GCSE choices

[nonironmum]

Do others encounter restrictive GCSE choices? My daughter had to choose between Add. Maths and Learning for Life and Work (i.e. waste of time, esp. as far as universities are concerned. Now, a week before term ends, she is being told she can't do both History and Physics (her one science choice). I feel cross that timetables are dictating choices. Anyone else got any experience worth relating?

[titchy]

Are you in the UK? I thought Science GCSEs were either signgle science (as opposed to physics only) - for weak academically kids or double science as standard? Does your school really do Physics?

Souonds odd that they timetable Sciences with Humanities. Most schools do timetable in blocks which resricts the choice, but it's usually Science as a whole block, Maths as a whole block (more able kids doing a further maths option as part of the same timetable block), English a whole block, Humanities a whole block (so the choice might be between Geograpgy and Histry), and other blocks for PE, creative courses, IT etc.

What grades is she expected to get?

[noblegiraffe]

My school does it. We block the more vocational courses (e.g. health and social care) against modern languages so that parents who want their kid to take academic courses have to get them to take a language.

Because of this, our Ebacc score is much higher than other schools in the area.

But your school might also by hampered by the limits of the timetable (subjects have to be blocked in options to make the timetable fit together), so if physics and history run at the same time, she'll just have to lump it. They can't possibly offer a free choice across all subjects.

[pinkgirlythoughts]

When I was doing GCSEs, I was told that I couldn't do German and graphic design for DT- I could either do German and electronics, or French and graphic design. It was a small school, and that was just the way the timetable was done.
it does seem a bit odd that a science subject is optional though- we had to do Biology, Chemistry, and Physics (or double science if you were considered a bit thick and unable to cope with triple science, as I was!).

[nonironmum]

We are in the UK but it's N. Ireland. They have to do at least one science but can also do double or all 3. My daughter wouldn't do any if she had a choice as she is good at arts/social sciences esp. English, Geog. and Hist. But Physics is her best science and she feels it will help if she goes into a career in overseas development/ charity work - until she becomes a successful author, that is! In order to do both Physics and History she would have to swop German (reasonably good at it) for French (hopeless). They also have to do a language. So I fear she will be sacrificing one of her better graded subjects - it's all a nightmare at present.