Year 9: age, curriculum and assessments
Year 9 is the last year of Key Stage 3, and usually the year pupils choose their GCSE options.
The answer
Children in Year 9 are 13 or 14 years old. Year 9 is in Key Stage 3, and every child turns 14 during the year.
Year 9 at a glance
Year 9 is the final year of Key Stage 3. Key Stage 3 is Years 7 to 9, ages 11 to 14. The big decision in Year 9 is GCSE options, usually made in the spring term after an options evening. English, maths and science are taken by almost every pupil; the rest are chosen.
- Age
- 13 to 14
- Key stage
- Key Stage 3
- Where
- Secondary school
- National assessments
- None
What children learn in Year 9
Taken from the national curriculum in England (2014), Key Stage 3 programmes of study for mathematics and English.
Key Stage 3 content is set for Years 7 to 9 together, so each school chooses the order. Year 9 finishes it and prepares pupils for GCSE courses. How the key stages fit together
Maths in Year 9
- Pythagoras’ theorem and, in many schools, a first look at trigonometry, both of which lead straight into GCSE.
- Probability and statistics, including comparing two sets of data.
- Teachers begin to judge which GCSE maths tier, foundation or higher, is likely to suit each pupil.
English in Year 9
- Usually a full Shakespeare play, and more practice reading unseen texts, the main skill GCSE English language tests.
- Essay writing: making a clear argument about a text, backed by quotations.
- Some schools start GCSE English courses during Year 9.
Tests and assessments in Year 9
There are no national tests in Year 9. End of year exams often help decide GCSE maths and science sets for Year 10.
Is your child in Year 9?
Enter a date of birth to check which year group a child is in today, for this school year.
A school year finder loads here in your browser: enter a date of birth to see the year group.
How to help at home in Year 9
- Go to the options evening together, and ask how each subject is taught and assessed.
- Choose subjects your child enjoys and does well in, and keep a broad mix to keep future routes open.
- Check whether any sixth form or college course your child has in mind needs a particular GCSE.
- Ask subject teachers how much coursework each option involves, as it changes the workload in Years 10 and 11.
Other year groups
Questions parents ask
What age is Year 9?
Children in Year 9 are 13 or 14 years old. Children in the same year group are born between 1 September in one year and 31 August the next, so each child turns 14 at some point during Year 9.
What key stage is Year 9?
Year 9 is the final year of Key Stage 3. Key Stage 3 is Years 7 to 9, ages 11 to 14.
When are GCSE options chosen?
Usually in the spring term of Year 9, after an options evening. GCSE courses then start in Year 10.
Which GCSEs are compulsory?
Almost every pupil takes English, maths and science, which are compulsory subjects at Key Stage 4. Other subjects are options, and schools set their own rules on how many to take.
Choosing options now, and the 11+ next for a sibling?
For a child in Years 4 to 6, the free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and suggests what to work on first. No card is required.