tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/gcses-41912/articlesGCSE's – The Conversation2018-08-23T04:34:03Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1008422018-08-23T04:34:03Z2018-08-23T04:34:03ZGCSE results: why bright, poor students fail to achieve top grades<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230901/original/file-20180807-191041-1pkxddt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The fourth Thursday in August is a day that is anticipated with equal measures of hope and trepidation by hundreds of thousands of young people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. </p>
<p>This is when the results of GCSE examinations are released. These exams quite often determine the path these young people will follow – perhaps through upper secondary education, further education, or higher education. Small wonder people get nervous.</p>
<p>Like other exams, GCSEs act as a kind of sieve. Those who do well are presented with opportunities, while those who don’t do so well can often be <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-to-do-if-you-fail-your-gcses-80923">left wondering what to do next</a>.</p>
<p>The doors that are opened by a good showing at GCSE allow young people to invest further in their own skills, and ultimately this makes them more productive once they enter the workforce. Improving productivity for the country, as well as for individuals, requires that as many young people as possible can access these opportunities. That requires a level playing field – but as our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221718301462?via%3Dihub">new research shows</a>, that playing field is now anything but level.</p>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://www.suttontrust.com/newsarchive/1000-disadvantaged-pupils-miss-out-on-top-grades/">recent findings</a> from social mobility charity, The Sutton Trust, show that almost half of able but disadvantaged students fail to achieve top GCSE grades. These are students who did well in primary school, but by the time they reached GCSE year, have fallen behind their academic peers.</p>
<h2>Social disadvantage</h2>
<p>Along with my co-authors, Chiara Masci and Tommaso Agasisti, I have used recently developed machine learning methods to analyse the determinants of pupils’ educational performance across a variety of advanced countries. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221718301462?via%3Dihub">Our analysis</a> makes use of data from the OECD’s <a href="http://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/2015database/">PISA</a> data set – this is useful because it allows comparisons to be made across the numerous countries in our study. </p>
<p>The results for the UK are particularly striking. They show that for here, educational performance is very much driven by social factors. So while tweaking educational policy may help or hinder at the margin, it is social policy that really has the power to secure large gains in educational attainment.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230903/original/file-20180807-142251-12z98we.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230903/original/file-20180807-142251-12z98we.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230903/original/file-20180807-142251-12z98we.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230903/original/file-20180807-142251-12z98we.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230903/original/file-20180807-142251-12z98we.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230903/original/file-20180807-142251-12z98we.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230903/original/file-20180807-142251-12z98we.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Disadvantaged pupils with the potential for high achievement are falling behind their more advantaged peers.</span>
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<p>Looking at the proportion of the variation in schools’ test performance that can be explained by our model, we found that around a half is due to the percentage of students coming from disadvantaged homes. As soon as the proportion of disadvantaged students in a school passes through 20% – as it does in almost a half of all schools – the performance of students in that school falls off a cliff. A further fifth of the inter-school variation is due to students having special educational needs. </p>
<p>Only a tiny fraction of the variation is due to school-related factors – such as the number of computers per student, the number of staff per student, the size of the school, or school policies about communication with parents – or even government funding. It’s clear that it’s the social stuff that matters.</p>
<h2>How to fix it</h2>
<p>The PISA data set defines a student’s family as being <a href="https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisainfocus/pisa%20in%20focus%20n25%20(eng)--FINAL.pdf">disadvantaged</a> if its socioeconomic status is in the bottom 25%. In turn, socioeconomic status is measured as a combination of variables that capture the educational attainment of the parents. This includes their wealth and the educational and cultural possessions – books and the like – that the family has in the home. </p>
<p>Of course, it stands to reason that students who have better educated, wealthier parents and more access to books and resources within the home, should find education easier to access. But our findings also suggest that promoting adult education for parents, and providing students with access to books in the home could go some way to make a difference. </p>
