GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. GCSEs are a set of exams taken by children at the end of Key Stage 4 when pupils are aged between 14 and 15 years old.
For most schools, English, maths and science are mandatory GCSE subjects and the rest are optional. Students study between seven and nine GCSE subjects depending on their school.
As children come to the end of Key Stage 3, they will start to think about which GCSE subjects they want to choose. This is an exciting stage in a child’s education; however it can also feel overwhelming. Children will need plenty of support from their family to help them choose wisely.
In order to provide the best support for your child when they reach their GCSEs, here is some helpful information from an independent school in Somerset…
Discuss future plans
When your child is deciding which GCSEs to choose it is important to take into consideration their favourite subjects and future plans. For example; 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 their chosen GCSE subjects could benefit their future.
Cover all areas
It is important that your child chooses GCSE subjects that they already enjoy, because enjoyment of a subject will lead to success in their studies. Encourage your child to make a balanced list of GCSE choices. This will allow them to explore and develop a wide range of skills. For example, GCSE Drama could lead to an acting career, but it can also help your child to build confidence and learn new skills such as scriptwriting. These transferable skills will be useful in any future career.
Create a study space
Creating a study space for your child away from daily distractionswill be really useful when it comes to GCSE revision. Preparation is essential when it comes to effective studying, so ensure that your child has everything they need within their reach. This will enable them to give their full attention to the work in front of them. Add stationary, books and any other essential equipment to their new study space, and provide a selection of refreshments when they sit down to revise.
Support your child
The most important thing that parents can do to support children through their GCSEs is help them to collect as much information as possible. Relevant information will help to make your child’s decision making as stress free as possible. If your child does have a dream job, you could help them to research the qualifications needed in order to secure a role in that industry.