Year 9 Curriculum Options

Welcome the Year 9 Curriculum Options process at Harrogate High School. For many students this is the first big decision you must make about what to study. That decision may influence future career opportunities and directions. This is where you can choose which subjects you want to continue with and which to drop for the duration of Year 10 and 11. For further information please watch the video below, it gives a brief outline of the process of choosing your options.

Choosing qualifications in Year 9 allows you to:

Choose courses and subjects that match your interests and abilities.
Choose courses that help prepare you for your chosen career
Take new subjects that have never being offered lower down in the school.
Learn in different, more practical way.
Build upon your strengths to achieve success in the future

Key Stage 4 Curriculum

Core Subjects

There are subjects you must study, and you will gain GCSEs in these areas

English Language and Literature
Mathematics
Science
Religious Education
Core Physical Education (Non-GCSE, Statutory Requirement)
Life Skills@HHS (Non-GCSE, Statutory Requirement)

Option Subjects

These are grouped into four blocks, as set out below. You will take one subject from each option block and study it for the next two years, four options in total. Some rules exist around the selection of these options which are outlined in the Options form.

Choose one from each block and a back up choice.

Option Block 1	Option Block 2	Option Block 3	Option Block 4
Spanish	History	Spanish	Computer Science
History	Computer Science	Geography	Music
Art (See Note 1)*	Design Technology	Art **(See Note 1)*	Geography
Graphics **(See Note 1)*	Psychology	Graphics **(See Note 1)*	Design Technology
PE Sport	Health & Social Care	Travel & Tourism	PE Sport
Hospitality	Drama	Dance	Princes Trust (PD & ES)
Business (Enterprise)	Creative iMedia	Hospitality	Business (Enterprise)

*Note 1. Students cannot choose Art in one option block and Graphics in the alternative block, as they have similar content and knowledge. Should this happen Harrogate High School reserves the right to select the next preference in one of the option blocks.

Who can help me decide?

Talking to friends and family, as well as teachers is an important part of the process. Seek advice from a range of people including.

Tutor
Subject Teachers
Student Support Officer – Mrs McWilliams
Careers Advisor Ms P Garner (See contact details below)
Older students
Parents and relatives

Should you require specific guidance, please email our resident Careers Advisor, Ms P Garner

Careers Information

If you require any further support or guidance in relation to selecting option choices or careers, please contact our Independent Careers Advisor using the details below:

Independent Careers Advisor - Penny Garner’s email: pgarner@harrogatehighschool.co.uk

Choosing an Option: What should I think about?

In is essential that you choose options you are interested in, you will need to motivated to put in the hard work to achieve a GCSE in the subject. If you enjoy the subject, you are more likely to put the effort in. Choosing well means you must think hard about:

What you are like – Do you like practical subjects or academic subjects?
How will different subjects help you in the future?
What are your interests and passions?

It is wise to research and consider all the options before making a decision, it is a decision you will need to live with for two years, so it is important to be sure you want to study that subject.

Options Process Actions and Timeline

The flow chart below gives you a summary of the steps you will need to take in order to make the decision about the options choices.

Options Booklet	Look at option Blocks above and read the options book to see which might suit you are your interests. Select two provisioinal choices from each block. For each Option block 1st Preference and 2nd Preference, 8 choices in total.

Subject Video Clip	Watch the Subject Video Clips for your choices. Ask yourself, can you imagine studying these subjects for two years. Do you really understand what the subject is and why its important to study it?

Subject teams Question & Answer Meeting	Attend Subject Teams Question and Answer sessions starting the Week Beginning 22/02/21 Email the Subject leaders to arrange to attend a Subject Teams Question and Answer session at the scheduled time below. The Subject leader will email you an invite to your HHS Email. Ask the questions you would like to ensure you are as informed as you can be before making the decision

Choose Options	Select your final two options from each block. Decide which option is your first choice and which is your second choice. Click the Options Form link below and complete the details, ensure you carefully check the information is correct.

