SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGH THE GCSE SELECTION PROCESS
The GCSE selection process is an exciting time when pupils get to choose the subjects they will enjoy studying in greater depth in Year 10 and 11. The School will be on hand to support them during every stage of this process with information shared during tutorials, assemblies and Health and Wellbeing lessons. As a parent you are in a unique position to offer your child guidance and reassurance as they explore the potential further study and career pathways ahead of them.
It is a good idea to start talking to your child about their GCSEs early, so that they feel fully informed and prepared to make their selections come the end of January.
GCSE SUBJECTS
All pupils will automatically be entered for English Language, English Literature and Mathematics. They are required to select a minimum of two Sciences, and it is also recommended that they study at least one language from: French, German, Latin and Spanish.
To better enable access to further education and future careers, all pupils are encouraged to obtain nine GCSEs, with the minimum of a good pass (a Grade 4 or above) required in English and Mathematics. In addition to this, pupils who are enthusiastic about Religious Studies will be given the option to take a GCSE Short-Course in Year 10, and top-set Mathematicians will be offered the opportunity to study the AQA Level 2 Further Mathematics qualification in Year 11.
BEWARE OF BARRIERS
Whatever your child is considering for their options, it is important to be aware that some subjects must be studied at GCSE to be continued at A level or beyond. For example, if they do not take German at GCSE, it will be impossible to pick it back up for A level as the gaps in knowledge will be too big to fill.
Must study at GCSE to access at A level
Biology Chemistry
English Literature
Strongly preferred, excellent results in similar subjects required for entry
Art and Design Drama Geography History
Music Physics
Preferred for entry Not required at GCSE to study at A level or beyond
Physical Education
Product Design
Computer Science Business Classical Civilisation
Sociology
Further Maths
HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH THEIR DECISIONS
The ideal place to start is by discussing your child’s career aspirations with them. If they have a clear idea of what they would like to do, please help them explore the possible pathways to their job of choice. It is useful to look at the courses run by a few different institutions to establish the GCSE and A level entry requirements and use these to help guide your child’s option choices.
In Year 9, the majority of pupils still will not know what they would like to do once they leave School. If this applies to your child, please reassure them that it is completely normal, and they still have plenty of time to decide which career is right for them. When choosing their GCSEs they should aim to select a broad range of subjects that keeps their options open. A typical example of a broad range of subjects would include:
• English Language
• English Literature
• Mathematics
• Two Sciences
• A Modern Foreign Language or Latin
• A Humanities subject
• A creative subject, such as Drama, Art or Music
• A practical or skills-based subject such as Physical Education, Product Design or Food and Nutrition
Pupils should look to choose their options based upon both their aptitude and enjoyment, as well as considering the balance of coursework and examinations across their different subjects.
• Aptitude: The current GCSE qualifications were deliberately designed to be academically rigorous and there is a jump in the expectations placed upon pupils from Year 9 to Year 10. It is a good idea to look through your child’s previous reports and assessment results to ensure they are selecting subjects that play to their strengths
• Enjoyment: It is a big effort to study and prepare for a GCSE. Reflect carefully with your child on those subjects that they enjoy the most. Pupils are more likely to be able to commit to the hard work required to get a good grade if they feel passionate about a subject
Best Avoided…
Try to dissuade your child from making decisions based on the following:
• What their friends are doing. To perform well in a GCSE pupils need to undertake subjects that they have a personal passion for
• Who their favourite teacher is. Pupils need to select for the love of the subject over who delivers it. There is no guarantee that they will be placed in a class with a particular teacher
REMEMBER WHO THIS IS FOR
There is a huge array of courses and opportunities available to today’s young people and it is very easy to get caught up in the excitement and start directing your child to the subjects you wish you had taken. Try to avoid being the decision maker for your child, but act as a sounding board instead so that they ultimately choose the GCSEs that are the perfect fit for them.
Useful Resources...
• The UCAS website is the go-to place for information on all University courses
• Every pupil has a Unifrog account, which they can use to find out more about themselves and potential careers
• The Talking Futures website contains lots of resources and activities to help parents successfully navigate careers conversations with their children
• Encourage your child to keep talking to their subject teachers to get a fuller picture of what the GCSE will be like and if it is likely to capitalise on their individual strengths