Student Zone

Welcome to the Careers section!

This area is designed to give you the essential information and tools you need to make informed decisions about your future, both while you're at secondary school (age 11-16) and after you leave.

Think of this as your practical guide to understanding career options and how your time in school fits into that picture.

Key Information & Quick Links:

Unifrog: A platform for you to record your activities and interactions. It also allows you to explore future careers and post 16. To sign in you just need your school email.

Key information on Careers: A one stop shop to all the colleges in the area and other useful websites for your future. 

Work experience - click the link and discover all you need to know. 

Year 9 GCSE Option Choices

Students will be able to choose a selection of subjects that they want to study during year 10 and 11. They will still study core subjects like maths, English and science, which will help them to keep their future options open. Although it can be helpful to study subjects that might link to future careers ideas, it is really not a problem if students don’t know yet what they want to do or if they change their mind later on.

It is always best to choose subjects they enjoy and want to study. They are more likely to be engaged with these subjects and the results will be better.

However, there are a few general points worth considering when making the choices:

• Creative subjects (e.g. drama, music or art) develop a wide range of skills that can be transferred to other areas (e.g. analysing or reflecting), so they can be an excellent option even if a student isn’t necessarily planning a creative career. They can be great “balancing” subjects to more traditional academic courses and if they have been studied at GCSE level it is much easier to continue with a related subject at college. Sometimes experiences outside school or a portfolio are considered instead of a related GCSE for entry to a related college course.
• Languages are increasingly important and a very good subject to consider, provided students have an interest in the language and the ability to do well. Some employers and universities like to see a GCSE in a language and it is often required to study it at a higher level in college. However, there are many ways to pick a language up again later on in life (e.g. college, evening classes, university, online courses etc.) if there is no interest now. No language is better than a bad grade and a student that has been put off studying languages for the rest of their life.
• Sciences are very important and reasonable pass grades at GCSE are expected for many future options, even if they are not obviously science based. Both double and triple science will keep choices open (including for medicine and similar options), so consider which is more likely to lead to good grades.
• Research the options in detail! Take time to make the right choices and select subjects that suit the individual student, not a general idea of what “will look good on a future application”. A very wide range of careers, employers and universities do not require specific subjects, particularly at GCSE, and general good results and a happy student are always the best outcome.