Welcome to Year 8 Options 2023

Year 8 is an exciting and important year in your school career. This year you will make some decisions about the subjects you will study at GCSE level from September 2023. We will be having our year 8 options evening on Thursday 12 January 2023. Bronte and Clarke presentation starts at 6pm. Houldsworth and Priestley presentations start at 6.30pm. Following this you will be able to speak to all of your subject teachers to find our more information about each of the options.

The decisions you make could affect your future, so you must make your choices carefully and from an informed position. We will do all we can to help you with this so that you make the right choices for you.

Year 8 Options Booklet
Year 8 Options Evening Presentation

We recommend you follow these steps:

  1. Read through all of the subject information in the links on the right-hand side of this page
  2. Speak to your teachers at the Parents’ Evening on 12 January 2023
  3. Complete and submit the options information that will be sent out at a later date. You need to complete this by 6 February 2023.

The information provided is intended to guide you through the options choice process and to give you some of the information you will need to help you to decide what to do.

You should also consider any advice you get from others, such as:

  • Your form tutor
  • Careers staff
  • Your subject teachers
  • Parents and others in a position of responsibility
  • Other materials published by subject departments and on careers websites.

The Framework

Your curriculum will lead you to GCSE qualifications and will be made up of two parts, or elements:

  1. The compulsory element

All students in years 9 to 11 follow courses which will lead to GCSE qualifications in:

There are also compulsory non-examined courses in Games, RE, and Personal Development.

2. A further choice element (four subjects)

Pupils have four further subject choices from:

∗ It is likely that you will need to choose this subject if you wish to study this subject at A-level.

♦ If choosing French or Spanish, pupils must already have been studying the same language in year 8.

Δ Due to the controlled assessment commitment of these courses, students can only choose one of these subjects.

Reserve Choice

Students are asked to make a reserve choice and whilst we will do everything we can to allocate all students to the subjects of their first four choices, this is not always possible. In the unlikely event of you not being allocated your first four choices we will use your reserve choice, so please make sure you are happy with that fifth option.

Please read all the information provided, be proactive and speak to all your teachers, then take time to reflect honestly on your interest for and ability in each subject, alongside any future aspirations, and make an informed, personal choice.

Choice your Options

GCSE Subject Change Request