Guided Choices For Year 9

Important update for current year 9 students - May 2025

As a school we are constantly reviewing our offer to provide the very best courses and outcomes for all that we serve. After a recent review, we are making some adjustments to our options choices at Year 9 so that, from September 2025, we can offer greater flexibility over choices, to ensure success beyond GCSEs and into your child's next steps. We are making the following changes:

• One more hour of English will be timetabled for KS4 from September. This will benefit not only English Literature and Language but also other subjects with a high literacy count.
• Students will continue to study Religious Studies, in all year from Year 7 to Year 11, but will no longer need to study the full course, at GCSE, unless they choose to do so.
• Food Studies, Construction and Hairdressing options will be brought in line with other qualifications so that they are a registered GCSE/BTEC.

To ensure we allow all students their maximum choice, please complete your options' choice table again and return to the Student Information Desk by Friday 16th May 2025. 

Parents and carers of current Year 9 students, please check your email inbox for a letter with more details about GCSE options and your Options' Choices Form.

Year 9 Guided Choices

Choosing your GCSEs is an important first step in shaping the direction of your future. Learn how we guide you through this milestone.

The process begins with a Year 9 parent and student Information Evening in January/February and initial choices are requested from students shortly afterwards. This helps with curriculum planning and recruitment and at that point decisions are made by the executive team about which non-core subjects are likely to run. All group sizes need to indicate financial viability, except for where there is a particular special case for operating a smaller class as a ‘lost leader’. All students study our core subjects which are:

• English Language
• English Literature
• Maths
• Core and Additional Science (2 qualifications)/Separate Sciences
• Core PE (non-qualification)

Prior to student choosing their subjects there is a team leader analysis exercise of students’ ability to access Full EBACC provision. No students are force to access the Full EBACC, however personalised intervention will take place if a WILL student (see below) has not selected the Full EBACC but has been recommended for it. This intervention will take the form of an initial letter to make parents/carers aware of this, meetings and phone calls may then follow this. Students are categorised into three groups:

• Will (study the Full EBACC) – students choose a language, a humanities subject and one other free choice. Designed to secure the full English Baccalaureate qualification for our more academic students.
• Should (study the Full EBACC) - students choose one from either Spanish, History, Geography or Computer Science plus two other free choices. Designed to ensure a good range of subject choices and skill development for student and to meet the demands of the Attainment 8 and Progress 8 performance measures.
• May (study the Full EBACC) - students choose one from either Spanish, History, Geography or Computer Science plus two other free choices. Designed to ensure a good range of subject choices and skill development for student and to meet the demands of the Attainment 8 and Progress 8 performance measures. Some students will study an in-house designed Life Skills course (instead of a compulsory EBACC subject) plus two guided choices predominately from our vocational subjects but tailored to the particular skills and interests of the students.

The current offer of optional subjects for our Year 9 students includes:

The first process of information gathering in February is then followed by a prolonged period of consultation and guidance of students utilising the knowledge and skills of a range of stakeholders (Careers Inc our IAG provider, the SENDCO and Student Values team, the relevant learning manager, the Curriculum Vocation team, tutors, subject leaders and parents/carers). The choices are then communicated home for final confirmation and checking in May ready for the new Year 10 courses to start in September.

Learn more about Year 9 Guided Choices

Year 9 Subject Guides