Options for Y9 Students – IGCSE

Dear Y9 Parents and Students,

For the first time in your child’s schooling, they will be able to choose the subjects that they want to study.  This is an incredibly exciting opportunity and one that marks an important stage in becoming a young adult. We have a number of support opportunities that are designed to help you make these decisions. Throughout the process you will be able to interact with the middle school team, subject teachers and myself. There will also be an online information brochure available to you on our website.

In order to guide our students to become well-rounded, and prepared for the demands of IB, we have made some selections for them by establishing a ‘compulsory curriculum’. This means that all students will study Maths, Science, English, Global and Social Thinking Skills and Physical Education as a part of the core component of the course.

In addition students have the autonomy to choose their own ‘optional’ subjects. They should focus on the subjects which they are developing a strong interest. Students can choose four subjects from the following groups:

•    Group 1 (Languages)
•    Group 2 (Individuals and Societies)
•    Group 3 (Creativity)
•    Group 4 (Free choice)

There are no prerequisites in the Diploma Programme or Careers Programme except for Languages which means that you do not have to study a subject in Y10 and Y11 in order to study it in Year 12, although it can be useful preparation for some subjects.

Please note that our school timetable will be built around choices, as it is important to us to create a new, student driven, timetable each year.  Although we do everything we can to accommodate student choice, this is not always possible and, if this is the case, the Head of Year will work with students to re-select subjects. If changes are requested after the timetable has been set we can only accommodate them if there is space in the class and it fits within our timetable structure.

Notes for your calendar

Week of 18 November
A series of short assemblies introducing the (I)GCSE Programme of study, including new subjects on offer.

Tuesday 26 November
3.45 – 4.15: Parent/Student Y9 Options Information Session
4.15 – 6.45: Parent Consultation Sessions with subject teachers

Wednesday 27 November
Option’s forms open online

Wednesday 4 December
Option’s Forms Deadline for online submission

I look forward to taking this next step with you.

Kind regards,