Intro

Year 9 students are at the start of the process of selecting their KS4 options for Year 10. This is the most important stage in your child’s education so far and we understand it can be an anxious time. Making the right decisions and choices is of vital importance.

Below is our Options Booklet and the timeline for the options process to allow you and your child to explore NOA’s GCSE offer further.

5 Stages

Stage 1:

In the week after half term, you will receive your child’s mid-year report and their invitation to one of our three pathways:

• EBacc – these students will be taking Spanish as one of their options.
• Triple Science/ EBacc – these students will be taking Spanish and Triple Science as one of their options.
• Open – these students have all choices open to them.
• Functional – these students will take Functional Skills as one of their options.

As part of this stage, we also have Year 9 Parents’ Evening on the 27^th of February which provides you with a chance to talk to your child’s teachers on a one-to-one basis about their strengths in the subjects they are currently taking and if these might be a good choice for them at KS4.

Stage 2:

In the week commencing the 24^th of March, Year 9 students will have assemblies focused on outlining the options process and the importance of these choices, as well as having presentations from subjects they don’t study at KS3 so they have a greater understanding of these courses.

The week culminates in Year 9 Options Evening which is on the 27^th of March 5:30pm-7:00pm. This gives you and your child a chance to look round the stalls of their potential choices and discuss the demands of the course in more detail with staff. Our Careers Advisor and Sixth Form staff will be on hand to discuss your child’s post-16 choices and what might help them to achieve these goals.

Stage 3:

On the 27^th of March we will email you a link to the option selection form (this can be completed on a laptop or mobile device). Please check this carefully, ensuring the four course choices and two reserve options are accurate (one of the four choices must be History or Geography). If you have not received the link by 28^th of March, please email me or contact the main reception. The deadline for returning the form is the 24^th of April. 

Stage 4:

Soon after the 12^th of May, you will receive a letter with your child’s awarded KS4 options. We will do our best to ensure that students get as many of their first choices as possible but timetabling and group sizes place limitations on this.

Stage 5:

We understand that students may change their minds over options or be unhappy with the reserve place they have been given. I will look at these concerns in the week commencing the 30^th of June as it gives students a chance to fully consider the changes before they are made.