Parent/Carer

In Year 9 your young people will be asked to decide which GCSE subjects they would like to study in Year 10 and 11. This will be the first time your young person will have the opportunity to make important decisions about their education and their future. We understand that this can be either a very exciting or confusing time for them.

Whatever your young person is feeling about choosing their GCSEs, it is important to ensure two things:

1. You’re having regular conversations with them to find out how they are feeling and discuss their options
2. You support them to take responsibility for their own decisions about their future

Choosing GCSE options is the first big step for your young person to start developing independence and the ability to take control of their decisions. You can help them to choose their subjects by being a sounding board for their interests, feelings, and thoughts about the future.

As a parent or carer, it is important that you ensure the right support is available to your young person before they start their GCSEs. It is crucial that their wellbeing and learning comes first.

Ask your young person what support they might need to help them feel comfortable and confident when studying their GCSEs.

Chat to the school about help available or adjustments that can be made, as this will help set your young person up with the right support for GCSEs and beyond.

Here are some suggested questions to help get a conversation started with your young person around GCSEs and their future:

• What are your top three subjects, and why? What subjects do you dislike the most, and why?
• What are the most exciting things you’ve learnt this year, and what subject(s) did you learn them in?
• How do you learn best? Through listening? Discussing ideas with others? Reading? Practical tasks? Which subject(s) do you feel you learn best in?
• What makes you feel confident at school? Are there any subjects where you feel more confident, and why?
• What would you like to achieve before your finish secondary school? Is there a subject that could help you achieve this?

Young people can learn a lot about themselves through the process of choosing their GCSEs. As a parent or carer, you’re a vital part of helping them find the right balance of subjects to help them thrive. Most importantly they need to enjoy the subjects they choose, as this can help inspire them to imagine what exciting things they can do with their future. Visit the UEA Curious Questions webpage to explore resources that can help your young person explore their feelings about GCSEs, find out how their interests and hobbies could shape their future, and support you to help them choose which subjects to study.

Each school will hold work experience week on different dates, so ensure you and your young person have the work experience dates in your diaries so you can plan early.

Encourage your young person to speak to a Careers Adviser in school about what work experience opportunities and how to find out what’s available.

Help your young person research work experience opportunities and who to contact to find out more information.

As a parent or carer, do you have any friends or family who could offer work experience opportunities at their business or organisation? It’s often not what you know, but who you know when it comes to work experience.

It’s worth looking on social media for work experience opportunities. Are you on LinkedIn? You could create a post asking for any ideas for opportunities. Some organisations and companies advertise work experience opportunities on their Facebook or Twitter pages.

Help your young person to make the first move to contact an employer. You might do the research to find out who they need to speak to, but ensure they write the email or make the phone call. This is a great opportunity for them to learn about professional communication in the workplace.

Employers often invite young people to an interview, or at least organise a phone conversation, before offering them a work experience placement. Ask your young person questions to help them identify their skills and relevant experience, before they speak to an employer.

Before they apply for a work experience placement, ensure your young person has reflected on:

• Why do they want to do their work experience with this company or organisation?
• What skills and strengths do they have that they could offer during their work experience?
• What do they hope to gain and learn from the work experience opportunity?

As a parent or carer, you can help your young person prepare by doing a mock interview – pretend you’re the employer who will be interviewing them and ask them a series of questions. The more practice your young person gets answering questions, the easier it will feel during their actual interview.

It’s important that during and after work experience, your young person reflects on what they’ve learned and how the experience has shaped what they might like (or not like) to do in the future. You can use this reflection resource to help them reflect on and talk about their experience.

Your young person’s GCSE exams can feel like a stressful point in their education. It’s important that they study to do the best they can, but also that they don’t get overwhelmed by revision.

As a parent or carer, creating a quiet and calm study space could help them feel more confident about revising for exams. Ask them what kind of space they need to be able to concentrate and feel comfortable.

The Exam Study Expert offers some free content, including videos and resources, with expert techniques to help your young person revise for their exams. Help them to create a revision timetable that feels manageable, with time to do fun things and hang out with friends.

Encourage them to take regular breaks and let their mind rest. Calming music and meditation tracks can help clear their minds if they feel full of information. Sit down with them and listen to Kojey Radical’s guided meditation to help you both relax.

When it comes to GCSE Results Day, check in with them to see how they want to find out their results. Do they want you waiting outside? Or would they rather go in alone? If you can, take some time out of the day to ensure you are there to provide any support they need. And remind them, whatever results they get on the day, there are always other options and opportunities available. Take a look at our Parent Guide in advance to get the low down on all their options after GCSEs and beyond.

As a parent or carer you’re an integral part of setting your young person up with the life skills they need for the future. Whether they’re moving away from home or commuting from their family home, here are some key roles you can play to help support their transition into Higher Education:

Nutritional adviser – some young people may need support with preparing food on a budget and knowing how to eat healthily. Why not get them to practice cooking their favourite meals and prepare a notebook with easy to cook recipes and meal plans. If they can bake cookies, they are guaranteed to make new friends in their student accommodation!

