Year 10 and Year 11

Age: Usually between 14 – 16 years old

Stage of learning journey: Key stage 4.

Milestones

Your child's school must provide careers advice from Year 8 to Year 13. Find out more about careers advice in schools.

GCSEs Examinations

GCSE’s are the main qualifications that your child will take in Key Stage 4. They are designed to be studied over two years in Years 10 and 11. Some schools encourage students to study certain GCSE’s in one year, taking the exams at the end of Year 10.

Your child will take GCSEs in between 8-11 subjects, depending on the recommendation of their school, their academic ability and topics they are interested in.

Find out more about GCSE’s

Work Experience

Your child may be given the opportunity to do some work experience during Year 10 or Year 11 through their school. (Not all schools offer this opportunity as work experience is now included in post-16 learning). The work experience should be related to a job or career that your child is interested in. Find out more about work experience.

How you can help

As your child starts to study for GCSEs and other qualifications you may find they have to do a lot more work. Your support, encouragement and interest can make a huge difference to your child’s motivation and ability to cope with the demands at this time. But teenagers need support on their own terms try to -

Be open to their ideas about how they want you to help them
Look for opportunities to open up discussions on issues or subjects
Ask your teenager what they are studying and what they find hard – try to work out together how you can help
Talk to your teenager about information their school or college may have provided
You can talk to staff directly but make sure you think about how your teenager will feel about this
Talk about the books you're both reading.
Ask what books your child would like for birthday and Christmas presents.
Encourage your child to read or watch the news online and find news stories that connect to lesson topics.
If you’re planning a day out, visit a museum or gallery that will tie in with work your child is doing in subjects such as Art, English, History, Geography or Science - this can be a fun way to add depth and interest to your child's learning.
Download 'Coaching your teenager' (PDF, 2905K) a booklet to help parents get involved with their teenager's learning

Helping with homework

Suggest doing homework as soon as it is received so that the information is fresh in your child's mind from classes
Encourage your child to speak up when in difficulty, as you may be able to help find the answers
Make sure your child has a good work-life balance, and doesn't spend too much time either going out with friends, or sitting and doing homework
Find out about educational programmes on radio or television
Find out if there are any study support or homework clubs that may help

Aiding revision

You can help ease the pressure of exams by:

Helping your child develop a timetable, and help them stick to it
Listening to your child and find ways to support them
Encouraging your child with praise and rewards
Creating a suitable environment for study and revision, for example a quiet area with a desk to work at