Y9 OPTIONS for KS4
Mr Herron
Deputy Headteacher
Curriculum & Standards
wELCOME TO SOMERVALE's Y9 OPTIONs WEBSITE
Dear Parents/Carers,
In September 2024 your son/daughter, along with all students in the present Year 9, will begin a two year course leading to qualifications in GCSEs or their TECH Award vocational equivalents: BTECs and VCERTs. In this website you will find details of the courses we offer and the types of assessment and examinations used.
Options Evening will take place at Somervale School on Thursday 11th January, 6-8pm.
Click here to read more.
To assist in these important decisions this website will provide you with:
an online guide to each subject
a recorded presentation on the Options process
‘How to’ guides to filling in the Google options form
Your child will have already attended an options assembly and will have been informed of the Pathway they are on in a separate letter before Christmas.
There will also be a subject Parents' Evening on Thursday 18th January. You will be able to use this event to discuss the progress made by your child with their subject teachers and their suitability for further study in Y10.
Our aim is to allow a degree of choice while making sure that all pupils have a broad and balanced curriculum. Following Options Evening, students will be sent a link to an ONLINE GOOGLE FORM for the CORRECT pathway, which will allow you to make the choices alongside your child. This will need to be completed by the deadline, Monday 22nd January, 4pm. If you are unable to access the GOOGLE FORM, then you may contact Mr Herron (therron@somervaleschool.com), who will organise for you to complete the form in school.
For much of this year, students have spent a great deal of PSHE time (as well as time in other subjects) in preparation for the important decisions which must now be taken. Hence the content of this website should contain no surprises for your son or daughter.
Obviously, staffing levels and accommodation have an impact on the options which we can offer. While every attempt will be made to accommodate students’ requests, it may be necessary to offer some students alternative options from those that they initially request. This may occur if too few pupils opt for a subject, or if there are too many to accommodate. In addition, if a student chooses an unsuitable subject, or too narrow a range of subjects, they will receive an Options Guidance session, where they will be able to discuss their choices and explore a range of appropriate alternatives.
I urge you to read through all the information you receive with your son or daughter. Please do not hesitate to contact your Year Leader (Mr Matsumoto), our SENCO (Miss Harris) or Mr Herron (Deputy Headteacher), if you require advice on any aspect of your child’s subject choices which may be causing you concern. You can do this via enquiries@somervaleschool.com
Yours faithfully,
Mr Herron
Deputy Headteacher
Pathways
Please watch the video above to learn about our KS4 Curriculum. We recommend viewing this video in full screen.
We want to support students by offering 3 pathways which will:
give them the opportunity to achieve the highest possible outcomes.
ensure that the qualifications students are taking will help them progress to appropriate subjects in the 6th form, College or Apprenticeships, and then onto their future careers or Higher education.
encourage students to choose the most challenging subjects in which they are able to succeed and so allow our students to compete well with other students across the nation in the future.
We will look at the previous achievements of students in a range of subjects, including Maths, English, the Humanities and Languages, to determine which range of subjects will offer students the most appropriate choices. Whilst we will place students on a Guided Pathway, there will be a considerable overlap between each Pathway, and also the opportunity for students to move between Pathways in discussion with Mr Herron. All students will be initially placed in a particular Pathway to begin with.
SELECT A PATHWAY TO START YOUR VIRTUAL TOUR
Students select one subject from History or Geography.
They then select three further options.
Students select one subject from History or Geography.
They then select three further options. One of these options may also be French and/or Spanish.
Students select one subject from French or Spanish.
They then select one subject from Geography or History.
Then select two further options.
Options Form Guidance Videos
Pathway 1
Google Form Guidance
Pathway 2
Google Form Guidance
Pathway 3
Google Form Guidance