1. Making choices – your GCSE options

2. GCSE landscape constantly changing
When does your process start?
How much choice do your students have?
E-Bacc?
MFL?
Confirmation from government that a grade 4 won’t require a re-sit.
Universities adapting to new changes

3. How do you currently advise your students on their GCSE options?
In house careers advice?
External careers supplier?
FE colleges?
Universities?
Other?
You have 5 minutes to discuss this with the people next to you

4. What we offer our target schools
Assembly talk to whole year group before choosing their options
Talk to parents about the importance of option choices
Workshop to smaller (class sized) groups of students
This is what I will demonstrate now

5. Learning Outcomes By the end of this workshop you will be aware of:
The implications of your GCSE choices on your future, including subject specific requirements for certain FE, HE and career choices
Compulsory subjects to be taken at GCSE
Who can help you to decide on what optional subjects to take and the importance of impartiality
You are not expected to know what you want to do with your whole life yet but from the options you choose in year 8/9 you can start to plan your pathway through education and training. The is the first big choice that you have to make towards your future so it important that you do it well, you are not going to be left on your own which is what things like today are all about. But it is your life, your future and therefore your choices.
Go through learning outcomes.

6. Your Future College / University course? Job / Career?
Spend a minute on your own thinking about what you would like to do in the future?
College / University course?
Job / Career?
Write down what you have decided on a post-it
You don’t need to put your name on this – now stick it up at the front of the room.
5 minutes
This is for the facilitator to use to see if there are any ideas/future plans here that would need further investigation as they are likely to need to take particular subjects at GCSE.

7. GCSE Options
Choices now can impact on options available at A-Level/BTEC, university and beyond
No future idea on education/career options – important to choose a broad range of subjects, playing to your strengths/interests
Have an idea of what the future holds– essential to research course qualifications needed for career area and choose subjects accordingly

8. GCSE Options - Subjects
Subjects for you to carefully consider:
Art/Design
Sciences/Mathematics
Languages
To study any of these areas at A-level (and then university and beyond), you will have needed to take a subject in this area at GCSE

9. GCSE Options - Grades University GCSE requirements
These will be stated in the entry requirements for individual degree programmes
GCSE Grade 4 (still slightly TBC) or above in Maths and English essential
GCSE Grade 4 or above in Sciences needed for Medicine and most other science, technology or engineering courses

10. Which of these university courses ask for specific grades or subjects at GCSE?
American Studies Chemistry Social Psychology Law Medicine Archaeology Sports Technology Criminology Animation No
At Leicester – A (7) in GCSE Maths, at least C (4) in Science
At Loughborough – B in GCSE Maths and Eng Lang
At Leicester – at least a C (4) in Science, Maths and Eng Lang
At Loughborough – A in GCSE Maths
At DMU - Art and Design A-level, so also Art and Design GCSE

11. Activity 1
In the majority of schools, students will undertake 9-10 GCSEs
Core subjects (compulsory)
Enrichment (compulsory but not examined)
Optional subjects
Sort your subject cards in the three separate categories.
You have 10 minutes to do this!
We are now going to do an activity which will show you the subjects you MUST take at GCSE and those which you have a choice between.
Extension – if completed quickly ask them to discuss how they feel about having to do certain subjects. Which three option subjects would they choose if they had to right now etc.

12. What can I study? CORE Subjects English (Language and Literature)
Maths
Science
RE (some schools)
Enrichment (no qualification)
PSHE PE
Other???
Options
Various choices available to you including:
Arts – Art, Music, Drama
Languages
History
Geography
D&T subjects
New subjects?
Compulsory and Optional subjects.
In the majority of schools, students will undertake 9-10 GCSEs
All schools approach the options process in slightly different ways, however, generally, the CORE subjects you HAVE to take at GCSE are ……… (some schools make RE compulsory too but not all)
Schools also have an enrichment programme which will mean you continue to do PE, PSHE etc but these are not examined and do not lead to a qualification at the end of your time at school.
Depending on the number of CORE subjects you have to take, you will then be able to choose a number of other subjects. E.g. if you are completing 6 GCSEs through core subjects alone (English x 2, science x 2, Maths, RE) then you can choose 3 optional subjects to make this up to 9 GCSEs.
Optional subjects available in each school vary but can include …………… new subjects could include things like Psychology, Photography etc.
Why are there subjects I am being made to study? Everyone does Eng, Maths and Science. The government also made some others more important for measuring schools performance (E-Bacc) which has led to some schools making their students do them (Languages, History, Geography).

