Branded Gifts for College

Sixteen year old's across the country received their GCSE results today and confirmed whether or not they were able to attend college. What better way to promote your brand than through rewarding the future generation with branded gifts?

GCSE's are a relatively new qualification in the academic system, having only been introduced in the last thirty years. However, whilst the name may have changed to the General Certificate of Secondary Education and the format was different, it was simply replacing qualifications which had become out of date.

Prior to the GCSE's were the GCE O Levels (General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level) and the CSE (Certificate of Secondary Education) qualifications. These suffered problems due to their two-tier style which meant the final students to take their O Levels were in 1987. 

The format of the GCSE's has remained practically the same since 1987, with very few minor changes. For example, in 1994 the A* grade was brought into place to distinguish very 'top-end' achievements. However, the threshold for the A* grade is different depending on the subject, most memorably, in 2005 the A* threshold for one particular exam was just 47%! 

Another change was the introduction of vocational GCSEs in 2000. It was identified that not all students were academically minded, meaning GCSE's were unfair on a large percentage. In 2000, vocational GCSE's were brought in which meant students could gain a GCSE for subjects such as engineering and Leisure and Tourism. Of course, academic subjects were still available for students who wanted the qualifications, but it meant that there was more freedom for students. 

If you have children who have just taken their GCSE's, or you know children who have then you'll know how difficult the exams can be, which means even a pass deserves a treat!  So, why not spread your brand name at the same time as rewarding their handwork by giving away branded gifts? 

There are lots of promotional items on the Total Merchandise website which will help children through college. For example, our promotional notebooks and pen sets are great for the first day at college. If you wanted to spend a little more on something which is going to last, you could even invest in printed USB pens for the students.

Whatever item you choose, you are guaranteed to ensure you spread your brand's name in the local area, and branded gifts can make sure you are popular with the future generation as well.