Information on KS4 Courses

Option Course Information

The information below gives an insight into the options process and specific courses students may choose to study during Y10 and Y11. Please browse this information and discuss it to help make decisions about which courses to choose. 

In addition to these materials we produce an electronic options booklet which is available here.

Students need to determine 6 courses in order of their preference, from these 6 selections, their final 4 option courses will be determined. More detail is available in the materials above, including how to apply for courses.

Please be aware that:

  • All courses are open to all students (except in the case of languages where students must have studied the language to at least Y9 level previously)
  • All students need to study at least one EBacc qualification (Geography, History, French, German, Spanish)
  • To determine suitability for courses students and families need to reflect on the content of the course and personal preferences. In addition, progress scores on reports can be used as part of your consideration about the suitability of a course
  • Applications to any oversubscribed courses will be prioritised according to the students’ reports in that subject (or the closest KS3 course), looking at their attitude to learning, behaviour for learning and home learning scores. If there are students who are on a par with these criteria, we will look at their reports overall, the combination of subjects applied for and behaviour/attendance records to determine who is successful. If a student is not successful, they will be placed into an alternative course