Your Child’s Starting Year 10: How to Support Them with GCSE English
If your son or daughter is about to begin Year 10, you’re probably hearing a lot about “GCSE years”, and with good reason. The next two years will shape not just exam results, but your child’s confidence, independence and study habits.
GCSE English is one of the most important qualifications they’ll sit, and getting off to a strong start in Year 10 makes a huge difference to how manageable it feels by the time Year 11 arrives.
As a former Head of English and GCSE examiner, here’s what I recommend parents focus on in the final weeks of this term and over the summer.
✅ What’s Coming in GCSE English?
Your child will study for two separate GCSEs:
English Language: Focused on analysing extracts, creative writing, non-fiction, and technical accuracy.
English Literature: Covering classic and modern texts, including a Shakespeare play, a 19th-century novel, a modern drama or novel, and a poetry anthology.
They’ll need to learn how to write essays under timed conditions, memorise quotes and analyse language, structure and form.
✅ How You Can Help This Summer
The final weeks of term and the summer break offer a valuable opportunity to:
Check your child knows which exam board they’ll be sitting with (AQA, Edexcel etc.)
Encourage them to read any set texts if they’ve already been issued.
Help them set up organised folders or notebooks for notes, essays and feedback.
Talk about their strengths and the areas they’re least confident with — is it essay structure, unseen analysis, creative writing?
✅ Consider Light Summer Support
GCSE English builds over time. Students who start Year 10 with gaps in their understanding can fall behind quickly when new material arrives.
Booking a short course of tutoring sessions over the summer - or in early September - can help your child:
Boost confidence ahead of Year 10.
Revise tricky skills like spelling, punctuation, or essay writing.
Get a head start on set texts.
Learn what examiners are really looking for.
At English Results, I offer flexible online and in-person sessions in Stockport, Cheshire and South Manchester, tailored to your child’s needs.
Final Thoughts
Year 10 doesn’t have to be daunting. With a little early organisation, clear targets and, where needed, expert support, your child can start their GCSE years feeling confident and prepared.
If you’d like tailored GCSE English tutoring for your child this summer or in the new school year, I have a limited number of online and in-person tutoring slots available in Stockport, South Manchester and surrounding areas. Contact me today for a private tutoring quote: whether it’s confidence-boosting, essay skills or revision planning.
Visit my Contact page to get in touch.