Choosing GCSEs

The Year 9 Options process represents an exciting stage in our students’ education. Having completed their Key Stage 3 studies, for the first time they will have the opportunity to express preferences and make choices.

Ark Blake Academy has designed a curriculum at Key Stage 4 (Year 10 & 11) to provide the very best chance of being successful at A-Level, university and in future careers. Alongside this, it will provide a broad and balanced academic and personal development experience.

At Ark Blake, we believe in studying important, empowering knowledge and skills with academic rigour, therefore our curriculum at Key Stage 4 is designed to enable students to become experts in the subjects they specialise in. We also believe in educating the whole child and will keep our emphasis on educating for Character and Health in Years 10 and 11.

To ensure that our students are prepared to study for almost any A-Level, degree or career they might want to pursue, we have some subjects that they must study; these are known as ‘core subjects’. They can then elect to study some additional subjects which are optional or specialist subjects.

Over the course of their time at Ark Blake we have got to know our students well and want to support them to make good choices that give them the best possible chance of success. We therefore use an approach we refer to as ‘Guided Choice’. Using our experience and expertise, and our detailed knowledge of each student and the curriculum, we will allocate a ’Pathway’ to help them make good choices.

In addition to allocating a ‘Pathway’, our detailed Options Booklet provides full guidance. There will also be a chance to talk about Options at our Year 9 Parents’ Evening at our Options Hub which will be staffed by members of SLT.