Year 8 Options
KS4 options provide students with their first opportunity to begin to personalise their learning to match their interests and skills. It is important to put the best consideration into these choices since they will not only shape the student’s curriculum for the next three years and beyond but will essentially help to determine a student's success, confidence and enjoyment now and in the future.
Students should consider:
Which courses best suit their own strengths, interests and skills.
How courses are assessed and the split between practical and theoretical work.
Which courses will facilitate and open pathways into future education and career opportunities.
Which combination of courses will provide the best opportunities for developing a broad range of skills ensuring choice in the future.
The curriculum for the next three years is divided into ‘core’ subjects and the students’ four personal choices (options). Our curriculum has been shaped, over a number of years by students’ views aspirations and interests as well as the requirements incumbent upon us to provide courses which give our younger people the very best chances of advancement and progression in the future.
Core Subjects
All students will follow a core curriculum of English, Maths, Science, PE and Philosophy, Ethics and
Cultural Studies. Should students want to study Biology, Physics and Chemistry in greater depth, they
should opt for ‘Separate Sciences’ as one of their options choices. A number of subjects offer in depth
experience into ICT as well. Specifically these options include: Computer Science, Media, Photography,
Business Studies, Graphic Design, although many other subjects offer basic skills in ICT. The majority of
examinations are now taken in the summer of Year 11.
Options Subjects
At Bodmin College, we are proud to be able to offer students a wide range of different courses and
subjects that includes four personal choices. We will always do our very best to accommodate student
preferences. There will however, be times when group numbers or certain subject combinations lead us
to offer students one of their reserve choices instead. Year 9 will allow students to establish and embed
essential foundation knowledge and skills that will be developed further in years 10/11 before the final
examinations in the summer term of Year 11.