If you are visiting this page as a parent you may wish to see our Year 9 Parents’ Evening presentation here.

Introduction and welcome

In order to provide appropriate information and guidance in making choices, we have devised a full programme to support your child. The key events in the programme are:

 

Available Now:                   Introductory Video for the Y9 Options Process

To maximise convenience for families we are introducing the Y9 Options Process via a pre-recorded video available here instead of an evening event.  We recommend watching the whole video with your child as it will be very helpful in preparing them for the upcoming option process.  If you later wish to recap and get specific answers to particular questions, then please use the direct timestamps below:

 

Welcome to the process	HERE	How to make my choices	HERE
Core subjects I have to study	HERE	Subjects you can’t pick together	HERE
Science double or science triple?	HERE	What if a course if oversubscribed?	HERE
The EBacc: Why is it so important?	HERE	Where can I go for more help?	HERE
What subjects do you offer?	HERE	New subjects for GCSE and a final reminder!	HERE

 

Available Now:                   The Options Booklet

As part of the comprehensive Year 9 Options Process for the academic year 2023-24, we are pleased to present the Options Booklet, now available for your perusal. Your child will be issued with the Option Booklet during tutor time, with an online copy available to you here:

 

 

This booklet serves as a valuable resource, offering detailed information about the various subjects and courses available for study in Key Stage 4.

 

Thursday 23 November 2023:                  Y9 Progress Reports

Year 9 progress reports for the Autumn term are sent to parents and students via email.  All subjects will report:

 

• The GCSE target grades that students should be aiming for if they continue the subject into GCSE.

Please note: Target Grades are set by an external organisation called FFT and are based solely on performance in CATS testing during Year 7.

• Whether a student is likely to achieve within a target grade band if the subject were to be taken at GCSE
• Whether a student is highly recommended to take a subject to GCSE level of study
• Attitude to Learning

 

We hope that the upcoming progress report will help inform decision making about subjects of interest to carry forward to Key Stage 4.

 

Thursday 23 November 2023:                  Parents’ Evening Booking

From: Thursday 23 November 2023

To:     Wednesday 30 November 2023

 

Our Parents’ Evening booking system goes live to parents wishing to make appointments with teachers of Year 9 subjects.  Parents’ Evening will be in-person at Yateley School.

 

Thursday 30 November 2023:                  Meet with Subject leaders at KS4

You will also have the chance to book appointments with subjects that are only taught at GCSE (Business Studies, Childcare and Graphics) in addition to meeting your child’s current teachers.  Please consider booking an appointment with any subjects that you may be interested in as it helps us meet those that really need support/advice. I will also be available for general questions about Y9 options and subjects you may be interested in, so please do book an appointment with me (Mr Hill) if that would be of use!  

 

Making Your Choices – Completing the Options Form 2024

From: Tuesday 02 January 2024

To:     Tuesday 09 January 2024

 

Our printed Options form will be given to students on the first day they return to school in January 2024.

 

Important: There is no priority given to students booking earlier or later in the Options window, students are encouraged to take their time and think about their choices.  Students can edit choices after submission (after discussions with their tutor) by contacting options@yateley.hants.sch.uk.

 

And finally…

If you have any questions at all about the Year 9 Options process then please contact peter.hill@yateley.hants.sch.uk and I will be more than happy to help!

Yateley School Options Booklet 2020

 

What is the English Baccaleurate (Ebacc)?

The EBacc collection of subjects is not a qualification in itself, rather a collection of subjects that if a student takes them (and passes) they are said to have achieved the EBacc. The EBacc is recognised as a measure of student achievement by both employers and universities.

The EBacc will be achieved by students who achieve Grade 4 or above in English language, mathematics, two sciences, a modern foreign language (French or Spanish) and a humanity subject (geography, history or computer science).

 

Should I take the English Baccaleurate (Ebacc)?

Some schools insist that students take the EBacc collection of subjects. The government’s ambition is to see 75% of pupils studying the EBacc subject combination at GCSE by 2022, and 90% by 2025. At Yateley School we make the EBacc available to all students but we do not insist on it. Parent and student feedback has consistently shown us that the EBacc should not be compulsory at Yateley School and that students should not have their choice restricted.

Our vision for our students is that they engage with the options that they are passionate about whilst leaving their options open for their future study and employment. As such, we do not insist on the EBacc but we do recognise that should a student opt for the suite of qualifications it can add value to their results when viewed by employers or universities.