Options After Year 9

The National Curriculum

The national curriculum is the overall term for the set of subjects which are taught to children from the age of 5 in all state-funded schools. Schools have a legal requirement to implement the national curriculum.

The national curriculum continues to age 16 and the following subjects remain compulsory in Years 10/11:

The core Subjects that your son or daughter will be examined in are:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science

They will also continute to study - but may not have to do coursework or take an exam in - the following subjects:

• Careers Education and Guidance
• Citizenship
• Information and Communication Technology
• Physical Education (PE)
• Religious Education (RE)
• Sex and Relationship Education
• Work-related Learning

Types of course

There are three types of course your child can choose from in years 10 and 11:

• GCSEs in a range of subjects from familar subjects such as Design Technology, Geography and French to more applied subjects such as Health and Social Care and Leisure and Tourism.
• New Diplomas - on offer in some schools from September 2008 these qualifications include a work-related focus (plus work experience), but allow a mix of vocational and general learning. So for example, it's possible for someone to take a Diploma and also take a selection of GCSEs in addition.
• Vocational courses - leading to qualifications such as NVQs, OCR Nationals or BTECs, or Young Apprenticeships, are on offer in some schools. These courses include vocational learning and qualifications and may include the chance to spend part of the week with an employer, at college or with a learning provider.

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