A parents guide to GCSEs

A Parents’ Guide to GCSEs

When children reach the end of Key Stage 3 at school, they will have an opportunity to choose their GCSE subjects. This is an exciting milestone in a child’s education, but it can also be a challenging time. Children will need plenty of support from their family in order to help them choose wisely.

Parental support is one of the most important factors in a child’s academic success. In order to provide the best support for your child when they reach their GCSEs, here is some helpful information from a school that offers a one year GCSE course in Somerset…

What are GCSEs?
GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) are the exams children take at the end of Key Stage 4. For most schools, English, maths and science are mandatory GCSEs and the rest are optional. Students usually study between seven and nine GCSE subjects.

How can I support my child when it is time to choose their GCSE subjects?

Discuss your child’s interests

When your child is deciding which GCSE subjects to choose it is important to consider their interests, favourite school subjects and their future plans (such as a degree or career goal). Explain to your child that it is important to choose subjects they enjoy, because enjoyment of a subject will lead to the best results.

Discuss your child’s future plans

Talk to your child about what they wish to do after school. Do they wish to go to university, what would they like to study there and what job do they hope to do? These kinds of conversations will prompt your child to think about their academic strengths and how they could benefit their future.

Select a variety of subjects

If your child does have a dream job, you could research the qualifications needed in order to secure a role in that industry. However, it’s also worth encouraging them to select a variety of subjects that will allow them to explore and develop a wide range of skills. In doing so, they will be keeping their options open in case they change their mind about their career later on.

Do your research

The best thing you can do as a parent to support your child’s GCSE selection is collect as much information as possible. Relevant information will help to make your child’s decision making as stress free as possible. It is also important that you do not put pressure on your child to make certain choices. Allow them to make their own decisions and you will see their confidence grow.

Thanks for reading xxx