As your child moves from Lower Secondary (Year 7 to Year 9 in the UK curriculum) to GCSE Level you may be wondering what changes this brings. Our GCSE Level courses are designed to be challenging and engaging as well as academically rigorous. Your child’s choice of GCSE Level subjects can have a major bearing on their future education and career options.
Choosing subjects
In the UK, most children study eight or more GCSE Level subjects over two academic years. They take a broad range of subjects, including English Language, Maths and one or more Science course(s) (individual, single or double options are available), and then they choose options from English Literature, one or more Humanities (Environmental Management, Geography, History) and often a Modern Foreign Language (French, Spanish and German are the most popular). Other options such as Business Studies, Computer Science, Economics, Latin and Psychology are popular, too.
When choosing your child’s GCSE Level courses, we strongly recommend a minimum of 6-9 subjects. This would keep their options open for their future studies at A level and beyond.
If English isn’t your child’s first language then we advise them to take our online pre-test. This assesses whether they need to take IGCSE™ English as a Second Language or if they are ready for IGCSE™ English Language.
If English Language (First Language) is taken then this opens all A Level courses to them and is essential for ongoing studies at university.
If your child is required to take English as a Second Language, you might consider enrolling them onto the English Language (First Language) course later on.
Our GCSE Level courses take approximately 150 hours of study, plus the time needed for preparation of each assignment (10-12 assignments per subject). For English, Maths or Combined Science, allow up to 180 hours of study. This timeframe may be shorter or longer depending on your child’s ability as a learner.
Subject requirements
It is never too early to take a look at the UCAS website for degree choices in the UK as this can inform your decision about which GCSE Level courses to take.
For international university applicants entry requirements can vary significantly between countries, so we strongly recommend consulting specific university websites to check what GCSE Level courses and results are currently expected.
You are also encouraged to book an appointment with our International University Advice Service to get support planning a GCSE Level and A Level programme that aligns with your potential university and career interests. The University Advisor can also offer guidance with planning the co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that are essential to a successful application in some countries, particularly the USA.
To choose Modern Foreign Languages at GCSE Level, they require two years of study at Lower Secondary level (or equivalent).
IGCSE™ Additional Maths is a further qualification, which can only be enrolled on alongside IGCSE™ Maths (extended) once an 85% mark has been achieved in the first four assignments on the Maths course. If your child is planning to take A Level Maths, we advise against taking the IGCSE™ Maths exams early and then having a ‘study gap’ in this subject. Instead, they could take IGCSE™ Additional Maths to fill this gap, if required.
If your child wishes to take IGCSE™ English Literature, they need to also study the IGCSE™ English Language course.
However, if your child certainly wants to study a certain subject(s) at A level or beyond, please check whether they require a foundation at GCSE level in any subject(s). Our Admissions Team are able to advise.
GCSE Level student Stefania has shared her top tips for choosing your GCSE Level subjects:
GCSE Level courses available
Your child may wish to choose subjects of interest to them when they move to studying at GCSE Level. Some GCSE Level courses do not require previous knowledge – e.g. Business Studies, Economics, Environmental Management, Latin and Psychology.
View a full list of all GCSE Level courses available
Wolsey Hall has designed each ‘year’ of its GCSE Level courses to be taken over 9 months to which holiday periods should be added.
It is also possible to split GCSE Level exams over two years and to take 4 or 5 in each year. For more information take a look at our GCSE Level Exam Information. We offer mock exams, at extra cost, for students who would like to get some exam practice prior to the actual exams.
Study support
Your child will continue to receive full support from Wolsey Hall while studying at GCSE level. They will receive one-to-one Tutor support via Canvas and a welcome video call from their Tutors at the start of each course. They will also continue to receive regular support from their Student Progress Manager (SPM).
Parents may need to assist their children in creating a timetable based on their chosen subjects and the time they have available. Our Study Hours Calculator will help you in the process, but do ask your SPM if you need any help here.
Note that a range of services are available to help students who encounter difficulty with their studies. These include learning support, mentoring and study skills. These services aim to reduce potential barriers to learning while fostering an environment where students develop their organisation and independent study skills.
Students can also book appointments with our University Advice Career Advice Services to get guidance with planning a GCSE/A Level programme that aligns with their potential university and career interests.
Student community
We warmly encourage your child to participate in our Student Community which includes clubs with monthly themes and regular student competitions with prizes to be won. Access to these clubs can be found on the Student Community website.
We have recently launched Secondary Book Clubs and students are encouraged to use our Virtual Library. Borrowing books is completely free and there are hundreds of fiction and non-fiction titles to choose from.
There is also an active student forum on the Community website where your child can connect and make friends with other Wolsey Hall learners worldwide.
Connect with Wolsey Hall parents
There is a private Facebook group for parents with children currently studying Wolsey Hall Lower Secondary courses. This group provides the opportunity to connect with other families, to ask advice and share information.
