Key Stage 4 Options

Year 9 into 10 Options

Welcome to the Year 9 Options page of the school website. This area has been designated to help you with the curriculum choices that you are about to make. Please see below some key information, dates and resources we would highly recommend you review when making your option choices:

Key Dates:

• Wednesday 24th January - Your child’s option booklet will be emailed to you and students will attend an options assembly on this day as well, where the options process will be explained in full.
• Monday 29th January onwards - Subject information talks during lesson time will take place.
• Wednesday 31st January – Our Options Presentation Evening will be held on Wednesday 31st January 5pm-7.30pm.
• Monday 5th February to Friday 16th February - GCSE taster lessons will be offered after school for students to sign up to if they wish. This will be an opportunity for students to experience what it would be like to study particular subjects at GCSE.
• Thursday 15th February Year 9 Hybrid Consultative
• Friday 16th February - The option form goes live on EduLink and students can start to submit their choices.
• Friday 1st March - Deadline for all option choices to be submitted.

Options PowerPoints:

Each option subject has created a PowerPoint slide with audio to help support students further with their option choices. Staff talk through the key aspects of each course and give advice and further guidance, helping students to gain a better understanding of the courses on offer and which they would enjoy studying.

You can view the audio PowerPoints by clicking here. You will need to sign in to Google Drive with your school account. If you cannot see the videos you may be logged in with a personal account and will need to switch.

Options Booklet:

Please find here Options Booklet Pathway 1 and Options Booklet Pathway 2 booklets, which include detailed information about the options process, as well as qualification overviews and career advice. These booklets provides all the information needed to support students during this period, helping them to make informed decisions, leading to students choosing subjects that they will enjoy and excel in.

Parent Communication:

Please see below letters shared with parents in regards to Options.

• Year 9 Options Parent Letter
• Year 9 Options Parent Letter 2

Further Resources:

• Unifrog – This is a careers website that The Appleton School subscribe to which provides a wealth of information and support. All students have been issued with log in details via email for this.
• The National Careers Website- This provides information for both students and parents www.nationalcareersservice.gov.uk and there is a helpline where you can speak to a qualified careers advisor 0800 100 900.
• Talking Futures – When it comes to education and careers, parents and carers are quite often the biggest influence in young people’s lives. The Talking Futures resources is designed to support parents and carers to have meaningful conversations with their child about the range of training and education pathways open to them.
• Where Next? – Not all young people know what they want to do when they are older – even if they do, they may not know how to get started or what training and qualifications they will need to get there. The Where Next? Resources provide further information about the training and education available to young people in Essex.
• Essex Opportunities – This is a one stop shop for information on careers, skills, jobs and apprenticeships in Essex.
• Careers advisor- Students can email Mrs Palmer, our careers advisor, for further support and guidance careers@theappletonschool.org.
• Family and Friends Network – Please encourage your child to speak to their friends and family about their chosen subjects and to find out their personal experiences of courses they are or have studied.
• Higher Educational Institutions – Access local College or University websites if you have a career path in mind, what expectations do these providers require from GCSEs? Are there any subjects that are compulsory or desired for specific courses?
• Teachers – Students and parents can speak directly with subject teachers, form tutors and area advisors who will all be more than happy to answer any questions they might have.