Year 9 Options – change to Options Selection Form

Dear parents and carers

Thank you to all parents, carers and students who were able to attend the Options Evening on Tuesday night. I hope you found the event useful and were able to have your questions answered. Subject leaders, form tutors and class teachers will be very happy to discuss further questions with students over the next few weeks, and we have Year 9 Parents’ Evening on 22nd February for more in-depth conversations.

A significant number of students have shown an interest in taking both Geography and History as options subjects next year. Some parents and students have also spoken to me, and to my colleagues, about not being able to take certain subjects together as they fall in the same block. Having considered this feedback, I would like to amend the options form and process in order to address these two issues.

Attached to this letter is a new options selection form. Students should submit this form and discard (recycle!) the old one. If they have already submitted a form, they should still fill in a copy of the new version, as we will use this one instead.

• Dual humanities choice: Geography now appears in the Humanities block and in the free choice block so that any students wishing to take this subject together with History can clearly indicate their wish to do so. Students should be aware that if they select both Humanities subjects, one lesson per fortnight in one of these subjects will need to be scheduled as a lunchtime lesson, and attendance will of course be compulsory. All other lessons will take place during normal lesson time.
• Change to Block B and Block C: Subjects in these blocks have now been merged into a single block on the form. In this free choice block, students should indicate two preferences and two reserves. We will then do our best behind the scenes to minimise clashes and to allow as many students as possible to take their preferred options. Please note, however, that there will always be a few clashes or limitations due to problems such as insufficient numbers of students wishing to take a course, timetabling clashes due to rooming or staffing, and so on. For this reason, students must remember to give serious thought to their reserve choices: they need to be confident that they will be happy with taking one of these subjects if required to do so.

I hope this addresses the main points that parents and students raised.

I am always happy to see students during break or lunchtimes to discuss their options choices with them. Should you have any queries about options in general, please do contact me via the usual school email address: office@neatherd.org

Please note that a hard copy of this letter and the attached form will be given out to your child today.

Yours sincerely,

Mr J. Mallett

Deputy Head