Supporting Your Child To Choose Courses

Helping them make choices that are right for them.

Choosing Sixth Form courses is an important moment. Your child is beginning to make decisions that reflect not only what they enjoy now, but also the skills they want to develop and the opportunities they may want to pursue after Sixth Form.

For some young people, those choices will feel straightforward. Others may be interested in several different areas, unsure about their future career, or influenced by what friends are choosing. That is completely normal.

As a parent or carer, you can play an important role by helping them ask the right questions, explore their options and make an informed decision.

Start with what they enjoy – but don't stop there

Enjoyment matters. Sixth Form study involves greater depth, independence and commitment than GCSE, so choosing subjects that genuinely interest your child can make a significant difference.

But enjoyment should be considered alongside strengths, GCSE performance and future possibilities.

A useful conversation might start with three questions:

What do you enjoy?

Which subjects or areas of learning genuinely interest you?

What are you good at?

Where do your current strengths lie, and what do your teachers and assessment results tell you?

Where might you want to go next?

Are there university courses, apprenticeships, industries or careers that already interest you?

Your child doesn’t need to know exactly what they want to do at 16. The aim is to begin making connections between what they enjoy, where they can succeed and where those choices could eventually take them.

Encourage them to look beyond the course title

A familiar subject at Sixth Form may be very different from studying it at GCSE. Equally, new qualifications such as Digital Systems and Data, Digital Support and Security, Esports or Digital Games Production may contain areas of study your child has never experienced before.

Encourage them to read the individual course pages and look at what they will actually study, how they will learn and how they will be assessed.

One student may thrive in an examination-focused academic subject, while another may perform particularly well through applied projects, practical activities and externally assessed tasks. Understanding these differences can help your child choose a programme that suits the way they learn.

Think about courses as a combination

Rather than considering each subject in isolation, encourage your child to think about their whole Sixth Form programme.

Some subjects naturally complement one another. Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics, for example, can create a strongly technical academic programme. Creative Media Production, Digital Games Production and Esports can develop different skills connected to the creative and digital industries.

Other combinations can deliberately bring together different strengths. A student might combine Computer Science with Digital Games Production, or an academic subject such as English Literature or History with an applied digital qualification.

Our curriculum is designed to support different combinations of A Levels and vocational qualifications, alongside a substantial T Level and a Level 2 Foundation route.

The question isn’t simply “Which three subjects do you want?” It is also “How could these subjects work together?”

Check the entry requirements together

Ambition is important, but choices also need to be realistic. Different programmes at BOA Digital have different GCSE Average Point Score requirements, and some individual subjects have additional GCSE grade requirements.

For example, our proposed curriculum requires:

Grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics for Computer Science,

Grade 7 in Mathematics for A Level Mathematics,

Grade 7 in Physics or 7–6 in Combined Science for Physics,

Grade 6 in English Language or Literature for English Literature,

and Grade 5 in History for A Level History.

Keep future options in view

If your child already has a particular university course, apprenticeship or career in mind, encourage them to investigate its entry requirements before finalising their Sixth Form choices.

Some university courses require particular A Levels or GCSE grades. Apprenticeships can also have specific subject or grade requirements.

For students who are less certain, the priority should be to choose courses that reflect their strengths and interests while maintaining appropriate breadth and progression opportunities.

Not knowing exactly what you want to do at 16 is not a problem. Sixth Form should also be a time to discover new interests and possibilities.

Help them choose for themselves

Friends can have a surprisingly powerful influence on course choices. So can perceptions about which subjects are easier, harder or more prestigious.

Encourage your child to make choices based on their own interests, abilities and ambitions, rather than choosing a subject because their friends are taking it.

It can also be useful to challenge assumptions. A student interested in technology doesn’t necessarily have to study only technical subjects, just as a creative student doesn’t have to avoid Mathematics or Computer Science. The right programme is the one that makes sense for the individual student.

Ask questions with them

Open events, course information and conversations with teachers are opportunities to find out more.

Encourage your child to ask questions such as:

What will I actually study during the course?
How is it assessed?
What independent work will I be expected to complete?
What GCSE grades do I need?
Which other subjects work well alongside it?
What could this qualification lead to?
Would it support the university course or apprenticeship I’m considering?

Sometimes one good conversation with a subject specialist can make a course choice much clearer.

Remember that there is more than one route

Success after GCSEs doesn’t look the same for every student. Our proposed curriculum includes academic, vocational and technical Level 3 programmes, as well as a Level 2 Foundation pathway for students who would benefit from an additional year to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence before progressing further.

The aim is not to place every student on the same route. It is to identify the programme that gives each student the opportunity to succeed, develop and progress.

Support the decision – don't make it for them

Perhaps the most valuable role a parent or carer can play is to provide a sounding board. Ask questions. Explore possibilities. Help them research. Challenge choices where appropriate. Encourage ambition while keeping expectations realistic.

But ultimately, your child will be the person attending the lessons, completing the independent study, sitting the assessments and developing expertise in their chosen subjects. The strongest choices are therefore those that they understand, believe in and feel motivated to pursue.

At BOA Digital, we’ll work with students and families throughout the application and enrolment process to help identify an appropriate programme based on interests, ambitions, GCSE results and individual course requirements.

Why BOA Digital

Digital Pathways

Sixth Form Life