Your choices at 13-14

Year 9 option choices

Up until Year 9 you won't have had much choice about what you study.

In Year 9, at some point in the first or second term, you'll need to decide what courses and subjects you want to study in Years 10 and 11 (called Key Stage 4).

There will be some things that you must take - such as English, maths and science - but for others you can choose. What's on offer varies from school to school.

To help you decide, most schools produce an options booklet and/or run an options evening. Teachers and older students will be there and can tell you all about the choices; they will often be keen and interested for you to take their course.

What if I have a Statement of SEN?

Year 9 is when your Annual Review also becomes a Transitions Review. Here you will be helped to begin to make plans for the future - this will be called a Transitions Plan and will be updated at future reviews.

A Case Responsible Officer from the Youth Support Team will begin to work with you to help you understand your options and to support you in making plans.

For more info you can download the YST Forward publication HERE or visit the Gloucestershire's Transition Pathway HERE.

A few questions to start you thinking...

• What are you most interested in?
• What are you good at?
• Are you aiming for a career that requires specific qualifications?
• is there a certain way of learning and studying that suits you?

Views of employers and colleges/universities

Apart from seeing that you have picked courses and subjects that seem to make sense, most employers, colleges and universities don't pay much attention to the subject choices that you made in Year 9.

What next?

• Get a brief idea about possible courses and qualifications from your school's option choice booklet, if available
• If you already have ideas about what job you might want to do when you're older, find out if anything in particular will be useful - ask someone doing the job for advice but also look at the job profiles on our World of Work website and Next Step
• Take a look at  Your Choices in Year 9 on the Directgov website and download  'Which Way Now' -  a guide to choosing your Key Stage 4 options