the curriculum team will work over the coming months to ensure, wherever possible, students will be able to follow their first or second choices.

The final subject choices will be confirmed in the summer term.

 

Read the Guided Pathways Choices booklet carefully.

The booklet is designed to give an overview of each subject you can choose to study in Year 10 and 11. Students are encouraged to think about the qualifications they might enjoy, which subjects they find interesting? They are encouraged to think about what they will study and how this is assessed. Some courses may offer coursework, while others are completely exam-based.

Talk about the choices process.

Talking to people about options is a really important part of the process. Subject teachers will be able to give students more information about the specifics of the course they will study. There will be an 

Students are encouraged to speak to people at home. Siblings or other family members of a similar age might also be able to give students advice about the process.

Consider the future.

Students need to think about what type of career they might want to have in the future. Are there any qualifications that would be more helpful for that career? If they are not sure, they can make an appointment with the school careers advisor, Mr Farmer.

If students aren’t sure what type of career they would like to pursue, they can consider keeping their choices open and picking subjects that keep a wide range of options available to them.

Are students choosing subjects for the right reasons?

We encourage students not to pick subjects because their friends are picking them. The chances are they won’t end up in the same class. Also, not pick a subject because they like a particular teacher, they may not end up having them at GCSE. Students should pick subjects they enjoy because they enjoy them and want to learn more about them.

When does the choices process take place?

The options process takes place in the spring term. Dates of deadlines in the choices process will be detailed in the options pathways booklet.

How many subjects will I study?

All students will study English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and Science double award. Students will also pick 3 subjects as options to study and gain GCSEs in.

Where can I find information about potential choices subjects?

The information for each course can be found in the Guided Pathways Choices Booklet which will be printed and given to students ahead of the Choices information evening. You can also find an electronic copy on our website.

Is there setting at GCSE?

Students are put in to sets for English, Maths and Science. Options subject groups are typically mixed ability.

When do GCSE subjects start?

Students will begin studying their GCSE courses when they return to school in September.

Why do I have to pick reserve choices?

We cannot guarantee at this stage that all the courses included in this booklet will be offered in September 2023. If there is very low demand for a particular subject, it may not be possible to run the course. Therefore, we ask students to pick reserve choices which they will study in the event a particular course cannot run.

What is the EBacc?

The English Baccalaureate is a group of qualifications. The EBacc is not a qualification in its own right – it’s a combination of GCSE subjects, that offer a wide range of knowledge and skills to young people. To achieve the English Baccalaureate, students will need a good GCSE grade (9-5) in English, Maths, Science, a Modern Foreign Language, and History or Geography. Universities consider these subjects to be useful for higher education.

What if I change my mind about my choices?

In the event a student chooses a subject then wishes to swap to another, this should be discussed with their head of year. Once we have started the GCSE courses, any changes would mean that pupils have missed vital work on key content and skills. No changes will be permitted after the first 2 weeks of the start of the term in September. Any changes after this date would only be authorised in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Headteacher.

Who can I talk to about the choices process?

Students are encouraged to make an appointment with Mr Farmer, our careers advisor to discuss choices. They can also speak to their subject teachers, form tutor or head of year.

We also encourage students to have conversations about choices at home with parents.