Submit Options Choice	Submit your Options form before the deadline of Monday 08/03/21 Failure to submit choices will result in Harrogate High School making the choices for you.

Option Booklet

Please click the image below to access a full and detailed description of each of the option subjects in our Year 9 Options Information Booklet.

Option Blocks and Subject Narrated Video’s

Each of the links below will take you to a short video clip explaining the subject in more detail. It should be watched in conjunction with the Options Information booklet above.

Option Block 1	Option Block 2	Option Block 3	Option Block 4
Spanish	History	Spanish	Computer Science
History	Computer Science	Geography	Music
Art	Design Technology	Art	Geography
Graphics	Psychology	Graphics	Design Technology
PE Sport	Health & Social Care	Travel & Tourism	PE Sport
Hospitality	Drama	Dance	Princes Trust (PD & ES)
Business (Enterprise)	Creative iMedia	Hospitality	Business (Enterprise)

Subject Teams Question and Answer meeting

These Subject Teams Question and Answers sessions will be held online, to attend, please email the Subject Leader below and arrange to attend at the time stated. Once arranged the subject leader will send a link to the Students HHS school email account for you to attend.

Subject Teams Q & A Meeting
Department	Contact Email	Subject Leader	Week Beg 22/02	Week Beg 01/03
Geography	fr@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms F Rhodes	Tuesday 23rd 4.00pm
History	gep@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms G Potts	Monday 22nd 4.00pm
MfL (Spanish)	scox@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Mr S Cox	Monday 22nd 5.00pm
Business Studies	riw@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Mr R Wilson	Thursday 25th 4:00pm
Hospitality & Catering	lreed@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms L Reed	Monday 22nd 4.30pm
Design Technology	lreed@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms L Reed		Monday 1st Mar 4.30pm
PE Sport	ewilson@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms E Wilson		Thursday 4th Mar 4:00pm
Art	als@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms A Stewart	Tuesday 23rd 4.00pm
Graphics	als@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms A Stewart		Monday 1st Mar 4pm
Music	ams@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms A Southern		Monday 1st Mar 4pm
Psychology	rsanderson@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms R Sanderson	Tuesday 23rd 4.30pm
Health & Social Care	rsanderson@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms R Sanderson		Tuesday 2nd Mar 4.30pm
Drama	sha@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms S Hastings	Monday 22nd 6.00pm
Dance	sha@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms S Hastings	Monday 22nd 6.30pm
Computer Science	mha@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Mr M Hazel		Monday 1st Mar 5pm
ICT	lwilson@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Mr L Wilson	Wednesday 24th 4.00pm
Travel & Tourism	kgudgeon@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms K Gudgeon	Tuesday 23rd 4.00pm
Princes Trust	kgudgeon@harrogatehighschool.co.uk	Ms K Gudgeon		Tuesday 2nd Mar 4.00pm

Making Your Choice

Please complete the Options Choice form below and submit by Monday 8^th March.

Options Choice Form

Caveats to Options process

Students cannot choose Art in one option block and Graphics in the alternative block, as they have similar content and knowledge. Should this happen Harrogate High School reserves the right to select the next preference in one of the option blocks.
Students may be selected for the Princes Trust course, if Harrogate High School consider it to be appropriate for a learner.
Some Students may be guided to the Triple Science Pathway, based on Prior attainment and the ability to cope with the individual Science’s. These learners are to be selected by Harrogate High School.
Option choices in any of the four blocks are not guaranteed and may change according to staffing and popularity of choices. Harrogate High School reserves the right to make changes without notification.
Religious Education is a compulsory part of the curriculum and will be examined at the end of Year 10 for most students.
If students follow the Alternative Pathway PE Sport option in Year 9, they will not be eligible to choose PE Sport in any option block. Harrogate High School reserves the right to allocate an alternative preference in this instance.
Harrogate High School will aim to inform students during the final half term of Year 9, subject to change in staffing. Option choices will finalised be published no later than September of Year 10.
Student Option choice changes will not be permitted once the qualification has started.