GCSE Options

At the end of Key Stage 3, end of Year 9, your child will be asked to choose which GCSE’s they would like to take when they start Key Stage 4, Year 10, if they attend a school in England.

Compulsory Subjects Depending on which school your child attends, will depend on which subjects are available to them, but this will be explained by the school.

There are some compulsory subjects that all children much study, these are: English – English Language is compulsory in all schools and English Literature is in most schools, but exceptions do apply. Maths Science – this could be split into three separate sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) or into two combined Science GCSEs. Some schools also make other subjects compulsory, so it is worth checking if there are any specific requirements. Subject Options These are broken down into categories and it is expected that children will take approximately nine subjects, with most courses and jobs requiring grades between 9 and 4 in a minimum of five subjects, but we will get on to the grading later. In terms of subjects, your child will most likely have to choose from the following: A modern languag.

– the most common are French, German and Spanish, but this will depend on your school and some schools insist you take a language as one of your subjects. A humanity subjec.

– this includes History, Geography or Religious Studies An arts subject – including Music, Drama, Art and Design or Media Studies A technical subject – this includes Design and Technology, Food Technology or Computer Science. PE – all students have to do PE in years 10 and 11 but it can also be taken as a GCSE subject. The above is not a complete list of GCSEs as there is a wide range including, Sociology, Geology, Citizenship, Engineering, Economics and Psychology, it really does depend on which school your child attends. Your child doesn’t have to take one option from each section, but it is recommended that they take a wide range of subjects to widen their options for jobs or future studies. How are GCSEs Graded? In 2017, the way GCSEs were graded started to change, and from 2021 this grading system is now used for all subjects in England.

They are no longer graded from A* - G, or U but 9 – 1, with U (ungraded), still an option. The highest grade is 9 and the lowest 1, not including U.

The top three number grades, 9,8 and 7 correlate to the old A* and A grades. According to the exam watchdog Ofqual, fewer grade 9s will be awarded than A*s and so anyone who achieves a 9 has “performed exceptionally”. The standard pass rate for GCSEs is a 4 with 5 being a “strong pass”, however the government’s league tables are based on those pupils who achieve 5 or above in English and Maths.

Source: Ofqual

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gcse-subject-conten.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zrjh92p

At the end of Key Stage 3, end of Year 9, your child will be asked to choose which GCSE’s they would like to take when they start Key Stage