To complete the form you must be logged in with the student's school email account.

This form will only be accepting responses from 5^th February until 20th February 2026.

Year 9 Options and Parents' Evening

Key Dates:

• Wednesday 4th February 2026 - Year 9 Options Evening -
  Essential for all Year 9 students, parents or carers. 
  There will be an opportunity for parents to meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss any queries you may have.
• Friday 20th February 2026 - All options forms to be completed online by this date.
  Throughout March we will contact any students that may need to consider amending their subject choices.
• Week Beginning 8th June 2026 - Confirmation of courses and subjects for next year will be sent home.
• Any requests for changes need to be with us by 16th June 2026

Choosing Your Options

Introduction

You have reached a very important stage in your education.  Here you have several decisions about the range of subjects you will study in Years 10 and 11 to make.  This decision is complex and should be done in consultation with your parents/carers, teachers, and by using your academic report.

To assist you in this process we have produced information about all the subjects that we offer at Northampton Academy. This is laid out in sections containing the compulsory subjects and the optional subjects that you can take.

You should read the information carefully and speak with your teachers and parents/carers to help you consider which choices you will make. The decisions you make regarding optional subjects can affect your future opportunities.

As an academy, we will continue to try our best to meet all your differing individual needs.  We encourage all students to choose subjects that will; prepare them for their future, are subjects that they enjoy and are subjects that they are likely to be successful in. Therefore, please look carefully at the entrance criteria for each subject. 

To aid your decisions, the following support and guidance is available:

• The options website – containing information from each subject about entry criteria and course content.
• Options video within the subject page – to give you an insight into potential careers and what studying each subject involves.
• GCSE Options talk – This will take place on the same day as the Y9 parents evening, at 4 pm and repeated at 6 pm.
• If additional guidance is needed you are then able to contact Dr Fishwick (l.fishwick@northampton-academy.org)

Completing your option choices

You will need to visit this form to complete your options choices. You must be logged in using your school email address and password as the form will only allow access for Northampton academy accounts.

Pathways

The curriculum the Academy will provide in Years 10 and 11 has been designed to:

• be broad and balanced
• allow for the maximum number of students to achieve to their highest potential in nationally recognised qualifications (i.e. study appropriate courses in their ‘best’ subjects)
• allow students to select a coherent programme of study to enable them to access a meaningful progression through to post 16 routes and beyond
• meet the requirements of the National Curriculum

It is a requirement that all students study English, Mathematics, Science and Core Physical Education. We call this our ‘compulsory curriculum’.

The other subjects that we offer form our options and contains a range of level 2 qualifications that are either BTEC or GCSE. For some students we recommend following the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) pathway but we also recognise that all students are individuals with differing needs and try to offer a personalised ‘pathway’ tailored to each student. For most students, this means studying a selection of GCSE’s and BTEC’s in non-compulsory subjects in addition to the compulsory curriculum. For all students, the total number of courses available is limited to balance the need for breadth against the time required for each subject to attain the highest grades for everyone.

The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) Pathway

This is an academic route which means students study a broad range of core GCSEs in English, Mathematics, at least two Sciences, a Modern Foreign Language (French or Spanish) and a Humanities subject (Geography or History). Studying the full range of EBacc subjects is often beneficial when applying for university as it shows that you have a well-rounded academic background. This can be particularly important if applying to Russell Group universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, or Warwick. 
Studying a Modern Foreign Language (French or Spanish) is particularly sought after by these universities. 
We would recommend that any students who may be considering university entrance in the future, seriously consider opting for subjects that follow this pathway.

Experience has shown that all students need a substantial amount of help and advice to make decisions about their pathway at Key Stage 4. Students that require further guidance will be contacted by a member of the curriculum team to discuss and agree choices. These conversations will begin in the week beginning Monday 10^th March 2025 during the school day.  

The programme of study that you will be advised to pursue will take into account:

• Your strengths, weaknesses, and current performance in all subjects.
• Likely future progression beyond the age of 16.
• National practice in providing opportunities for all students, including recent government initiatives.

PLEASE NOTE – If there is an option subject that your child wishes to take but currently does not meet the entry requirements for then please do seek help, either at the parents’ evening drop in in the canteen, or by contacting Dr Fishwick via email. Please remember to follow the advice: Choose subjects that you enjoy, that you are best at and study for a purpose – to reach an end goal.It is very important that students and parents/carers take time to read the information in this booklet before completing the online Student Response Form.