Year 8 Guided Choices

Welcome to the Year 8 Guided Choices Information Page.

This is an exciting time for our Year 8 students as they start the next steps towards their qualifications at KS4, and towards their futures. It is straightforward process of choices, but can be overwhelming; we aim to provide support and discussion along the way to ensure the best possible provision for their futures studies.

There is a vast range of guidance and support available about potential choices through assemblies, LifeSkills sessions, booklets, videos and meetings planned throughout the process.

As ever, your tutor is there to answer questions and support, alongside your Thursday Life Skills tutor. Also speak to your subject teachers at appropriate moments in lessons, to glean more about their option. The dates below give further information as to when Parents and students can speak with staff.

Links for final choices will appear HERE after 12th March, once the students have had all the information and will remain open until 9am on Monday 16th March. There is no advantage to completing the form early.

YEAR 8 CHOICES CALENDAR 2026

GENERAL INFORMATION

The key questions to discuss at home and with tutors & subject teachers when choosing options for Years 9 – 11 will be:

• In which subjects am I most likely to succeed?
• Which subjects do I enjoy?
• Which subjects will enable me to progress to my preferred further education course(s)?

We would strongly encourage every student to consider carefully a range of courses that will enable them to succeed and progress appropriately. For most, it is important to maintain a well-balanced curriculum that gives opportunities for different styles of learning and study and broad progression routes post 16.

Each department has recorded a presentation to help give further information on their courses, alongside answering Frequently Asked Questions about their subjects. There is also a video outlining the overall process, and sharing guidance on supporting students with these decisions. Below the map you can find the contact details for each GCSE subject if you have further questions about the courses, or if it is a more general question we recommend contacting your form tutor in the first instance.

We hope that you find this information informative and helpful in supporting in this exciting decision making process.