Year 9 Options Support for Parents & Carers from ALT Careers

Here are some useful resources for parents and carers to help you to support your child with their Year 9 option choices.

If you have any questions or would like some advice, please contact our ALT Careers Teams via careers@kga.ascendlearningtrust.org.uk

Useful links to help you to support your child:

1. www.careerpilot.org.uk/

The main Careerpilot link with information for students. The parent zone can be accessed at the top left of this webpage. Click on Start with you to get started!

2. https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/parent-zone

A link to the parent zone section of Careerpilot where you can find lots of information and tips to help you increase your own knowledge and understanding of your child's future options.

3. www.careerpilot.org.uk/parent-zone/choices-at-14

 A link to information within the Parent Zone specifically about the Year 9 options

4. www.careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/subjects

Explore the different subjects within Careerpilot and where they can lead you

5. www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zrjh92p

A useful video that helps Year 9s to understand their choices

6. A useful video that helps prevent Year 9s from making options choices for the wrong reasons

7. It is also useful for your Year 9 son/daughter to think about the following areas:

• Do they have any thoughts about what they would like to do after Year 11?

• Do they have any thoughts about what they would like to do after Year 13?

• Are there any jobs or careers that they have heard about that they like the sound of?

• Do they have any ideas about their values and what is important to them in their life? To explore their values with them, click here: https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/strengths-and-values

If they already have some ideas of what they might like to do for a future job or career, then there may be some GCSE subject option choices that are important that they choose. You can find out what these subjects and requirements are by exploring the jobs and entry requirements here: https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors  You can type in a specific job or find it under the relevant job sector.

You may find it useful to complete the below charts with your son/daughter to aid a discussion about their subject choices.

We hope this has helped you feel more prepared to support your son/daughter with their Year 9 option choices.

Don't forget, all of our secondary schools offer drop-in careers support so make the most of this if they would also like some advice from a professional careers adviser.