Year 9 Subject Pathways 2025
Welcome to the 2025 Subject Pathways Process for Year 9 students. This is an exciting but very important new chapter in their school life as they choose some of the GCSE and BTEC subjects that they will study over the next two years. Choosing their pathway for Key Stage 4 is an important stage in their education that allows them to think about their future goals.
Students will need to choose subjects that they are good at and enjoy in order to open up future career choices. It is therefore important that these choices are considered carefully and we would encourage discussions at home alongside the advice provided in school before making decisions.
In preparation for their final two-year programme of learning, it is important that students think carefully. Our Year 9 students should talk to parents/carers and listen to advice in school from their subject teachers, before making their decisions. Once those decisions are made, it may not be possible to make any changes at a later date. We have designed the curriculum so that no choice you make is likely to reduce your chances of entering any career. At the Pathways Evening, you will also get some additional guidance to help you make your choices ahead of completing your online Pathways Subject Selection form.
The Year 9 Pathways guide is available to download/view (see the Resources tab) well in advance of the Pathways Parents Evening on Thursday 6th February. This guide details the options process and provides information about each of the subjects that may be chosen along with the suite of Core Subjects.
We encourage you to have a good look at the booklet and peruse the information contained. Each pathways information letter is specific to each individual student and provides information about subject options. Our advice to you, as parents and carers, is for an open discussion at home with your child about all of the possible subject choices, what they entail and whether they would provide the most successful pathway.
The spring term assessment report, which will be sent to parents before the Pathways Evening, is provided to help support discussions at home and to assist when making appropriate decisions.
There are occasionally situations where it is necessary to make a number of changes to the curriculum at very short notice. Where this happens the school reserves the right to alter the curriculum at any stage in Key Stage 4 to reflect these national changes. In this situation parents would always be consulted where this is necessary.
If parents require further help or clarification on any of the subject choices then please feel free to contact your son or daughter’s Form Tutor, or alternatively the Subject Leader as detailed in the Pathways booklet. For more general enquiries, concerning the pathways process, please contact one of our Year 9 Pastoral Team on the usual school number – 01255 424266.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I on this pathway?
Pathways are selected using information from assessments students completed in Years 8 and 9. These include the standardised tests and CATs in Year 8 as well as assessments done this year especially those in Spanish or French.
Can I change my mind?
Students can use the "Edit Response" link from the copy of their submitted response that will automatically be sent to their school email inbox when they submit their form. They can change it as much as they like until the 24th of February. After that they will need to contact Mr Martin - Pathways Coordinator, or Miss Townsend - Year Leader.
