How do I help my child to choose their GCSE Options?
Questions
If my child doesn’t choose the right options is it going to have an impact on their future choice of courses or their career?
If you are helping your child to choose their options then bear in mind that most students will do 8 – 10 GCSEs, this means they will have a broad education in a range of subjects and be well prepared to make a range of choices at 16. This also means that choosing or not choosing a particular subject will not make too much difference to future career or learning choices.
However, there are a few things that should be considered:
If your child is interested in studying science related subjects later or is already interested in a career related to science, then they should do double or triple science at GCSE. If your child is interested in working abroad or is good at modern foreign languages, then a language subject can help with employment later.
Employers want people with Maths and English GCSE grades at 4 – 9 new grades (A – C old grades), also the government has now made it a requirement that a young person without these grades in these subjects will need to continue to do them as part of whatever course or training they do, until they are 18. That’s why encouraging a young person to get a 4 -9 grade for these subjects in Y11 is a great idea.
If your child is thinking about A Levels in Year 12/13 then they may need to have completed this subject at GCSE, but this is not always necessary. Some subjects only become available at A Level e.g. Psychology, etc. so a range of GCSEs will be considered as entry to these subjects.