Options

Year 9 Options Evening took place on Thursday 5th March 2026.

Year 9 Options Evening took place on Thursday 5th March 2026 and the three-week period for pupils to select and submit their options preferences has now begun. Please refer to the options booklet, options form and the subject videos here to inform your child’s decisions. All options forms must be submitted via your child’s options adviser by Friday 27th March 2026. The options booklet can be downloaded here.

Pupils choose their Options at the end of Year 9, and begin all their examined courses as part of the Key Stage 4 curriculum in Year 10.

All pupils take GCSEs in Mathematics, English Literature, English Language, Combined (or separate) Sciences and at least one Humanities or Modern Foreign Languages GCSE.

During Key Stage 3, pupils study the full suite of subjects on the National Curriculum and are also exposed to a number of non-statutory subjects such as Drama, Photography and Enterprise, in order that they are well-prepared to make the decisions that face them in Year 9.

The other options available, include a wide range of creative, practical and academic GCSEs and a suite of Vocational Qualifications, which are open to all pupils.

The full list of subjects studied by KS4 pupils currently can be found here. Please note that this may differ from the list of subjects offered to pupils in this year’s options process.

Should you require any information on the Options process, or the KS4 curriculum at Golborne High School, please contact Mrs C Whitaker (Deputy Headteacher)

Click here to view the full list of qualifications currently taught at KS4.

Subject areas make recommendations on which subjects may be best suited to each child, based on their progress at KS3, but we do not limit any child’s access to particular qualifications as a matter of principle. 

Through an individual meeting for your child with their “options adviser”, we ensure that every child is offered a set of Options that will give them access to aspirational Post-16 opportunities. We know that some pupils will aspire to Further Education at the country’s top universities, others will complete Technical Levels and others may favour Apprenticeships and employment. Whatever your child’s aspirations, their options will provide them with the right combination of subjects to open these doors. 

Should you require more information on the Options process, please contact Mrs C Whitaker (Deputy Headteacher)

The link below will take you to a set of videos that explain each of the 2025 Options in more detail.

Click here for a comprehensive overview of all available subject options