Starting Secondary School

So you are into the swing of secondary school you have probably come across some of these subject areas already:

English - where you learn important skills such as reading, writing and talking and how to apply a critical analysis. Of course it is important to learn to spell and punctuate correctly.

Maths – here you will learn about equations, shapes, spaces and numbers and how to understand your world using the tools of mathematics.

Modern languages – learn how to converse, read and write in another language and if you want to travel or work abroad it is a good skill to have. As well as the language you will learn more about the country and its culture.

Science – where you learn scientific facts, ideas and how to apply them. It usually centres on healthy living, energy and its uses, materials and environments. You can also specialise in specific areas such as Chemistry, Physics and Biology.

Social subjects - these include Geography, History, Modern Studies, Classics, Economics and these are great to give you a broad understanding of the world we live in; how people work and live.

Creative subjects – this is where you can express your creativity and learn how to apply it using a variety of skills and techniques. These include specific subjects as Art & Design, Drama, Craft & Design and Music.

As well as the above you might also doing Physical Education (P.E.), Accounting, Administration, Computing Studies, Business Studies, Home Economics, Social and Vocational Studies, Religious Education and Technological Studies. Some of these subjects are necessary to develop key skills and are linked to certain training courses and jobs.

Before you choose your subjects it is important to get to know yourself, what you like and what you don’t like. And it is sometimes good to keep your options open in case you change your mind about what you want to do. Remember to think about:

What do you like doing and what interests you?

What do you like doing outside of school?

Who can I ask for advice?

Answering some of these questions will mean you are getting to know what you like and don’t like and what you are good at. This will help you choose what subjects you want to do when getting to S3 and S4 and maybe even help you decide what you want to be.

For more ideas you can start to look at our Choose your own path grid which has information on courses, subjects and jobs.