Year 9 Curriculum Choices

Dear Parent/Carer

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support throughout your child's time at Wilmington Academy. As we draw closer to the end of their MYP journey in Key Stage Three, students are required to consider their ‘Curriculum Choices’ for Key Stage Four.

Due to the excellent feedback from our ‘Curriculum Choices’ process from last year, we will continue to provide a ‘virtual’ process, enabling parents/carers and students to have constant access to subject information from anywhere in the world. 

Our curriculum choices website will go live from Monday 11 March 2024 and will be accessible via the main Wilmington Academy website. Everything you and your child needs to know about the process will be available on the ‘Year 9 Curriculum Choices Website’. It will contain subject information, guidance on qualifications and careers support alongside other useful information and links. 

The curriculum choice is formed of a core offer, comprising of; English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Combined Science, a Humanity (Geography or History) Modern Foreign Languages (French or Spanish). Our core offer is compulsory for all students, with the exception of those contacted directly by pastoral teams. Through this core offer, your child would study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which is highly recommended for students by the Department for Education, due to the breadth of the curriculum and desirable skills developed for future employment. 

To support the EBacc and obtain a balanced portfolio of level two qualifications, students will also select two option subjects (one per block), ensuring that a different reserve (second choice) is also highlighted. Students cannot select the same choice in both blocks. 

Choices must be made on the Curriculum Choices Google form which can be found on the Year 9 Curriculum Choices website from Wednesday 27 March 2024. This form will also be posted directly to the student's Tutor Group Google Classroom. The form can only be completed once, so if you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the relevant college admin.

In order to support your child in making an informed decision regarding their choices, we have created an Options Taster Day. This will be held on Wednesday 13 March.  As part of the event, your child will have the opportunity to try four ‘taster’ lessons in subjects they have not studied before, to give your child an insight into what studying those subjects might be like.

In addition to this, we will also be hosting a ‘Curriculum Choices Week’ (18th to 22th March). Through our tutor time programme, further subject and careers information will be given to our Year 9 students. Our Heads of Year will also be available if students wish to speak with them about their choices. 

There will be an Options Information Afternoon followed by the Year 9 Parents’ Evening on Wednesday 27 March 2024. Both events will be held at Wilmington Academy. Appointments for parents' evening can be booked via My Child At School (MCAS) (further information will be sent regarding this). Both events will enable parents/carers and students to discuss their progress, about their studies moving forward and their suitability to option subjects, with further information to follow shortly. 

Whilst we endeavour to provide as many first choices as we can, this is not always possible. So it is important that you take careful consideration when selecting your second choice. All parents/carers and students will receive their final curriculum choices at the start of module 6 via a letter sent home to parents/carers.

We ask that all choices via the form are completed by Friday 19 April 2024.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Yours faithfully

Ms C Quan

Assistant Principal

Curriculum Choices Lead