Take your young person food shopping before leaving home so that they understand prices of the essentials, how to get the best deals, and are able to buy a balance of healthy and treat foods.

Accountant – help them to create a budget sheet, breaking down regular costs such as rent, food, travel, and books. The UCAS budget calculator is a great tool to help them realise how much money they will need each month. It might come as surprise to them how much things cost!

Financial adviser – support them to find the most appropriate student bank account for them. Most banks offer incentives for students, and there’s some good offers out there, such as free railcards or Amazon vouchers. It’s worth trying the comparison websites to pick up the best deals.

Careers adviser - encourage them to find a part-time job which can be as little as 4 hours a week but help with more than just some extra money. It provides work experience, an understanding of the world of work, as well as developing social and communication skills. Many universities have their own careers pages and careers advisors who will be able to help.

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If your young person is moving into student accommodation here’s a list of things you can organise to ensure they feel prepared for their next big step.

Sit down with them to create a check list of what to take including items to buy or borrow such as duvets, pillows, and kitchen equipment. Ask friends or family for any donated items and take them to charity shops to pick up second-hand items. Make sure your young person finds out what’s already available in the shared accommodation before you buy anything.

Prepare a cleaning package for them with all the essential cleaning products and show them how to clean a shower and toilet.

You might also like to create a care package for them, with some of the things they love, like their favourite chocolate, a scented candle, and a photo they will cherish.

Set up family communication channels before they leave. Knowing that friends and family are always there to support them will help with your young person’s transition, especially when moving away from home. A good tip is to set up a family WhatsApp, Snapchat or Messenger group to share messages, photos and videos of what’s happening at home and away. The family dog playing in the garden is always a favourite! Make sure they know you’re there to support them, but also give them space to explore their new life.

As a parent or carer, supporting your young person to consider their options after sixth form or college is key to them finding the right pathway for them. There are so many options available and it’s important that you’re aware of all the opportunities available to them.

Be a researcher – help your young person to research all the options available to them. Take a look at our Parent Guide to Higher Education to get the low down. Once you understand what their post 18 options are, be there for them as a sounding board – encourage them to talk about their ideas and interests, however big or small, so they can research how they might start the journey to finding the right path for them.

• When researching next steps such as universities, apprenticeships, or employment options, talk to family, friends, and colleagues
• It’s not too early to attend university open days to find out more about courses offered, accommodation, student life, facilities and the support provided by universities. These take place throughout the year so check individual university websites for further information on how to book. Open days may be virtual or face to face
• If your young person’s school or college are offering Higher Education talks, try to attend, or if you’re unable to make it, ask for information from the school staff
• If your young person wants to go to university, it’s worth researching Student Finance as soon as you can.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more information you gather now, the more informed and prepared you’ll be to support your young person with their next steps
• Find out what other young people are saying on social media! There are many students and apprentices who post videos about their lives in Higher Education on Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube.

Here’s some suggested websites to start your research:

• UCAS area for parents and carers
  https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/ucas-undergraduate-advice-parents-and-guardians
• Government apprenticeship website
  https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice
• Explore career opportunities in Norfolk and Suffolk
  https://www.icanbea.org.uk/

If your young person is applying to university, there are so many ways you can support them to ensure they don’t miss a deadline and submit an application they are proud of. Here are some of our top tips from our Parent and Carer Ambassadors:

• Offer to support your young person with registering on the UCAS student portal
• Sign up to the UCAS parent newsletter and visit the parent section of the UCAS website to make sure you don’t miss any information
• Be a timekeeper - check that you know what the key dates are for UCAS ie. opening and closing dates, deadlines. Perhaps keep a diary or timetable on the kitchen wall
• Can you offer some proof-reading time? Check over their UCAS application and personal statement for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors
• Writing a personal statement can feel very daunting. Encourage your young person to break it up into manageable chunks and give themselves plenty of time
• Take a look at the UCAS guide to writing a personal statement and offer to support with mind mapping what they’re going to write about. You can use the mind map tool and worksheet tools on the UCAS website to help them get started
• Read through their personal statement and provide constructive criticism. Ask questions such as ‘who is this for?’ and ‘which version of you reflects you most?’. Encourage them to write a personal statement that most represents who they are
• Once they’ve submitted their UCAS application, ensure they have time to relax!

If your young person is interested in applying for Higher or Degree Apprenticeships, watch our interview with Sharn, Parent and Carer Ambassador, as she talks about supporting her young person as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2022.

Results Day can feel very stressful for your young person. It can often feel like the results they get could be the start or the end of the world. Whatever results they get, there are always opportunities they can pursue to ensure they make an informed decision about their next steps. We understand as a parent or carer, you will undoubtedly feel anxious on the day too. Parent and Carer Ambassador, Sharn, has been through Results Day twice with her young people and shares her insight and guidance to support other parents and carers.