GCSEs at AW BISR

Welcome to Key Stage 4. You have reached a very important stage in your school career. During Years 7, 8 and 9 at BISR, you followed the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum in most subjects and all students followed a similar programme of study.  At Key Stage 4 however, in line with your growing maturity, you will face option choices and have the opportunity to create an individual learning plan. It is important that you consider the choices very carefully and select the most appropriate route forward so that you take subjects that will lead ultimately to a satisfying and rewarding career.

Few students in Year 9 have a definitive idea of the career path they are likely to pursue, so it is advisable to choose a broad and balanced curriculum and in order to keep your options open. The Key Stage 4 National Curriculum still contains compulsory areas of study, covering key areas such as Mathematics, Science, English and Physical Education, although even within these subject areas there may be an element of choice regarding the depth of study.  In addition you are able to opt for extra subjects, some of which you may never have tried before, so it is important to research as much as you can before making your decision. This could include reading the subject information carefully, talking to older students, to teachers, to family and friends and also to our careers and higher education counsellor.

The curriculum on offer is designed to ensure you receive an appropriate balance of core subjects and opportunities to specialise in order to maximise your abilities and set yourself challenging goals. This will enable you to face the demands placed on you by an ever-changing and very challenging world. You will have excellent teachers, and your parents will, no doubt, be very supportive, but you are entering a phase of your education when you must take an increasing role in your learning.  Choose wisely and you will enjoy this next stage of your learning journey.

At BISR, we recognise that choosing your GCSE options is both an important and exciting step in your educational journey. 

Until now, you have studied a broad curriculum that has allowed you to experience a variety of subjects: one that, hopefully, has given you an insight into what you enjoy, what you don’t enjoy and what you would like to do in the future. Of course, there are certain subjects that are compulsory, but you also have many other options to choose from in order to personalise your course of study.

Such decisions are not easy. You will need to try to balance your interests with your future educational and career plans, as well as aiming to keep a broad enough range of subjects so as not to limit your future options.

The  decisions you make now will affect not only your next two years of study, but could also impact on your A Levels, Higher Education and, eventually, your career choices, so you must make sure you are well informed. 

I encourage you to use all the resources at your disposal to help you with this process: read the course information carefully, speak to your teachers, to your friends and family and to our Careers Advisor in order to make sure that you have all the information you need before making your  decisions. 

While this process can seem very daunting, it is also a very exciting time in your life. You have the opportunity to personalise your educational path and take the first steps towards your future career. 

I wish you all the very best of luck in your endeavours!