Year 8 Curriculum Preferences for Year 9

Curriculum preferences for Year 9 (September 2021) and the pathway to making final GCSE Option choices over the next academic year for September 2022.

Core curriculum studied by all pupils in Year 9

English language
English literature
Mathematics
Science
History
Geography
French
Physical education
Religious studies

As a school we highly value our arts and languages provision and want all our pupils to study the arts subjects until the end of year 9. As part of the performing arts block pupils will do a term each of music, drama and dance. As part of the Technology block pupils will do a term each of art, food technology and Design and Technology, resistant materials

In addition to this we are giving pupils the opportunity to either study an arts or technology subject already on the timetable in more depth, or consider either German as an additional language, or classical civilisation which includes aspects of Latin. This is separate to the process of choosing GCSE Options. During the course of year 9, pupils select their final subject choices for GCSEs

Pupils will get to choose one of the following to either study as a new aspect of the Year 9 curriculum, or in addition to what is already being offered. They may or may not choose to carry this choice on beyond Year 9 and into GCSEs.

Art
*Classical civilisation, to include some Latin
Dance
Design technology, resistant materials
Drama
German
Hospitality and catering
Music
PE (practical and theory)

*Classics

Studying Classics is an exciting tour through the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome by learning about the art, architecture, language, literature and philosophy of the times.

At Castle Newnham, pupils will learn Latin at beginners level following the Cambridge Latin Course and will have the opportunity to take the OCR Entry Level qualification at the end of the year. Through the course pupils will also learn about Roman society as they discover details about the lives of real Roman citizens in Pompeii.

By investigating some of the aspects of society above, pupils will uncover the stories of these great civilisations by learning about some of the tales of the Siege of Troy and the myths of religion and origin for good measure.

Pupils with an interest in either Ancient Greece or Rome will be fascinated by this curriculum choice as would those with an interest in myth and storytelling as well as working out how language has evolved across Europe and the wider world.

The deadline for the Year 9 choice to be made is 28^th May 2021.

Final GCSE option choices for Year 10 will not be made until the spring term of Year 9 2022.