<p>It is clear then that schools can only do so much to solve society’s problems. More needs to be done to help all students maximise the potential that education has to make a difference. Because it’s only right that everyone has the ability to achieve their full potential – not just those students who were born into easier circumstances.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100842/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geraint Johnes is an associate of the Work Foundation. </span></em></p>Half of clever students from poorer backgrounds fail to secure top GCSE grades.Geraint Johnes, Professor of Economics, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/971422018-08-15T09:55:31Z2018-08-15T09:55:31ZShould universities lower entry grades for disadvantaged students?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230894/original/file-20180807-191013-1iezppt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shuttertstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Students from less advantaged backgrounds are grossly underrepresented in Britain’s top universities. This underrepresentation of certain groups is particularly pronounced in highly competitive courses such as medicine. In England, for example, 80% of medical students come from just <a href="https://www.medschools.ac.uk/our-work/selection/selecting-for-excellence">20% of the country’s secondary schools</a>. This leads to a profession dominated by certain demographic groups.</p>
<p>This imbalance isn’t just an issue of “fairness” or social equality. It is well established that <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2336">UK trained doctors</a> from affluent backgrounds are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/may/19/nhs-gp-doctors-health-poverty-inequality-jeremy-hunt-denis-campbell-deprived-areas">less likely to choose to work in rural or deprived areas</a>. This is especially true in less desirable specialisms such as general practice and psychiatry. </p>
<p>This has left the NHS heavily reliant on the recruitment of overseas doctors to fill such posts. But such staff are frequently recruited from low and middle income countries that can ill afford to lose their own homegrown doctors.</p>
<p>It has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2336">been highlighted</a> by Julian Simpson, who has written on and researched the subject, that this “shortage” of doctors willing to work in certain areas stems, fundamentally, from a “lack of alignment between the aims and needs of the NHS and the social and professional aspirations of doctors trained in British medical schools”. </p>
<h2>Grade discounts</h2>
<p><a href="http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/5/e020291">Recent research</a> shows that, once in university, students from England’s most poorly performing secondary schools generally do as well academically as their peers from England’s highest performing schools. Even if they achieved somewhat lower A-level grades. <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2014/201403">Similar findings</a> from higher education in general have been reported. </p>
<p>This lends evidence to a fact that seems intuitive. That is, the grades a pupil achieves at A-level (or equivalent) are, on average, at least partly dependent on the school they attend. So, in order to make university admissions fairer, should students who attend schools where pupils generally leave with lower grades, be offered places based on reduced A-level achievement – known as “grade discounting”?</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230896/original/file-20180807-191038-1tix7ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230896/original/file-20180807-191038-1tix7ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230896/original/file-20180807-191038-1tix7ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230896/original/file-20180807-191038-1tix7ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230896/original/file-20180807-191038-1tix7ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230896/original/file-20180807-191038-1tix7ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230896/original/file-20180807-191038-1tix7ws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A level playing field?</span>
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<p>Some universities – such as Birmingham, Southampton and King’s College London – have already trialled such A-Level “grade discounting” for medical school place offers for applicants from less advantaged backgrounds. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39508.606157.BE">early evidence</a> from such schemes is that the differences in academic outcomes between students entering with reduced A-level requirements and mainstream entrants are minimal, at most. </p>
<p>At present, it is unclear whether any meaningful differences would exist between qualified doctors who entered medical school via conventional policies or those who had gained admittance via such schemes. After all, people just want to be treated by safe, competent and compassionate practitioners. </p>
<h2>Like for like?</h2>
<p>But rolling out such an approach on a university wide scale, wouldn’t be a straightforward matter. For a start, there is the issue of how to effectively “contextualise” A-level (or equivalent) achievements. In this way, clear information about how to compare secondary schools would have to be available to university selectors – and such information currently is not always easy to come by. Likewise, for overseas applicants, making comparisons between institutions would be difficult, if not impossible. </p>
<p>Then there is the issue that some pupils from less advantaged backgrounds may not even consider applying for more prestigious or competitive courses at university. So such A-level grade discounting would have to be part of a package of measures to increase universities’ outreach among schools and the dissemination of information to teachers and careers advisers. </p>
<p>Such policies would also be clearly vulnerable to “gaming” from well-resourced families. It is easy to imagine, for example, how some advantaged pupils may be independently schooled until the last couple of years of their education, and for them then to be moved to state schools to take advantage of such admissions policies. </p>