13. The Process of Making your GCSE Options
Dependant on the school, for example:
List of all options given – choose your top 5 and rank in order of preference
3 ‘blocks’ of subjects – choose one from each list
Choose 1 subject which counts towards the English Baccalaureate and then any 2 others
Deadlines to make your choices by – give yourself enough time to consider your options carefully
If you have a career in mind are there any subjects you might need to take.
Keep your options open if unsure
Explain some careers such as Medicine, Science and Health careers will require them to have chosen double science. Many other careers will insist that the students have grades A-C in English and Maths and sometimes Science (Teaching).
Other areas that are impossible to pick up after school if they haven’t done them for GCSE are Arts / Performing Arts / Languages

14. Activity 2 Reasons why you might choose to study a subject
What are good reasons?
What are bad reasons?
You have 7 minutes to do this!
Flipchart paper and pens to brainstorm

15. Reasons for your Choices
Good
Put yourself first – what do you currently like / dislike?
What do you perform well in?
Interest / Enjoyment = better results!
What do you need for jobs you are interested in?
You like the way it is assessed
Ensures a good range of subjects chosen = broad range of choices post-16
Bad
Your best friend is taking it
You like the teacher (they change)
There isn’t a lot of homework
Your brother / sister liked it
You have heard it is easy (they aren’t)
Choose subjects which give you the best possible chance of getting the best possible qualifications you can achieve
GCSE results impact on your future and give freedom to choose what you want to do 15

16. You have 5 minutes to discuss this!
Activity 3
Who can help you?
Would they be impartial?
Are there any other sources of information you could use?
You have 5 minutes to discuss this!

17. Who can help? Family / friends – know you well and can offer advice
Teachers – know the subjects well and can tell you what you will study and how you will study (don’t assume you know the content)
Careers Co-ordinator / Adviser – for advice on what subjects might be needed for particular careers
Arts (Art, Photography)
Performing Arts (Drama, Music, Dance)
Languages
Science
Need to think very carefully about choosing not to continue studying these subject areas at GCSE level, if you don’t study them at GCSE, you are highly unlikely to be able to study them at college/6th form.
Ask for help/advice from a range of sources so that you can ensure that you are receiving impartial advice. What does impartial mean? Not prejudiced towards or against any particular option! E.g. a subject teacher who thinks you are one of their best students may really want you to continue to study their subject over another (after all who wouldn’t want to keep their best students) – they may not be impartial in their advice about which are the options you should look at!

18. FE College or Sixth Form – Level 3
Choices after Year 11
School - Level 2
GCSEs/BTECs
FE College or Sixth Form – Level 3
Academic OR Vocational OR Occupational
A levels BTEC Extended National Diploma Apprenticeship
Education pathways could be determined by subjects studied and grades achieved at GCSE
E.g. generally
10 A*-C or this on average = study A Levels at a sixth form/college (likely to progress onto University after this)
5 GCSES A*-C = minimum needed to get onto A Levels at local colleges, but possible too low to progress onto A Levels in a school sixth form (could to progress onto University after this)
4 A*-C = BTEC Level 3 at local colleges (could progress onto University after this)
4 D-G grades = BTEC Level 2 course at a local college (could progress onto a BTEC Level 3 after this)

19. What do I do now?
Find out more information about the subjects available from subject and form tutors – what will you study? How will you study?
If you have a career idea or know a course you would want to do at sixth form/college do some research and see if you have to do a particular subject for GCSE
Decide on your top three choices but have another three back up choices of subjects you would like to take
Once you begin your GCSE’s work hard and gain the best grades possible – C grade (4) or above in English, Math’s and Science is very important!
Good luck – the choice is yours!!

20. What other ways could we advise on GCSE options
What other ways could we advise on GCSE options? You have 5 minutes to discuss this in your groups

21. Thank You For Listening - Any Questions?