There ’ s a chance that the school might not run a subject if only a few students sign up for it . It ’ s a good idea for your child to think of a backup subject just in case .
GOOD TO KNOW
All young people up to the age of 18 are currently required to retake GCSE maths and English until they obtain a grade 4 or above , so it will be a big advantage if your child gets these grades first time !
HOW MANY GCSEs SHOULD THEY DO ?
Doing up to 9 or 10 subjects is common , but the ‘ right ’ number will depend on your child ’ s academic abilities and whether their school has any recommendations or limits . Some children do as many as 12 , but this means a bigger workload and more exam pressure , which can in turn lead to lower grades overall , so it ’ s important to balance quantity with quality .
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD GCSE CHOICES
Does your child have a particular education or career goal in mind – such as a specific university degree ? If so , check some university websites together to find out whether there are any specific GCSE requirements .
If they don ’ t have a firm idea about a future career , encourage them to think about :
• Which subjects they really enjoy – if they are interested in a subject , they ’ re more likely to apply themselves and do well .
• Which subjects they are good at – getting good GCSE grades will give them more choices for their education post-16 .
• Which subjects best suit their learning style – for example , history involves a lot of reading and writing , while other subjects , such as art or sciences , can be more hands-on .
• Whether they might like to study languages or work abroad in future , in which case they could take language options .
Looking at the course material together will help your child to make informed choices . Reading about the different subjects might also spark their interest in particular subjects ( or not ), helping to confirm their ideas about what they want to do next .
PERSONALITIES AND PEER PRESSURE Encourage your child to focus on the subjects themselves , rather than :
• Whether or not they like the teacher who will be taking a particular subject .
• Which options their friends are doing . After all , teaching staff can change and not all friendships last forever !
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CHOOSING GCSES
The Uni Guide https :// www . theuniguide . co . uk / advice / gcsechoices-university
Careerpilot www . careerpilot . org . uk / information / yourchoices-at-14