KS4
Options
Name:
Form:
Choosing Your Options
In addition to your options, you will take:
 English [Year 10: 3 hours per week, Year 11: 3.5 hours per week]
 Maths [Year 10: 3.5 hours per week, Year 11: 3 hours per week]
 Science [Combined: 4.5 hours per week, Separate: 7 hours per week]
 Games [1 hour per week]
 Personal Development [1 hour per fortnight]
Choosing Your Options
On the next page is a list of all the subjects you can choose from. You need to choose 5 subjects
from the list and let us know your order of priority by putting 1 against the subject that is most
important to you, 2 against the next and so on until you put 5 against the subject you would be
most prepared to substitute for another. A subject takes up 2.5 hours a week.
 If you want to be sure of achieving the English Baccalaureate (see the website for more
information) you need to choose at least one of the languages and either History or
Geography. These sections appear first on the form. (NB you can’t do both of the History
courses as they lead to the same qualification)
 Single subjects are then listed in alphabetical order.
 You will also need to indicate which Science route you want to take: either Separate
Sciences (Most suitable for pupils in Sets 1 or 2) or Combined Science. If you choose
Separate Science it will need to be one of your 5 option choices.
What happens next....?
When we’ve got all your preferences in on 24th March we’ll work on coming up with the best
fit curriculum to suit as many of your choices as possible. Please remember that we won’t be
able to suit everybody and also that some courses might not run, especially now that funding is
such an issue. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can if it doesn’t look like we can get your
exact combination. It would be a good idea to have some reserve choices ready just in case we
need to do that.
As always, don’t hesitate to ask if there’s something you’re not sure about or want to discuss.
Just make sure you do that in time to meet our deadline of 24th March or you run the risk of
not being able to get your chosen subjects.
Last updated: January 2017
www.queenelizabeth.cumbria.sch.uk
QES KS4 Options
GCSE Options
Choose 5 subjects in total from the lists below and rank them in preference order
with 1 being the subject you most want to do and 5 the one you’d be most prepared
to change if you needed to.
In order to achieve the English Baccalaureate you need to choose at least one subject
from the Languages list and at least one subject from the Humanities list.
French
Baccalaureate
Humanities
Geography
German
History A*
Languages
Rank order (1 to 5)
Spanish
Rank order (1 to 5)
History B*
Latin*
*This will be an additional option to the 5 main subjects
and will run after school 3.30 – 5.00pm (day TBC)
*Both the History courses lead to the same
qualification so you can’t opt for both
Single Subjects
Rank order
(1 to 5)
Rank order
(1 to 5)
Art1
Economics
3D Art1
Food
Business Studies
ICT
Catering
Music
Computer Science
PE
Dance
Religious Studies
Design & Technology2
Separate Science
Design & Technology (Graphics Focus) 2
Study Skills
Drama
Textiles
1
Both the Art courses lead to the same qualification so you can’t opt for both
Both the Design & Technology courses lead to the same qualification so you can’t opt for both
2
QES KS4 Options
Science Option
You also need to choose which of the Science options you are going to take: Separate
Sciences or Combined Science. Tick the box next to the Science option you want to
choose. If you are unsure then you need to speak to a member of the Science department.
□
Separate Sciences (Most suitable for pupils in Sets 1 or 2)
Students work towards 3 separate GCSE Science qualifications in Biology, Chemistry & Physics. (You
will need to have chosen Separate Science from the single subjects list on the options form)
□
Combined Science
Students complete 2 GCSE Science qualifications each of which is a mixture of Biology, Chemistry &
Physics
Baccalaureate Checklist
Now that you’ve made your option and Science choices you need to check that your
Baccalaureate ‘diet’ is wide and varied. In order to achieve the Baccalaureate you will need
to have one subject ticked from each colour coded area (Science, Languages and
Humanities). Based on your option choices overleaf and your Science choice above tick the
boxes next to the subjects you’ve chosen in the table below. Then at the bottom total up
how many Baccalaureate subjects you’ve chosen.
Subject
Baccalaureate Points
Separate Science
3
Combined Science
2
French
1
German
1
Latin
1
Spanish
1
Geography
1
History/World History
1
Total
If your total is less than 4 then you and your parents may need a further conversation
with a member of the Year 9 Pastoral team.
QES KS4 Options
Parent/Guardian Section
Would you like to let us know about any achievements, qualities or interests that
your child hasn’t mentioned?
Are you aware of any difficulties which could affect your child’s performance in
exams?
Signature of Parent/Guardian
Date