Year 9 GCSE Options

Welcome to the Y9 GCSE options section of the website. This is an exciting point in your time at Highfields School. You now have the opportunity to make choices about the subjects you will study in years 10 and 11. In addition to a core of compulsory courses that everybody studies you are fortunate to have four further choices.

Our advice is that you should select a broad range of courses from the long and  varied list of subjects on offer. Choosing courses that interest you and which cover different areas of learning will give you a great basis for further work and study after year 11.

Detailed information on individual option subjects can be found in the curriculum guide below.

KS4 Curriculum Guide 2023-24

You can also find information about choosing your options and fill out your choices using the options booklet below.

Y9 Student Options Booklet

See below for further infomation.

Year 9 Options Presentation

Key Stage 4 Options – some Frequently asked questions:

Here are some questions that emerged from the recent virtual parents event.  In addition to the answers here please refer to the options information online and the form, which should answer most queries that parents / carers and students may have.

Is Triple Science an option? Where do I put it on the Option form?

Yes, Triple Science is an option.  The core curriculum includes a Combined Science course covering many aspects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology.  This course results in 2 GCSE grades in Science. Students who have a keen interest in Science can opt to take a Triple Science course.  This would be one of their 4 options.   It should be included on the options form as one of the preferences in the ‘Further Options’ section of the form

If PRS (Philosophy and Religious Studies) is being studied why doesn’t it lead to a GCSE?

PRS is part of the core curriculum and will be studied by students for 50 minute period a fortnight, along with the same allocation of time for PSHE.   Both courses are very valuable in preparing students for informed, active and safe participation in modern society.  They are not based on any exam specification and the time allocated would not be sufficient to meet the demands of a GCSE exam.   Students who have a keen interest in PRS can opt to take a full GCSE course, with the appropriate time allocation required to exam level.  The situation is similar with core PE – this is an important part of the curriculum for all students but it is not an examined option and it is not provided with the same study time as an option.   Students can opt for BTEC Sport or GCSE PE if they have a particular interest.

If there are any questions, for example about new subjects that students are not currently studying in Y9, who do we contact?

Please see the Key Stage 4 booklet on the website for course details.   At the bottom of each subject page there are contact details for the course leader / Head of Department.   Please use these or get in touch with Miss Exposito, Year 9 manager, who will direct your enquiry to the most appropriate person.

Why are there 6 spaces for options on the form but you only take 4?

This is so that we can provide 4 options from a student’s top 6 choices.   We will aim to meet the top 4 choices, so it is important to put them in order of preference.   This isn’t always possible but by listing 6 courses in order of preference we have the best chance of meeting students’ requests.