Subject Choices

In Year 9 students will continue to study the core subjects:

  • English (Leads into GCSEs in English Language and English Literature)

  • Maths (Leads into GCSE Maths)

  • Science (Leads into either two GCSEs in Combined Science or three GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics)

  • Citizenship (Leads into GCSE Citizenship, most likely to be sat in Year 10)

  • Core PE (No exam)


GCSE Science at Highfields

At Highfields we offer two GCSE Science routes, separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, or Combined Science worth two GCSEs. Both routes are available at the Higher Tier (grades 9-4) or Foundation Tier (5-1). Decisions on setting in Year 9 and a likely Science route will be taken based on assessment grades in Year 8. We monitor students closely and make adjustments to their route through Years 9 and 10. Final decisions about Science exams are taken in Year 11. It is likely that about a third of students will be entered for the separate sciences, above the national average.


The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) Pathway

The Department for Education have an ambition that the majority of students follow an EBacc pathway.

The EBacc is made up of:

  • English Language and Literature

  • Mathematics

  • Two Sciences (from Computer Science/Biology/ Chemistry/Physics/Combined Science)

  • A Humanities subject (History/Geography)

  • A Language subject (French/Spanish)

The EBacc is a useful pathway for many of our students and can be seen as an advantage for those looking to follow a more academic route at University.


Option Choices

We believe that in Year 9 it is still vitally important that students follow a broad and balanced curriculum. For this reason, most students will study Spanish or French and must choose either Geography or History as a Humanities subject.

This then leaves students with a completely free choice for their other four subjects to follow those areas that suit their abilities, ambitions and aspirations. We would advise the majority of students to study at least one creative, practical or performance subject.

Students who would benefit from additional teaching in Literacy and Numeracy to support their progress across the curriculum will be able to choose 4 subjects from column C.

The option choices for ICT or Computer Science and Product Design or Construction are choices the departments will make with your child depending on the grades currently being achieved in English and Maths.

The courses in the last row of the table below are a mixture of the two subjects that will be studied separately in Year 10 and 11. This is so students get to experience both elements and will be in a situation to choose the best way forward in Year 9 with which aspects of the course they have enjoyed the most.

You must choose 1 subject from column A, one subject from column B and 4 subjects from column C

Click on the subjects below to view the specification for the GCSE and Applied courses that students will study in Years 10 and 11, you can clearly see the pathway if chosen next year in Year 9.

New Subjects in Year 9

There are a number of subjects available in Year 9 that students will not have studied in Year 7 and 8, these are Construction, Health/Child Care, Enterprise, PE and Film Studies. Additionally, due to a change in the rotation of subjects some Year 8 students may not have recently studied Dance or Drama. As these are new subjects to students moving into Year 9, we recommend that they find out more about them by listening to the subject teachers in the videos below: