Year 8 and 9

Once you are in Year 8 or Year 9 you will be expected to make some big choices that will effect the career path you are likely to move towards. You need to decide which subjects you will be studying going into years 10 and 11. Some of you may even begin studying these subjects from year 9. Now important as these choices are, you are not alone. You will be given plenty of help and support to help you to choose the right subjects for you and your future aspirations.

Choices

Your options will include GCSE subjects, Vocational Courses (if offered by your school), or you may have a mixture of both. You will also have subjects that are compulsory, you have no choice about taking these whether you like them or not as they are seen as important to your life after school/college.

You may also have the option to study some of your courses at colleges that specialise in specific vocational subjects, such as Hair and Beauty, or Motor Mechanics. These courses will combine an academic approach with vocational subjects for those students that are especially interested in a career that the subject is likely to lead to.

So, What are the compulsory subjects?

Well you guessed right, Maths, English and Science are subjects you will not have a choice over, in fact many schools will also include a humanities subject too (History, Geography and Languages), as from 2016 one of these subjects will also be compulsory (although the good news is you will have a little choice over which humanities subject you take).

The idea is that you will follow the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which means that you will be studying:

  • Mathematics
  • English Language and Literature

Plus 3 other EBacc Subjects chosen from:

  • Sciences
  • Computer Science
  • History
  • Geography
  • MFL (Modern Foreign Languages)

You will then have the choice of 3 further subjects, that you can pick either from a range of EBacc subjects or any other approved, high value arts, academic or vocational subjects. Some schools may also make other subjects compulsory too, for example if they are a Business Specialist School they may make Business a compulsory Subject.

You may also have some or all of the following subjects to study, but not have to be examined in while in years 10 and 11.

  • Careers Education
  • Citizenship
  • ICT
  • PE
  • Ethics/Religious Education
  • Sex and Relationships Education
  • Work Related Learning

Also as part of any course you do in Years 10 and 11 you will also study the following:

  • Functional Skills - these are the skills that you need everyday, no matter what job you decide you want to have and include English, Maths and ICT.
  • Personal Learning and Thinking Skills - these are skills that will help you to study, problem solve, work within a team environment along with organisation skills.

So, What can you choose?

Your optional subjects can include any of the following:

  • Art, Music or Drama
  • Design and Technology
  • Business Studies
  • MFL
  • Vocational or Work Related subjects - childcare, hair and beauty etc.

How do I choose?

When deciding the subjects you want to take there are a few things you need to think about. You have to ensure that you choose the subjects that are right for you (not your family, not your friends, YOU!). You therefore need to ask yourself some tough questions, and be honest with yourself too.

  • Do I like learning that involves me being practical and using my hands? If so then maybe the vocational route which is more hands on is a good option for you, and will provide you with the chance to learn work related skills too, in a career you are interested in.
  • Do prefer class work, written coursework and exams? If so then the GCSE route is more suitable to you, with subjects such as business studies and sociology. These subjects may involve some coursework and exams. They are sometimes known as the academic path.
  • I like practical work and I like written coursework and exams? This could mean BTECS will be a good option for you. With these subjects you will have a combination of classroom study along with some practical hands on learning. You may be given the option to take a mix of academic and vocational subjects too.
  • I’m not confident, and don’t feel ready for either type of learning? You may be more suitable to foundation learning—this is a programme that will allow you to develop your confidence while gaining qualifications and skills to help you move forward. The courses are short, but there will be more of them, and they can be chosen to suit your interests and abilities. This may be a suitable path for those that have English as a second language.

Specialist Vocational Colleges

You may also have the option to study specialist vocational subjects within specialist colleges , these are colleges that specialise in educating those aged 14-19. If this is something you are interested in, you need to apply for these in Year 9 in order to be ready to enrol and begin your year 10 year. It would be a good idea to attend any open days these colleges have to find out more and ask relevant questions that will help you, and get your application in as early as possible as there may only be a limited number of places.

What else do I need to know before making my choice?

In order to make the best choice for you, you need to make sure that you find out as much information as possible about your options. You need to:

  • Talk to your teachers - those that teach you now and will have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses. Tell them what you would like to do, and ask them if they think it would be a suitable route for you to choose.
  • Visit UCAS Progress Website at www.ucas.com/progress - you can search the subjects that are offered at your school—if they have joined the system) You can then research the subjects that you like and find out if they are what they seem to be.
  • Go to the schools options evening, make sure you have a list of questions to ask the teachers of the subjects you are interested in. These can include:
    • What will be covered during the 2 years?
    • Is it similar to any subjects I have taken in years 7, 8 and 9?
    • Do you think I will do well within this subject? (Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher their thoughts, you don’t want to waste 2 years on a subject that you are not suitable for and hate).
    • What types of careers or subjects at University will this subject help me with?
    • Is it all exam? Or is there coursework?
    • Is there practical project work that I will have to complete?
    • Is there work experience as part of the course?
    • Will I need to travel to another school or college in order to complete my course?

Career Ideas

The internet is a great source of careers information that you can explore in order to find out if a certain career path is right for you. The following websites can help you with this:

  • National Career Service Job Profiles has 750 job profiles to look through.
  • www.careersa-z.co.uk
  • Google - you can find a great deal of information just using google.
  • Squashed Tomato - provides you with the chance to answer questions and find out what careers suit you, and even lets you know what you need to study to get there too.