How you can help

It is important to let your teenager make their own decisions, but they need your support to check that the reasons behind their decisions are sound. Encourage them to get involved in making their own decisions and help them to see the process in a positive light - a real chance to choose courses they enjoy.

Start by getting as much information as possible

In order to help, it is important to understand how the curriculum is changing to meet different interests and the way teenagers like to learn. Try to keep an open mind about the different qualifications on offer and find out the facts to avoid dismissing new qualifications out of hand.

Your teenager's school is likely to have open evenings for parents and carers and will produce an options booklet covering the courses available in Years 10 and 11.

For information on the help and advice available, see Who else can help?

Bear in mind the factors that influence decisions

Your teenager may need steering away from making choices for the wrong reasons. This can be because:

They want to do the same as their friends, regardless of whether it suits them. If this is the case with your teenager, you can help them to see that they can cope in a class without their friends, do a course they enjoy and still see their friends at breaks and after school.
They like the teacher. Help them to see that this is not a good enough reason to do a course that doesn't suit them.
They see a course as an easy option. It will not be that easy if they are not motivated by the subject - we all know how much easier it is to make an effort if you are interested. Also, there is no such thing as an easy option. The same principles and standards apply to all courses at the same level, whether it is physical education or mathematics.
They are put off by thinking a course is 'a boys' course' or a 'girls' course'. Help them to overcome gender stereotyping and follow their interests and abilities.
Timetable difficulties mean they cannot do the combination they want. Not all combinations will be possible on a timetable, and if this happens you will need to help your teenager consider alternatives.

Now there is more choice of courses on offer, your teenager needs encouragement to choose a broad and balanced range of courses that keeps their options open beyond 16.