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Key Stage Four Choices 2026
the next two years of your education and perhaps beyond. It is important that you get these choices right and you are supported to make informed decisions.
Our goals for every student who attends St Dunstan’s School are simple; every child should be educated and supported to become academically successful, make a positive contribution to the community and leave ready to make their mark on the world. The Key Stage Four choices, pathways and courses on offer are designed to support every student to achieve this.
St Dunstan’s School’s Key Stage Four offer is intended to provide every student with a broad and balanced curriculum, as well as an opportunity to specialise in specific areas. Our aim is to offer students a degree of choice, whilst ensuring that they study courses appropriate and matched to their aptitudes and abilities.
Our curriculum is a proven successful provision, delivered by experienced teachers who are experts in their courses. This was demonstrated by our GCSE outcomes in 2025 which were above the National and Somerset averages on several measures. Our curriculum is further strengthened by our collaboration with Trust Partners. We are constantly working together to improve and develop our teaching and curriculum so that our students receive the very best opportunities and support to be successful.
Good luck making your choices and please do not hesitate to come and ask for help and advice at any point in the process.
Yours sincerely
Mr P Balkwill
Year 9 is an exciting time for students as this is the point in their academic career where they are given the opportunity to reflect on their learning to date, to consider their aspirations for life after school and to decide on the subjects they will take through to GCSE. Year 9 is the first time when students genuinely have choices about which subjects they study. It is also possibly the first time that students start to consider their choices post 16. Whether they choose sixth form, college or an apprenticeship leading to further or higher education, the choices made in Year 9 are significant and should be given serious consideration. Year 9 is a crucial point in your child's education and we see collaboration between students, school, and parents/carers as crucial to the process.
Students follow a range of subjects; all study the core subjects of English, Maths, Science as GCSE qualifications as well as a Humanity (History or Geography) alongside their own choices. Most of our students will also study French, meaning that they meet the criteria for the government’s English Baccalaureate. PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) and PB (Philosophy and Belief) continue to form the backbone of the curriculum provision in Key Stage Four, and whilst there are no exams in these subjects, they are vital in allowing students to develop their understanding of themselves and others. In addition to these, students are able to choose which other subjects they would like to continue with on to GCSE. This webpage serves to explain the process that students will go through when making their choices and offer support to students to ensure that they make choices that are right for them.
Mr T Armstrong
We are pleased to share with you our information booklet for 2026. This will act as a guide for parents and students on the choices they will make.
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) represents a nationally recognised suite of GCSE subjects designed to ensure that students follow a broad and balanced curriculum. To achieve the EBacc, students must study a GCSE in a modern foreign language alongside at least one humanities subject. At St Dunstan’s, students following this pathway study French.
We strongly recommend the EBacc pathway for several reasons. It promotes academic breadth by ensuring students study a range of core academic subjects alongside creative or technical options. Leading universities, including those within the Russell Group, value applicants who have studied both a language and a humanities subject. In addition, the EBacc pathway offers greater flexibility and a wider range of future study options.
Due to the academically rigorous nature of Separate Science and Computer Science, these subjects are only available to students following the EBacc pathway.
The choices available to our Ebacc students are shown below:
You are likely to feel that you have made strong progress in most subjects, although you may feel less confident in Modern Foreign Languages. French is not a compulsory subject within this pathway; however, students who wish to continue their study of French may select it within the Open Choice column.
Students on this pathway typically demonstrate a secure understanding across a range of subjects, although they may not yet be working consistently at a Mastering level in Science. As part of this pathway, students will study at least one humanities subject alongside a combination of GCSE and alternative qualifications.
This pathway is designed to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that combines academic subjects with alternative qualifications, while remaining well suited to students’ individual strengths, abilities, and interests.
The choices available to students on our Humanities Pathway are shown below:
Subject Teachers can give you an idea about your ability in the subject, and more detailed information on their GCSE subject.
Your parents/carers, who know you best of all, may help you to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses.
Beth Church, our Careers Advisor,can provide you with information about entrance requirements to different areas of work. Her email address is: careersadvisor@stdunstansschool.com
Your Tutor or Mrs Easterbrook (Head of Key Stage 3) can support you with your choices.
Mr Armstrong (Assistant Headteacher) can talk to you about the options process.
The videos below are intended to provide students and families with further information about the courses on offer. We encourage you to watch these alongside reading the information in the booklet to help you to finalise your choices.