<h2>Further afield</h2>
<p>In the US, “affirmative action” policies have been used to encourage ethnic diversity within some universities. Such policies have been <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/579/14-981/">weighed and tested through the court system</a>. The resulting verdicts make it clear that such approaches to widening participation cannot rest solely on the issue of “moral equality”. Rather, the case has to be made based on the educational advantages of a more diverse population of students. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://qz.com/714809/the-supreme-court-has-confirmed-that-race-still-plays-a-key-role-in-access-to-college/">most recent US Supreme Court verdict</a> also stressed that any “positive discrimination” in favour of underrepresented groups should also be proportionate and regularly reviewed. This implies that “grade discounting”, involving modest reductions in the A-level requirement for entry to certain courses for certain disadvantaged applicants, if applied with clear objectives and regularly reviewed, is likely to withstand legal challenge, at least in the US.</p>
<p>So while grade discounting is unlikely to cure all the lack of diversity on the most competitive university courses, it may well play a useful role as part of a package of measures designed to widen access to certain professions in the UK.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97142/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Tiffin has previously received research funding on behalf of his University employer, as part of a contact competitive tendering process, to undertake research, including relation to widening access, from the UK Clinical Aptitude Test Board, the Medical Schools Council and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lazaro Mwakesi Mwandigha is currently involved in a postdoctoral research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMF). During his PhD, he received financial support from the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) Board. In addition, Hull York Medical School (HYMS) financially contributed to the student fees. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lewis Paton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows that 80% of medical students come from just 20% of the UK’s secondary schools.Paul Tiffin, Reader in Psychometric Epidemiology, University of YorkLazaro Mwakesi Mwandigha, Postgraduate research assistant, Imperial College LondonLewis Paton, Research Fellow, University of YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/889742017-12-13T12:15:06Z2017-12-13T12:15:06ZSecondary students can suffer from spending an extra year drilling for GCSE exams<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198991/original/file-20171213-27568-12nlnmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">d b o</span> </figcaption></figure><p>With GCSE mock exams well under way, secondary school students will be feeling the pressure. Exam results seem even more important today than they did a few years ago, due to the big changes made <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41000575">to GCSEs</a> and <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/schools-fear-chaos-over-tough-a-levels-twk5q906r">A–levels</a>, designed to make them more rigorous. </p>
<p>In recent years, governments have also introduced new ways of measuring school success, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stop-creative-gcse-subjects-being-squeezed-out-by-the-ebacc-62063">the EBacc</a>. So schools are increasingly being judged on how well their students do in English, maths, science, languages and humanities subjects. </p>
<p>This means that schools are expected to produce better results in particular subjects, just when exams have been made more challenging. With students and teachers focused on attaining exam success, what happens prior to the GCSEs is often overlooked. </p>
<p>The stage before GCSEs – known as Key Stage 3 (KS3) – used to be taught for three school years, between the ages of 11 and 14 years old. But under Tony Blair’s New Labour government, schools were given the flexibility to experiment with the KS3 curriculum – and many schools opted to make KS3 shorter, covering Years 7 and 8 only. Data to capture this trend has been sparse. But <a href="https://www.history.org.uk/ha-news/categories/455/news/3452/history-in-schools-2017">work I have done</a> with the Historical Association to monitor the state of history education shows that, in 2015, around a quarter of schools surveyed had a shortened KS3. By 2017, this figure was at 45%. This trend was also picked up on during the first phase of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/hmcis-commentary-october-2017">a curriculum review</a> carried out by Ofsted.</p>
<h2>A narrow focus</h2>
<p>On one level, this makes sense – if students start their GCSE courses earlier, they’ll have more time to get to grips with the content and should do better in their final exams. But the GCSE courses have been designed to be taught in two years. The concern is that students will simply spend more time being drilled in exam preparation, rather than learning anything new. KS3 is the only period in a young person’s education where they are entitled to specialist subject teaching across a range of subjects. </p>
