Your Choice - A Guide for Year 9 Option Choices 2007

Introduction

This page is designed specially to give you guidance and information about your courses for the next two years at Westborough High School. We want the courses that you follow to be the best ones possible to meet your individual needs, interests and abilities. You will be asked to make some important decisions about some of the courses you will take, so read this carefully.

Once you begin your course in Year 10, you will need to work hard, attend every day and make sure you keep up with homework and coursework assignments.

When you have read this booklet the questions you will be able to answer are:

  • What subjects do I choose?
  • Who will help me choose?
  • How will I make my choices?
  • When will I know what my final programme is?

Core Subjects (the ones everybody has to study)

All Westborough High School Students must study a common core of subjects which includes:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Personal, Social, Citizenship and Work Related/Enterprise Education (PSE)
  • Physical Education
  • Religious Education

Option Choices

Subjects are divided into lists which we call BLOCKS

You must make a FIRST and a RESERVE choice from EACH block because the school cannot guarantee that you will always be able to have your first choice.

Please note: if you choose Health and Social Care you must choose the same subject in both blocks because it is a DOUBLE OPTION.  If you choose Health and Social Care in Block C you must choose it in Block D.

Please note:  You can choose TWO BTEC courses from Business, Travel and Tourism, Performing Arts, Music or ICT.

If you choose Business or Travel and Tourism taking a Modern Foreign Language GCSE would be advantageous.

At the back of the Options Booklet is an Options Form for you to practice on.

At Options Evening on the 28th February you will be given your own individual form with your name printed on it.  You can then transfer your choices to your personal form. Read the instructions for choosing very carefully and discuss your choices with

  • Your parents/carers
  • Your subject teachers
  • Your Form Tutor
  • Your Head of Year / Dr Wild
  • Sign the form yourself and then have it signed by your Parents and Form Tutor

 

Your Individual Programme of Study

Our new pathway system has been designed to ensure that students study what is best for them.  Whichever pathway you are in you still have a full range of Options to choose from. Your form tutors will help you with your choices.  After three years of looking after you, they know you well!  You will get lots of advice from them about making the right choices ensuring you choose a balance of subjects across the curriculum.

Only choose subjects which have similar content/aspects if your Form Tutor thinks the combination will help you achieve the greatest success.

What do I have to do next?

The next section of this booklet gives you information to help you decide which choices to make. Use the CHOICES QUIZ to help you become familiar with the subjects which are available to you.  Remember, you can ask your Form Tutor, Subject Teachers and Parents to help.

When you have completed the Options Quiz, talked to people who can give you advice and discussed it with your parents/carers, fill in the DRAFT Option Choices form at the back of the booklet. You will be given your final personal options form at Options Evening on the 28th February and then you can transfer your choices from the example onto the final form.

Make sure that your parents/carers sign the form.  The first chance to return the form will be at Options Evening on the 28th February, when you can hand it to Mr Dyson or Dr Wild.

All completed Options Forms should be handed to your Form Tutor by Monday 5th March 2007.

A lot of work has to be done by the school then.  You will be informed of your Options Programme sometime during the Summer Term.

PLEASE NOTE

The School will try as far as possible to ensure that students are able to study all the subjects they have chosen.  However, please understand that the constraints of teaching staff, rooms, equipment and class size may mean that we are not always able to offer the full choice of Options that each student would like to follow.  That is why we ask all students to make a RESERVE choice in each block.

GOOD LUCK! Enjoy this really important part of your school career.