Here at Clacton Coastal Academy we are passionate about ensuring that our curriculum affords all of our young people the educational currency required for their long-term success in further education and employment. In Years 7, 8 and 9 your child has accessed a wide range of subjects, and undoubtedly will have made decisions about which subjects they enjoy and where they experience success. They will also be beginning to think about what they may like to do in the future and what interests them. This booklet contains important information about the options subjects including the content studied and how students will be assessed during and at the end of the course.

The Year 9 options process for your child is outlined below:

• All students will continue to study English, Maths and Science in Year 10 and 11

• Students will be given a pathway according to their ability, From this pathway students can then select four option subjects which they will study throughout Year 10 and 11.

• If a student wants to study an Art and Design subject, they can only choose either one of the following: Art, Photography or Graphics. You will need to specify which one on the options form. 

• If a student wants to study Performing Arts, they can only choose either Drama or Dance. You will need to specify which one on the options form. 

Having read the booklet and discussed this with your child, there will be a series of assemblies and videos for students to find out more about each one of the subjects being offered. 

Parents/carers and students will then have a Year 9 Parents Evening/Options Evening on Thursday 15th February where choices will be made having spoken to teachers and heard about the current academic performance of your child.

The deadline for options submissions will be Monday 26th February at 8.40am.

Failure to complete this form by this date could result in your child not being allocated their first-choice subjects.

When completing the options form please consider the following:

• Students should not make choices based on their current teachers for that subject as there is no guarantee the same teacher will teach the same group next year

• Students should not choose subjects simply because their friends are doing it

• Subjects will only be offered if a sufficient number of students make it viable. If an option subject is unable to run students will receive their reserve option

In the event of a subject having more students opting for it than places available, some students will be allocated their reserve choice. This decision will be based upon evidence of the students’ effort in the subjects

this year. Once options have been confirmed, there will not be any movement between option subjects. We hope that the information above provides clarity and reassurance about how these important decisions will be made at Clacton Coastal Academy.

Option choices won’t be confirmed until May half term, so it is important students continue to work hard in all the subjects they currently study.

Thank you in advance for your support and engagement with this process. If you have any questions, please direct them to Mr Fleury at the Academy via the contactus@clactoncoastalacademy.org email address.