Help to make informed choices

Students make their GCSE options choices during the early spring of Year 8. Every student is supported through this process and introduced carefully to subjects that are new at KS4 so they can make informed choices.

We combine the Year 8 Options Evening with Parents Evening so that parents can talk to their child’s teachers about appropriate choices as well as their progress in that subject during Year 8. Where there are new subjects on offer at KS4, staff are present to consult with parents about the courses on offer in detail.  To meet the needs of all learners, we offer four routes through KS4; each designed around pathways into Post 16 education, employment or training

GCSE Curriculum

All students will study GCSE English, GCSE Maths, GCSE Science and 4 options subjects. All students will also study Core PE and RS, but these two subjects are non-examined.

Option Routes

  • Route A: Students complete a Language AND a Humanities subject, plus two options of their choice (approximately 50% of students)
  • Route B: Students complete a Humanities subject, plus three options of their choice (approximately 40% of students)
  • There are two further routes available to a small group of students with additional needs

Option Subjects

Most students choose 4 subjects from the following list:

  • Academic Options: Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Film Studies, Food Preparation and Nutrition, French, Geography, German, History, Music, Photography, Physical Education, Religious Studies and Spanish
  • Vocational options: Enterprise, Food Technology, ICT (i-Media), Music Technology and Travel & Tourism.