Year 9 Parents Guide 2023/24

CHOOSING
GCSE
OPTIONS.
A PARENT'S
GUIDE.
WWW.
GATESHEAD.
AC.UK

HELLO.
You may feel it’s a little
early to start thinking about
what your child will do
after their GCSE exams.
However, if you’re helping your
child to choose their GCSE
subject options, you might
find it useful to start thinking
about what they’d like to
do after their GCSE exams
and the grades and subject
choices that will help them to
be happy and successful.

It can be difficult to help your
child to make good decisions
about their future, especially at
such a young age when they
are still exploring what they’d
like to do when they grow up.
There are so many options
of where to study after
GCSE exams: sixth forms at
schools, sixth form colleges,
further education colleges or
university technical colleges.
It's not unusual to be confused.
At Gateshead College, we
offer impartial careers advice
to our whole community,
whether you decide to come
and study with us or not. We’ve
put this guide together to help
you to understand more about
your child’s options and feel
confident that you are making
the best choices together.
However, it’s important to
take the time to consider
all the options as each one
offers different benefits.

THE
FACTS.
What does choosing GCSE
options mean?
In year 8 or 9, your child will
be asked by their school to
choose which subjects they’d
like to study at GCSE level.
Which subjects are compulsory?
There are certain subjects that
all pupils must take at GCSE.
These include maths, English
and science.
In all schools, English language
is compulsory, in some schools
English literature is too. Science
can be split into three subjects in
some schools (biology, chemistry
and physics) or may be studied as
two combined science GCSEs.
Speak to your child’s teacher to find
out what the rules are in their school.
4

Which subjects can you choose?
Options may vary from school to
school, but pupils usually have the
option to choose from:
●
●
●
●
●
A language; such as French,
German or Spanish.
A humanity subject;
such as history, geography
or religious studies.
An arts subject; such as art,
music, drama or media studies.
A technical subject; such as
design and technology, food
technology or computer science.
PE is compulsory in most schools
in years 10 and 11 and it can
also be taken as a GCSE option.
Some schools may offer subjects
beyond this list.
5

SIX TIPS
TO
CHOOSING
OPTIONS.
1.
Choose subjects they are good at.
GCSE exams can be tough so it
makes sense to choose subjects that
your child is already getting good
grades in.
2.
Choose subjects they enjoy.
If your child enjoys a subject it’s more
likely that they’ll be motivated to
work hard and revise well for their
exams, so they’ll be more likely to get
a good grade.
6

3.
Don’t follow the pack.
It may be very tempting for your
child to choose subjects just because
their friends do. But it’s important
that they really think about what’s
best for them.
4.
Don't panic
Although GCSE exams are important
the subjects that are chosen won’t
set your child’s future in stone, so
don’t panic!
All children will take the compulsory
core subjects of English, maths and
science which are the key subjects
needed for many future options.
5.
List the pros and cons.
Listing out the good and bad aspects
of each subject on a piece of paper
with your child could help you to
decide which subjects to choose and
may help you to agree if there’s any
difference of opinion.
6.
Look at post GCSE options.
Take a look at the entry requirements
of different colleges and sixth forms
to get an idea of the sort of subjects
and grades they are looking for.
7

WHY
CONSIDER
GATESHEAD
COLLEGE?
We encourage you to
look at all the options
available to you and
your child after GCSE
exams, but here are
a few reasons why
you might want to
consider our college.
Education with employment edge
We are the only college to offer this
unique combination of high quality
teaching and real world skills called
employment edge. This means we
help to map your child’s destination
from day one, whether that be to
university, employment or onto an
apprenticeship.
They’ll have plenty of contact with
employers to help prepare them for
the world of work and will take part in
a range of activities in addition to the
qualification they choose.
High achievement rates
The hard work of our students and
staff means that we consistently
have some of the best achievement
rates in the country year after year.
This means:
● Your child will get the very best
quality of education and support
●
●
●
Your child will have access
to relevant and inspiring
work experience and real
world opportunities
Our students achieve high
grades and move into jobs
or higher education
We only recruit teachers
who are at the top of their
professional game.
8

Destinations
We record what our students go
on to do next. Currently, we have a
95.8% positive destination rate, which
means 95.8% of our students were
successful in progressing to a job,
an apprenticeship, university or
further training.
A wide range of subject choices
The choice of vocational subjects is
usually wider at colleges compared
to sixth forms, allowing students to
explore subjects they didn’t study at
school such as media, games design,
engineering, construction trades and
hair and beauty.
Specialist support
We’ve invested in specialist support
for our students to help with any
learning, physical or mental health
issues. We have a dedicated learning
support team offering help to
those with autism or other learning
difficulties. We also have a specialist
mental health worker who can
support students one to one.
9

More qualification options
The qualification choice at our
college extends well beyond
traditional A Levels. Your child will
be able to choose from vocational
study programmes, T Levels, A
Levels or a combination of A Levels
and a vocational subject. There is
something to suit all styles of learning.
Bridge between school and real world
We treat our students as young
adults and encourage them to find
their independence and to grow up
while they’re with us. This is great
preparation for the next steps they
will take, whether that’s university,
employment or an apprenticeship.
10

11

GETTING
THE
RIGHT
GRADES.
Most subjects at college are
offered over three levels.
Students can progress through the
levels or start at Level 3 if they have
the required entry grades.
If your child is intending to study at
university, it's important they check
what UCAS points they will get from
each qualification.
12

Level 1
These courses are introductory and are ideal
for those who get lower grades at GCSE.
They offer a broad foundation of skills and
knowledge from which students can progress
onto Level 2.
Level 2
These courses are at an intermediate level.
A wide range of subjects are available and
students can choose from a full time study
programme or an apprenticeship.
Many subjects not studied at school such as
catering, engineering, hair and beauty will start
at Level 2 to allow your child to develop the
necessary hand and practical skills.
Level 3
These courses are the highest level for a
16-18 year old. Students can choose from
A Levels, T Levels, vocational study programmes
or apprenticeships, all offering UCAS points.
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WHERE
TO FIND
MORE HELP.
www.gateshead.ac.uk
Head to our website, where you'll find more careers
advice and top tips plus information on all of our courses
including current job outcomes and salary information.
There's also a career finder quiz which can help narrow
down the options.
www.bbc.co.uk
Check out Bitesize on the BBC website which has some
helpful tips and video tutorials.
www.theschoolrun.com
An online guide for parents that takes you through the
whole learning journey from primary school to secondary
school and beyond.
www.icould.com
An independent charity offering careers resources to
inspire young peoples’ career decisions.
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15

TALK TO US.
If you’d like to book a one to
one appointment with one
of our independent careers
advisers just get in touch.
0191 490 2216
career.guidance@gateshead.ac.uk
Every effort was made to ensure that information in this guide was correct at the time (April 2023).
Gateshead College reserves the right to amend information at any time. © Copyright Gateshead College 2023.