Year 8 to 9 Options 2026-2027
Options This leaflet accompanies the Year 8 parent letter regarding options sent via The Arrow on Friday, 24th January. In brief, Year 8 pupils need to choose: two languages from French, German, Latin and Spanish; and two subjects from Art, Design Technology (including Food), Drama and Music. Pupils must choose within the language options they currently study. If you have any questions or queries regarding options, please talk to your child’s form tutor in the first instance. Options are submitted online using 365 Forms. A link to the option form is contained with the parent letter. Deadline for return of Option Forms: Wednesday 4th February 2026
Your Choices Choose two subjects from the language group and two subjects from the creative group.
Language Group:
Creative Group:
Latin
Art
French
Design Technology
German
Drama
Spanish
Music
Whatever subjects you select, the golden rules on choices are: •
INTEREST: Which subjects interest you most? Which do you enjoy?
•
ABILITY: Do you have the talent in this subject? At this stage this should not be an issue for most of you.
•
FUTURE AIMS: Are you keeping open your options for GCSE and beyond?
Also, you should use the expertise available. Talk to subject staff and your Form Tutor. Head of Year 8, Mrs. Pike, and Mrs Dowding are also useful people to contact.
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Language Group: French, German, Spanish and Latin Things to consider in your choices: • •
One of French, German or Spanish is expected to be studied at GCSE. Hence, if you opt for Latin plus one of French, German or Spanish, then you will study one of these at GCSE. Think carefully about which language will be your best. Talk to your teachers.
All languages, modern or classical, require similar skills: dedication to learning vocabulary, the tenses of verbs and how to structure sentences. Below is some detail of what is involved in each subject
Languages The study of any foreign language in today’s world is an invaluable skill, and increasingly so given the global nature of society. As languages are predominantly a communication skill, the ability to converse in another language, indeed, to have the confidence to speak in another language, will provide students with the important skills of oracy and communication in any given field. Further on down the line it is worth noting that languages can be combined with a multitude of other disciplines and language students fare extremely well in the job market. Over 60% of British trade is with non-English speaking countries and 75% of the world's population do not speak English. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made great advances in the art of translating but nothing can replace the personal touch that comes from direct human interaction. All of the courses continue the skills of Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening. In Year 9, lessons will continue to focus on these, with writing and speaking becoming increasingly important.
French Our nearest neighbours, a global language, the chosen language of diplomacy and thus, one of the most important languages in world politics. France is also a world leader in the engineering world particularly with regards civil engineering.
German The ability to speak German is an especially valuable asset in the engineering and business world. Jaguar Land Rover, Hugo Boss, Siemens, Bloomberg, Adidas, among others, have recently shown particular interest in German speakers.
Latin To choose Latin, the most important thing is that you should enjoy the subject and have an interest in the classical world. Students continue to develop their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and need to be prepared to revise these areas regularly. Students will develop an excellent understanding of the structure of the Latin language. If they continue the study of Latin to GCSE, they will learn to read passages of Latin literature critically and evaluate the use of literary techniques. Latin is highly regarded by the top universities and is considered as a rigorous and challenging subject. Students of Latin are believed to be academic and able to think in a logical and systematic way. The study of literature also develops extended writing, evaluative and analytical skills, which are vital for many subjects at A level and beyond. Latin is a good choice for anyone considering Law, Medicine, Modern Languages, History, English Language and English Literature. Many students also take it if they are studying Sciences as it sets them apart when applying to university and develops their writing skills. You do not have to study Latin to do Classical Civilisation at GCSE.
Spanish There are over 300 million people in the world speaking Spanish, making the learning of this language an immeasurable skill to possess and it covers not only Europe but South America. It is closer to French than German in its structure. Its origins have more in common with French.
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Creative Group Art, Design Technology and Food, Drama and Music In choosing within this group please apply the principles outlined at the start of this leaflet. Which subject interests you most? Which are you best at? Are you considering studying any of them at GCSE or beyond?
Art The course is primarily concerned with self-expression and involves communicating ideas in a visual form in response to teacher led starting points. You will develop your abilities in the areas of oil painting, drawing, photography, mixed-media and build on your existing skills in Adobe Photoshop.
Design and Technology with Food Preparation and Nutrition This continues the cycle of Food Preparation and Nutrition, and Product Design, building on the skills learnt through Years 7 and 8. We will teach you advanced techniques and provide you with more freedom within the workshops to apply what you learn within a more creative framework. There are also a greater range of extracurricular projects open to students in Year 9 to enhance your experiences.
Drama In Year 9 Drama, you experience different acting styles including comedy, tragedy, realism, docu-drama and physical theatre. You will stage key scenes of Dennis Kelly’s play “DNA” and use dystopian fiction (George Orwell’s 1984 and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games) as a stimulus for devised drama. You will also learn more about the elements of design (set, costume, lighting and sound) and will specialise in one or more of these areas for practical work. We will also visit a theatre to see a professional show and then learn how to evaluate and critique live theatre. Your confidence, teamwork and creative skills will all develop by opting for Drama.
Music The course starts with a major group composition task set around the emotive themes of War. Famous film music from acclaimed war movies is looked at in detail to gain inspiration for your own group piece. This is followed by a project on Irregular Time Signatures. The Spring Term is devoted entirely to Pop Music. There are two projects. One involves a pop song (chosen by the student, not the teacher!) and learning how to perform it in a group. The second project is a genuine attempt to compose some of your own pop music using a set of chords provided as a starting point alongside a given set of lyrics. Composition skills are developed further in the final term.
FORM GROUPS IN YEAR 9 Once the choices are received and the teaching timetable for next year has been set, we will begin to draw up the form groups for Year 9. This is a complex process which involves sub-dividing the year group into several sections in order to fit the various timetable complexities. A balance of gender, academic ability and subject choices has to be achieved. Your Head of Year, in consultation with tutors, will then draw up the new Forms. Please be assured that they will do this very carefully and sensitively. We are unable to offer students a choice of friends for their new Year 9 Forms as there are too many other restrictions in place already. If you have any concerns, please email your Head of Year before the end of this term.
Mrs Hallet (Head of Year 8): SCH@csfoundation.org.uk Mrs Pike (Careers Advisor): SPIKE@csfoundation.org.uk Mrs C L Dowding (Deputy Head): CLD@csfoundation.org.uk
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