• Students become engaged at an earlier stage about their strengths, interests and aspirations.
• Additional time to complete course content and explore the subject more fully – not just teaching to examination specification.
• Prepare for examinations more thoroughly with additional time for guided revision.
• Time for extra-curricular opportunities.
• Opportunity to explore higher level content over longer period.
• Meet the needs of all learners.
• Removes some of the pressure – students feel better prepared when they have studied subjects over a longer period. Stress levels are mitigated, and confidence improved.
• Gives us flexibility within the curriculum to run year group activities – such as visiting speakers, workshops, master classes etc. with less impact on other subjects.

At the heart of our curriculum design, all students are taught to Achieve, Believe and Care, leaving Haute Vallée School as well rounded young adults with the transferable skills and knowledge that they need to succeed in the future.

As the school continues to improve we are seeing more and more students following the English Baccalaureate(EBacc) route in their GCSE options. In response to this and to ensure your son/daughter has a broad, balanced and appealing curriculum we ask in the first instance they choose one of the following subjects as their first choice: History, Geography, RE, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Computer Science. We are delighted to offer all students the opportunity to start Year 9 studying Single Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) this will be reviewed by their teachers throughout KS4. We also offer three courses offered in partnership with Highlands College. These are two-year courses and students choosing these courses will be based in school during Year 9 where they will follow an appropriate enrichment offer.

This booklet will help students and parents make decisions about future and encourage students to choose subjects that suit their aspirations, skills and needs. Each subject page in this document gives a brief outline of each qualification available (including the course content) and explains how students will be assessed.

It is no secret that competition for employment and university places is stronger than ever. Universities and employers want to engage young people who stand out from the crowd. It is our goal to develop confident, ambitious learners who are hungry for success. We hope that the options on offer will support the development of the fully rounded learner.

If you have any questions regarding the Options process that are not answered in this booklet, please do not hesitate to speak to a Staff Member or contact the School Office.