A Parents' Guide to GCSEs

GCSEs are going to be a core part of most children’s studies in the UK. In years 9 - 11 your child will be hard at work studying for these exams, with between 10 - 13 subjects your child could be studying for. It can be a lot to handle, and parents should be prepared for what their child may be going through.

In this guide from a private school in Somerset, we take a look at the things parents need to know about GCSEs.

They’re exams that will take your child to the next stages
GCSEs are seen as an important step towards further education. Children will need to do well in these exams to proceed to the next level, especially if they have particular subjects in mind that they want to pursue further. At a minimum children should aim to achieve the essential grades in these core subjects: English, Science and Maths. Earning more than this can mean your child can head to college or Sixth Form.

The grades your child gets will determine what they can study at A Level
Your child should be aiming for grades in their subjects between 1 - 4, which in the old system would be an A* - C. If you’re aware of the grading system you can greatly help your child with their studies and their priorities. If your child wants to do well in History to advance into further studies in this area, for instance, then pay particular attention to their revision support and how you can help them at home.

Know the importance of setting up a quiet place to study
GCSEs are probably one of the most important stages of your child’s career. They are used to help students progress into the next stage in their studies, whichever way they want to go forward with their studies. Having a place to revise will greatly help with their focus and know where to put their time into revising.

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