Year 9 Options

Making curriculum choices in Year 9 is the first step in an exciting journey. It is an opportunity to think very carefully about your future aspirations and how you can build upon your strengths to achieve them.

We provide our students and their families with information and advice that support them to make informed decisions. These decisions are important as they shape your time at school for the next two years and beyond. 

Choosing the right courses for you

Whilst there will be core subjects that all students will continue to study, there will also be a choice of optional subjects. All the relevant information will be provided in our Year 9 Options Booklet, in assemblies and online presentations created by our Heads of Department. 

It is important to choose subjects that you enjoy and are interested in so that you will be motivated to work hard. Our staff are available to provide support and guidance throughout the options process. Take advice from your current subject teacher and think about the way the course and exams are structured. This process of researching, reflection and discussion is very important as we offer a range of subjects, including some that were not studied in Key Stage 3. It is therefore essential to take time to understand what each course offers, what combinations are possible, and what is most suitable for each student as an individual.

As well as thinking about choosing the subjects that feel right for you, think about how these choices could help to prepare you for your next steps:

• What grades will you need if you wish to study the subject further at Sixth Form?
• What subjects would be useful for a university course or career aspiration?

Year 9 Options: December 2025

Year 9 Options information for Beacon Academy students starting Year 10 in September 2026 will be available from Friday 12 December. This is when the full options process will be explained in detail.

Pre-recorded videos from each of our subject departments (with the exception of the core subjects) providing detailed information about what will be on the course and how it is structured will be available to watch via our website and YouTube channel.

Our Year 9 Options Booklet and Year 9 Options videos are available to view on this page.

Download the Year 9 Options Booklet

Key Dates

• Friday 12 December 2025: Year 9 Options
• Wednesday 14 January and Thursday 22 January 2026: Year 9 Parent Evenings (face-to-face)
• Friday 30 January 2026: Year 9 Options deadline

Useful links:

BBC Bitesize GCSE Options: Everything you need to know about choosing your GCSE subjects