Here’s your chance to make your choices about your education. Grab it with both hands

By Mark Yearsley, headteacher, North Cumbria Technology College

Last updated 16:17, Monday, 26 May 2008

My wife and I are childhood sweethearts; we met whilst we were still at school.

She wisely dumped me when we went away to university – she wanted to see the big wide world unencumbered.

She went away to Sheffield to see what life was like in all its fullness and I went to Leeds to be miserable. A couple of years later it turned out I was the pinnacle of her achievements after all (perhaps I wasn’t without my charms – good grief I can hear you cry) and we got back together.

One of the things we both remember is that this time of year was when we had to choose our Options.

There were limited choices for teenagers, with old-fashioned ideas and advice. She was told very clearly by one teacher when trying to choose subjects she enjoyed: “Oh no my dear you don’t mix arts and sciences!”

The result for both of us was subjects we were not keen on and consequently did badly in.

Our Option Form consisted of a single A4 sheet with the different subjects placed in three columns for us to choose from. There was no accompanying information and precious little advice to guide us. I never did understand what “Homecare” was about but was told clearly that it was not for me.

It may or may not be connected with my current Friday night contribution to the housework of cleaning the toilet but I have no real idea.

Thank goodness things have moved on. The picture is radically different in 2008. Schools will shortly be publishing their Options Booklets for Year 9 and for Year 12.

This is a very exciting time for teenagers, partly because in the majority of schools this is the first time they will have been allowed any choice in what they study and partly because there are many new subjects to choose from.

Option Booklets in 2008 will be very glossy publications with a great deal of information for students and parents, but just what can you expect and what will the process feel like?

This time of year should not be the first time parents and students have been told about the process.

Many schools will have been building up to the event with taster courses for students so they can experience subjects they have not studied before.

Schools will have been assessing students to determine which subjects might be appropriate for them.

They will also be organising Options Evenings where each department or subject area will publicise what it can offer, and staff will be enthusiastically telling parents how vital their subject is. Advice will also be available from sources such as the Connexions service and the college.

Radio 1 will be running an advice service for young people and there will be leaflets and information aplenty.

Then, having listened to all the advice and read all the paperwork the final part of the process will involve the filling in of the Options Form, indicating which subjects a student would like to study.

Staff in schools will help with this, but it works best when it involves a good discussion at home with parents.

A couple of words of advice to students; never make choices based on what your friends are doing, always choose subjects you enjoy and never be told you need to choose a subject because of your career choice.

The whole point of the options process is to allow you to make the school curriculum fit your needs and so to maximise your enjoyment and achievement. Enjoy the next few months; it’s your chance to make your choices about your education.