Dear Parents and Carers

It’s an exciting time for our Year 8 students as they prepare to make their GCSE option choices. Each year we review our options process (there is a feedback form in the options booklet which your child will be bringing home today) to further improve what we do and the advice we give. We understand that the decisions students are making are important and need careful consideration, so we make sure there are several opportunities for students and parents to get information about different courses.

The Options Evening takes place on Thursday 19 January between 6pm-8pm with presentations on the process, information on why we recommend students choose a language and a humanity subject, and then time to visit any and all subjects your child may be interested in to learn more about the content of the GCSE, how it is assessed and ask any questions. The Year 8 Parents’ Evening on Thursday 16 February is also an opportunity to discuss with your child’s teachers the skills your child should focus on in order to prepare themselves for their GCSEs.

There will be assemblies and opportunities for your child to discuss their options with their tutor. They will all have older students in their tutor groups who are already taking the subjects and they are an extremely valuable additional source of information.

We look forward to seeing you at these events and please contact your child’s tutor if you have any questions about the process.