<p>Obviously students will get specialist teaching at GCSE. But if a student chooses to stop studying, say, history at the end of Year 8, then they will only have had two years to explore that subject. Over three years, students can have a greater opportunity to develop their knowledge – and hopefully a deeper appreciation – of their subjects. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198993/original/file-20171213-27562-18emqfk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198993/original/file-20171213-27562-18emqfk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198993/original/file-20171213-27562-18emqfk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198993/original/file-20171213-27562-18emqfk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198993/original/file-20171213-27562-18emqfk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198993/original/file-20171213-27562-18emqfk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198993/original/file-20171213-27562-18emqfk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Why am I learning this, again?</span>
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<p>The danger is that what students study at KS3 become irrelevant. The pressure on schools to perform well in public examinations – and the power of existing accountability measures – means that KS3 is seen as a precursor for GCSE. As a result, only the things that matter for success at GCSE get covered at KS3. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.history.org.uk/ha-news/categories/455/news/3452/history-in-schools-2017">The research</a> that I have been involved in shows that many history departments plan their curriculum content and approaches to assessment based on what they feel is needed for success at GCSE. This can directly affect what happens during KS3, with teachers taking a narrower focus on certain parts of the curriculum to ensure students are ready for their GCSEs.</p>
<p>The clear message from my research – which chimes with what others are also finding – is that schools should think more deeply about the purpose of KS3. It is not simply a preparation for GCSEs – it is there to help young people understand better the world in which they live. </p>
<h2>Breathing space</h2>
<p>But it’s also clear that many schools and teachers – having been told for so long by governments what to teach, and sometimes even how to teach it – lack the confidence or knowledge to plan interesting, valuable and meaningful curricula. </p>
<p>In a recent small-scale, in-depth study I did of history departments’ curricula, it was evident that many were still teaching what had been introduced with the very first KS3 National Curriculum in 1991. There wasn’t much “big thinking” about the knowledge that young people should develop from the curriculum. </p>
<p>Of course, none of this should denigrate the work of these teachers. But parents and policymakers should recognise that the pressures of league tables effectively force teachers to focus on drilling school students for exams – and this isn’t necessarily the best thing for young people. </p>
<p>Years 7, 8 and 9 should be a breathing space, away from exam pressures, where young people have an opportunity to study subjects that help them to understand the extraordinary and complex world around them – and to think about their place within it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88974/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Harris does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Secondary students are losing the opportunity to enjoy learning for its own sake.Richard Harris, Associate Professor in Education, University of ReadingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/809232017-08-22T10:26:11Z2017-08-22T10:26:11ZWhat to do if you fail your GCSEs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182095/original/file-20170815-15219-1n8vlqk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>GCSE time is here again, with the annual focus on the success stories: the young person who passed all their subjects despite tragedy or illness, as well as the young people who have gained ten or 11 A* grades. </p>
<p>I don’t want to undermine those achievements – as they are often remarkable. But there is very rarely any mention of the young people who do less well – those who fail to gain the benchmark five A to C grades, and who will not, or cannot, go on to do A-levels and progress to university. </p>
<p>This is the reality for a significant number of young people, with findings from <a href="http://schoolsweek.co.uk/gcse-results-2016-trends-and-stats-from-the-national-data/">Schools Week</a> showing that more young people gained an E grade than an A* in 2016 – it was the same story in the previous two years as well.</p>
<p>It’s often thought that the young people getting these low grades have <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-16-skills-plan-and-independent-report-on-technical-education">low aspirations</a> and this idea appears regularly in <a href="http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/pdfs/2005-white-paper-14-19-education-and-skills.pdf">government</a> documents. But my <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01425692.2015.1131146">research</a> shows otherwise. I have consistently found that <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ritr20/13/1?nav=tocList">young people have high aspirations</a>, but that apart from the academic high flyers – <a href="https://www.ucl-ioe-press.com/books/schools-and-schooling/invisible-students-impossible-dreams/">few know what route to take to achieve their aspiration</a>. </p>
<p>This is not helped by the fact that advice and guidance in terms of vocational qualifications tends to be confusing. This is partly because there are so many different options, and partly because some vocational programmes are of low value, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/21/snobbery-vocational-academic-education-opportunities-children">lack recognition by employers</a>. </p>
<p>So for those students unsure what to do next, here’s what you need to know:</p>
<h2>1. Know your options</h2>
<p>Failing your GCSEs can feel like the end of the world – it isn’t. You’ve still got loads of options. The key is to do some research, and find out what is available to you. </p>
