GCSEs, Sixth Form & Every English Term You’ll Need to Know for Heartstopper Season 3

Netflix’s Heartstopper is finally back after a year-long break. With another season spent in the south of England ahead of us, here are all the definitions of the English terms and phrases used to get you ready.

Key Heartstopper English Terms

Season 3 of Heartstopper focuses on Charlie and Nick as their relationship grows stronger, while Nick navigates his mental health issues. Meanwhile, Issac, Tara, and the rest of the group are entering a new phase of their academic lives. Of course, their vocabulary is different from what Americans are used to, so here are all the words to know:

GCSEs/GCSE Results: Episode 2 of Heartstopper Season 3 follows Nick, Charlie, and their friends anxiously opening their GCSE results. In Year Eleven, at the end of secondary education, English students take part in GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams. Students take a minimum of eighteen exams based on every subject they studied through school. The results determine which schools you can go to post-secondary, and sometimes what jobs you can apply for. Grades range from 9 (A++) to 1 (Fail).  By the way, Year Eleven is the same as tenth grade/sophomore year for those from the States. 

Sixth Form: The Heartstopper gang has just finished secondary school, which means it may be time for Sixth Form. In England, sixth form is a school for students aged 16-18. It’s the highest level of secondary education and is aimed at students who want to go to university. Students pick three to five school subjects to learn at an advanced level and get tested after two academic years. 

A Levels: At the end of sixth form, students take A Level exams. A Levels stand for Advanced Levels; they’re basically a more intensive and focused round of GCSEs. Results can be stressful as they determine what university you can go to. We can expect a lot of drama as tensions rise between the group!

Revise: Revising is just another term for studying that’s popular in the United Kingdom. Throughout the season, the Heartstopper friend group is revising for their exams. Tara spent most of the last season revising, and her standout grades reflected it.

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Coursework: While a lot of A Levels are completely based on exams, some include coursework. Coursework is work done over the course of the school year as a long-form assessment. For example, writing a long essay or creating a portfolio of art is coursework.

 School Prefect: Truham Grammar School, like most sixth forms, has school prefects. They are ordinary students who are given responsibilities to act as a point of contact for younger students. Day to day, prefects help the teachers around the school.

Oxbridge: After starting sixth form, Tara starts attending Oxbridge prep classes. “Oxbridge” is the name given to Oxford-Cambridge, two of the top universities in England. Smart sixth-from students are pushed to prep especially hard for A Levels to have a chance at getting into Oxford or Cambridge. Although Tara and the others are only in Year Twelve, it’s normal for students to already have a university in mind.

And those are all the English terms to know for Heartstopper Season 3. Now you’re all set for a new academic year at Truham Grammar School!

Heartstopper Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.