Year 9 Options
Year 9 Options
At Raynes Park High School, we aim to provide a challenging, broad, balanced and rewarding curriculum to all of our Key Stage 4 students. In line with guidance from the Department of Education, we provide a curriculum which seeks to keep options open for our young people.
When choosing your GCSE options students should consider a range of factors including:
- What do I need to study to achieve my goal / future career plans?
- Which subjects do I enjoy most?
- Which subjects am I good at?
- Which subjects do I want to study at 6th form and beyond?
- How do I work best? Exams, Practical or Coursework?
Students should seek advice from a variety of sources: parents, siblings, other family members, teachers etc. They should listen to this advice but ultimately should choose a suite of subjects that suits them, and not because it’s something that their friends are studying.
Some students will be more suited to taking purely exam-based subjects, while some students will prefer completing coursework or being assessed on their practical abilities. It is therefore vital that you take the time to read the Year 9 Options Booklet carefully, consider the information shed at Options Evening and speak to your teachers (email, telephone or at the parent / carer evening) before making your decisions and completing the online form.
To request a hard copy of the Options Booklet please email your Head of Year, Mr Hearne, using MHearne@raynespark.merton.sch.uk
A guide to key dates for the 2024 options process below:
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 18th January 2024 | Year 9 Options Evening |
| Date to be confirmed | Year 9 Parent Carer Evening |
| 4th March 2024 | Deadline for options forms to be submitted |
| Summer Term | Options choices confirmed |
| September 2024 | Start to study your options choices and core curriculum |
| Late September 2024 | Final option subject change deadline. Students will not be able to change courses after this date. |
Please be aware that there may be certain subject combinations which are logistically difficult to accommodate, it may also not be possible to facilitate the option preferences of all students for example, there may be insufficient student demand for a subject. As a result, it would therefore not be viable to run the course.
In these situations we will use students reserve choices to ensure that all students have four option subjects. Should there be any issues in accommodating a students choices, even after referring to their reserves, we will meet to discuss a student's future plans and seek to resolve the situation.