<p>Most young people who find themselves in this situation will progress to vocational college courses or on to an apprenticeship. This is largely determined by final GCSE results. If you want to carry on in education, it might be worth making an appointment with your local college and seeing if there are any courses on offer that interest you. It’s important though to make sure you understand exactly what you are signing up for, because there are so many options. </p>
<p>It’s also worth knowing that not all <a href="https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/15728">apprenticeships are made equal</a>. In some cases an apprenticeship may mean on the job training with an employer – earning and learning – leading to a qualification and skilled work on completion. But it may also mean a college course with a work placement – so learning but not earning – which offers a qualification, but no guarantee of employment. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182096/original/file-20170815-5485-i5aj70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182096/original/file-20170815-5485-i5aj70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182096/original/file-20170815-5485-i5aj70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182096/original/file-20170815-5485-i5aj70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182096/original/file-20170815-5485-i5aj70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182096/original/file-20170815-5485-i5aj70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182096/original/file-20170815-5485-i5aj70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s not the end of the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Talk it through</h2>
<p>If you can, find someone who already does the job you would like, and talk to them about it. What is it really like? What training did they do? What advice can they offer? Alternatively, speak to a family member or a teacher who knows you well. </p>
<p>Try and talk to as many different people as possible about their own experiences and how they ended up in the job they’re doing now. Not only will it help you put things into perspective, but it might also help you to come up with some alternative ideas for your future, which you may not have considered in the first place. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182097/original/file-20170815-15219-16ax1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182097/original/file-20170815-15219-16ax1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182097/original/file-20170815-15219-16ax1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182097/original/file-20170815-15219-16ax1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182097/original/file-20170815-15219-16ax1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182097/original/file-20170815-15219-16ax1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182097/original/file-20170815-15219-16ax1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Find support from someone you trust.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Make a plan</h2>
<p>You need to be able to make a clear plan of what you want to do and how to get there – a kind of road map from GCSEs (whatever your grades) to your final career goal. Ideally this should be a year-by-year plan. </p>
<p>Do some research to find out what the training is for the job you want, how long it takes, where you can do it, and what qualifications you need. Some careers, for example, require a particular qualification, but also pass grades in English and maths at GCSE – so may sure you look into this thoroughly. </p>
<p>Find out if there are any vacancies locally in your area – even if they don’t immediately seem related to your chosen field. Part-time work can give you valuable “employability skills” which you can build on as you work towards your chosen career.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182098/original/file-20170815-29205-1uj01fk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182098/original/file-20170815-29205-1uj01fk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182098/original/file-20170815-29205-1uj01fk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182098/original/file-20170815-29205-1uj01fk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182098/original/file-20170815-29205-1uj01fk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182098/original/file-20170815-29205-1uj01fk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182098/original/file-20170815-29205-1uj01fk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Take control of your future.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>4. Ask questions</h2>
<p>Not all vocational programmes are the same, so it is really important you are prepared to ask colleges, employers, and training providers the right questions when you go to enrol for an apprenticeship or vocational programme.</p>
<p>These might include: will this qualification help me achieve my goals? What other programmes might I need to do afterwards? How long will it all take me? What jobs are there locally for people with this qualification? How many of last year’s students are now in skilled employment? </p>
<p>Finally, remember that you have lots of time, and don’t rush into any big decisions. If you plan carefully and work towards your goal, it may well be that in a few years’ time as you look around at young graduates with massive debts trying to enter a competitive workforce, you might be grateful that you were a 2017 GCSE “fail” who decided to take a vocational route.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80923/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Liz Atkins does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Not everyone will be celebrating this GCSE results day.Liz Atkins, Associate Professor in Educationhttps://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/our-staff/a/liz-atkins/, Northumbria University, NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.