GCSE Options

At The Chase we aim to inspire, build confidence and prepare our students for life and work through a broad and balanced curriculum that is built on the interdependency of knowledge and skills.

To achieve this goal, we see it as our duty to provide a Key Stage 4 curriculum that will best equip your child to face the challenges of the future. We may not be fully clear about what the future workplace will look like but we do know that those who will be best placed to exploit the opportunities opening up will be technologically literate and have an adaptable set of high level skills. 

To that end we seek to offer a range of courses at Key Stage 4 which will lead to a suite of recognised qualifications that we know universities and employers’ alike value and trust. Within the Key Stage 4 curriculum, we allow our students a degree of freedom to choose courses that best suit their interests and play to their strengths. 

Students take their options in Year 9. There is an Options Evening, followed by a parents evening in the January of Year 9.

Subject Offer

ALL students will be required to take the following Core Curriculum Subjects:

• English Language & English Literature (2 GCSE's) for 9 units per fortnight
• Mathematics for 8 units per fortnight
• Science (worth at least 2 GCSE Grades) for 9 units per fortnight 
• Personal Social Health Education (PSHEC) for 2 units per fortnight (non-exam).
• Physical Education (PE) for 4 units per fortnight (non-exam)

At The Chase, students select three option subjects rather than four. We have made this change for two key reasons:

• Reduced Cognitive Load
  • The introduction of the 9 - 1 GCSE grading system has significantly increased the amount of content students must learn - many subjects now include around 30% more material. In addition, most GCSEs require students to sit three examination papers per subject, meaning that students taking four options may face around 25 exams during the summer examination period.
• By reducing the number of option subjects to three, we aim to ease pressure on students and help them manage their workload more effectively.

Choice 1

At The Chase, we believe it is vital for students to study a broad and balanced curriculum. Choice 1 contains facilitating subjects that keep future pathways open, supporting a wide range of post-16 and career opportunities.

These subjects also appear in Choices 2 & 3 so that students may choose more than one if they wish.

History or Geography

The Sciences (including Computer Science)

French or Spanish

Choices 2 & 3

Students can then choose three option subjects from the list below, allowing them to focus on areas that reflect their interests and potential specialisms.

Students can choose from the following open subjects:

Next Steps

Our Options Evening will take place on 8 January, and a link to the Options Booklet will be published here soon.