Year 9 Options
Making curriculum choices in Year 9 is a very important process here at HGAED. It is an opportunity for you and your daughter to take increased control of the education choice on offer to her.
The options chosen for Years 10 and 11 will affect how your daughter will spend her time at school for the next two years. The choices made will also influence what options are available after Year 11 in terms of further study. These options will be studied alongside our core curriculum of English, Maths, Science, MFL, Core PE and PSHE.
It is vitally important to choose subjects for the correct reasons. Spend some time with your daughter thinking about what subjects she enjoys doing, what keeps her interested and motivated.
Further information for parents
In September 2027, your child will be starting their GCSE courses and will be moving from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.
All students will continue to engage with a broad and balanced curriculum but it is at this point their educational journey that they will have choice in the subjects that they would like to pursue.
At HGAED we firmly believe that quality is by far the most important consideration. Excellent GCSEs can get you anywhere – from the best apprenticeships to top universities. For this reason, our Core Curriculum is based on the suite of qualifications listed below alongside statutory elements of the national curriculum:
- English Literature and English Language
- Mathematics
- Sciences (Combined or Separate)
- A Humanity – students select either Geography or History as part of the options process.
- A Modern Foreign Language – students continue with either French or Spanish.
- Core PE (this is not a GCSE but a statutory entitlement for all secondary school age students). Those students wishing to select GCSE can do so as part of the options process.
In terms of actual choices offered to students, they select a humanity and then two other subjects from those listed in our GCSE Options Booklet.
The decisions that you and your child make regarding these Option subjects will influence their future career pathways and therefore we have a full programme that is put in place to ensure that both you and your child have as much information as possible to make fully informed decisions during the process.
This dedicated options webpage will be updated throughout the academic year. Please do not hesitate to contact the Academy should you require any further information at info@harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk.
Good reasons for choosing an option
- You are good at the subject
- You think you will enjoy the course
- It fits your career ideas and plans
- It goes well with your other choices
- It helps to give you plenty of choice post 16
- You think you might want to continue studying it post 16
- Your research shows that it will interest you and motivate you to learn
Bad reasons for choosing an option
- Your friends have chosen it
- You think it will be easy
- Someone else thinks it is a good idea
- You like the teacher you have now
- You did not have time to research your options properly