Year 9 Options Information

We understand that all our students are different in their abilities and mindsets but we also know that all students need to be given the best possible opportunity to achieve now and in the future. With this in mind, we have tailored two pathways for students to follow, with the aim being to maximise a student’s potential both now and in the future.

Students will be told which pathway they should be following, if you are unsure of what our recommendation would be please contact Mr Stewart Williams. Our pathways are in place to guide students to the best possible outcomes and whilst not set in stone are strongly encouraged. We will happily discuss with parents and students the options available should they not be available on the pathway that has been set. 

We would refer you to pages 7 & 8 of the Options Guidance Leaflet for information on the specific pathways and how they should guide you through the options process.

English forms part of our core offering at Key Stage 4 and students must study both English Language and English Literature. 

Please click to view the Subject Information Guide for English Language and for English Literature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All students must continue their studies in Mathematics. There are two options at the end of the course, to sit a Higher Paper or a Foundation Paper. The Maths Department will take this decision in Year 11.

Please click here to view the Mathematics Subject Information Guide.

All students are required to study PSHE during their time in Key Stage 4. This is not a subject that results in a qualification. Please click to view the PSHE Subject Information Guide.

We are able to offer students varying options in Science at GCSE level.

 

 

 

For certain students, as decided by the Science department, the option of taking three separate sciences; Biology, Chemistry and Physics, resulting in being awarded three GCSEs, is available. We are also able to offer a Combined Science option in two tiers; foundation and higher. Studying Combined Science still requires studies in all three sciences and still requires exams in all three sciences to be sat but the outcome of these exams is two GCSE grades. 

Dr Elliott, Head of Science, will explain the Science options in more detail in the attached video. Please click to view the Science Subject Information Guide.

Miss Collins is the Head of Humanities, specialising in History, with Mrs Hawkswell as the Head of Geography.

 

 

 

Humanities subjects offer exciting and challenging topics for students to investigate, learn about and study. With Geography tackling relationships between people and the environment and History exploring key aspects of our past including the Anglo Saxons and Norman England, Crime and Punishment in Whitechapel and Weimar and Nazi Germany, these subjects offer students variety, dynamism and a sense of belonging. 

Please watch the video clips below and click to view the Subject Information Guide for History and Geography. For further guidance please see your subject teachers.

On top of our core Humanities subjects, our students can choose to study additional Humanities subjects as part of their options selection. At Woolmer Hill, we offer a choice of Religious Studies & Sociology. Miss Collins is the Head of Humanities, specialising in History, and is supported by Miss Whitaker and Mr Barraud.

 

 

 

Religious Studies explores not just cultural areas of certain religions but the students will also take time to look at ethical, philosophical and moral aspects of the world we live in. Sociology will take you on a journey through our social cultures with particular focus on family and education and crime and social stratification. In turn,

Please watch the video clips below and click on the links below to view the Subject Information Guides. For further guidance please see the subject teachers.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

SOCIOLOGY

 

We offer several courses in this faculty; GCSEs in Computer Science, Economics & Business and a BTEC Tech Award in Digital Information Technology.

Both the GCSE Computer Science and BTEC IT courses offer students the chance to explore and develop skills in computing and the virtual world, looking at designing, programming, security and software. This subject is an increasingly important part of the world we live in and similar to a modern foreign language, it can often be applied in many different businesses and industries as well as at home.

GCSE Business takes a broad look at the business world, specifically how businesses operate in the world around us, the influences that affect them and how they look at their marketing and finance operations. Economics allows students the chance to explore how an economy works, the theories, the structures, markets and resources as well as looking at the decisions that the economy can place on families and individuals.

Please watch the video clips below and click to view the Subject Information Guide and Steps to Success document 

COMPUTER SCIENCE

BTEC IT

BUSINESS

ECONOMICS

For further guidance please see your subject teachers or in the case of Business and Economics, Mr Williams or Mr Walker.

 

Lead by Mr Heatley, the Creative Arts Department is musical, theatrical and artistic in equal measure! Whilst Art offers you a chance to explore your creative and artistic side in various forms and techniques from clay to watercolour to textiles, Music GCSE will expand your knowledge of musical genres and theory, and enable you to develop your composing and performing skills. Drama takes you on a journey through plays, the theatre and backstage.

All subjects in this department require work outside of school, be that in portfolio work, theatre visits or rehearsals or daily practice in music.

 

 

 

Please watch the video clips below and click on the links below to read the Subject Information Guides and Steps to Success documents for each subject. For further guidance please see your subject teachers.

ART, CRAFT & DESIGN

DRAMA

MUSIC

 

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Design Technology can cover a variety of areas and at Woolmer Hill we pass this on to students in three subjects; Art & Design 3D, Textiles and Hospitality & Catering. 

Miss Everson is the Head of Design Technology, specialising in Catering, she is supported by Mrs Fowler, Mrs Spieler and Mrs Lowe. 

 

 

All subjects provide practical and creative opportunities, a chance to be less desk based and more hands on, however, all subjects do also have theory to learn, written evaluation to be completed and in Catering's case, a written exam.

Please watch the video clip below from Miss Everson and click to read the Subject Information Guides and Steps to Success documents for Catering, Textiles and 3D Art & Design. For further guidance please see your subject teachers.

We strongly encourage all students who are capable of a good pass in a language to follow this as a chosen option. Languages are incredibly useful in all careers and pathways, it enables ease of travel and transition and can be applied to all industries. Many universities now look upon a language as a favourable option for successful candidates. So many reasons to study a language and we haven't even touched on holidays abroad!

If you are fluent in a language other than English, you can also enquire about sitting a qualification in your heritage language. You will need to have fluency both in the spoken and the written word. Please speak to the Exams Officer as soon as possible.

Our Languages teachers are Ms Gogarty, Miss MacLeod and Mrs Mena Gomez, the faculty will be lead by Mrs Denhart from September 2024.

 

 

 

Please watch the video clip below and click here to view the Subject Information Guide and Steps to Success documents. For further guidance please see your subject teachers.

 

Being active and enjoying exercise is vital for mental well-being, which is why even if Sport is not taken as a GCSE, an element of core PE is still a part of every student's timetable. Please click to view the Subject Information Guide for Core PE.

We do also offer the option for students to take their studies in this area forward with a GCSE in Physical Education.

 

 

 

Students studying PE GCSE must have a keen interest and ability in sports, this includes not just playing a sport but partaking in team activities and sports leadership. The qualification contains a strong written element and theory studies so it is not all about ball skills! Mr Chippendale is our head of department and he has a strong team of specialists in a variety of areas supporting him. 

If you are thinking about PE please ensure that you understand the requirements outside of school in terms of the number of sports you need to be active in. It is not enough to simply enjoy sport.  

Under the PE faculty, we also offer students the opportunity to take a BTEC in Health and Social Care. The course covers some of the fundamental aspects of health and social care, including growth and development, health and social care services and values, and health and wellbeing.

Please watch the video clips below to learn more about these two qualifications and click to read the Subject Information Guides and Steps to Success documents for PE GCSE and Health & Social Care.

 

In conjunction with the Waverley Federation, we do have the ability to offer a small number of places to invited students to study a Childcare course at college. This is invitation only and we will be in touch if this applies to your child.