Skip to content ↓
The Buckingham School

The Buckingham School

Key Stage 4 – The Options Process

We believe in preparing your child for an aspirational pathway and will be giving them choices based on what we believe suits their academic ability and potential. The offer is broad and balanced, and allows for many opportunities Post 16 and at University.

Our curriculum at The Buckingham School will meet the needs of all students and will serve to provide them with an education which challenges and engages; is linked to individual student’s abilities and identified progression plans; and prepares all students for life, further learning, employment and training.

To help guide students towards appropriate Options, we have redesigned the curriculum into three new suggested pathways.  Students will be given information on which pathway would be most suitable for them based on their current and prior attainment.

Blue route students will select four Options.  It is suggested that one of these Options is either Geography or History; the second Option is either French or Spanish, giving students two further Options of their choice. This will lead to 10 Level 2 qualifications.  These students will be working toward the EBacc pathway.

Purple route students will select four Options.  It is suggested that one of these Options is either Geography, History, French or Spanish.  Students should then choose three further Options.  This will lead to 10 Level 2 qualifications.

Green route students will select four Options.  It is suggested that one of these Options is ASDAN, another is either Construction, Sport BTEC, Health and Social Care BTEC or Business GCSE.  Students should then choose two further Options.  As ASDAN is not a Level 2 qualification, this will lead to 8 or 9 Level 2 qualifications (some students may take two GCSEs in Science, rather than three)

We have also labelled (colour-coded) each option subject with the pathway it is most suitable for at the top of each page of the KS4 Options booklet.

We will help students to make their choices by:

●Providing taster sessions in School during the week of the 8 - 12 January 2024
●Providing suggested pathways for each student
●Giving information on each Option as well as videos from the Curriculum Leader
●Options Evening on Thursday 11 January 2024
●Virtual Parents Evening on Wednesday 7 February 2024