Year 9 options

There are two types of qualifications at Key Stage 4.

GCSEs: The majority of subjects are offered as GCSEs. These involve a greater proportion of formal exams at the end of the course.

Vocational Courses: Technical Awards such as BTECs and WJECs are vocational qualifications where students complete the majority of the course (60%) in the classroom under controlled conditions. There are less formal exams than in GCSEs, and these are spread over the two years with an opportunity to resit. They have a different grading system, however, they are equivalent to traditional GCSE grades.

Vocational courses offer a more hands on learning style - ‘learning by doing’, which can suit different learning styles. It’s a common misconception that vocational courses are ‘less than’ GCSEs. In fact, they are equal, and are highly respected and accepted by colleges, universities and employers. They are usually directly related to a particular job area or career and are great preparation for employment.

You can study both GCSEs and vocational qualifications alongside one another. It is really sensible to choose a mixture of both.

Specific entry requirements for different courses, sixth forms, colleges and universities do vary and will be listed on the institutions’ own websites and prospectuses. So, if you have ideas for what you might like to pursue in the future, it is well worth exploring the requirements of specific courses, as well as the links below.

However, don’t panic! Apart from English, Maths and Science, few university courses require specific subjects at Key Stage 4. Choosing a broad and balanced selection of courses will keep your options open, and picking courses according to your interests and strengths should lead you in the right direction.

The majority of courses you take will be GCSE courses which are mostly assessed by written external examinations and internal controlled assessments. All external examinations for GCSE subjects are now taken at the end of Year 11. There are a few courses which include other assessed elements, such as portfolios in Art & Design and Photography.

Vocational qualifications include a mixture of external and internal assessments spread over the length of the course. Some of these assessments are done under exam conditions, whilst others are practical assessments where you need to demonstrate skills - such as coaching in Sports Studies. Students have opportunity to plan and prepare for the assessment.

Please check the details in the subject pages listed below, which all include information about how their course is assessed.

We will do our best to ensure that students are happy with their option choices. Most of students in your year will get their first choice of subjects - but logistically this is a huge job and there are some limitations due to staffing and rooms. A small number of students may have to select an alternative to study.

Courses are all run subject to demand, and require enough students to run. For courses where demand is high, we will normally add additional groups.