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Secondary education

Have any Year 9s heard with their option choices

32 replies

Lottie4 · 05/05/2015 10:13

I know it must take a lot of consideration and timetable scheduling, but just wondered if any Year 9s have heard with their option choices. DC is having doubts over a couple of her choices, so getting a bit tense over it.

Someone has told me the school get quite a few go back and want to change their options and they have a two weeks in which to change subjects in Year 10 if they have doubts then. If this is the case it might not be the end of the world, but good to get it sorted.

OP posts:
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Ihatemytoes · 05/05/2015 12:41

I got a call from DD's head of year about one of her choices. he didn't think it was one she should be doing, and wanted to tell me why. after speaking to him, I agreed. Dd also had spoken with him, and ended up changing.

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SomewhereIBelong · 05/05/2015 12:50

Ours have started a lot of their subjects already.. gave their options in at the start of 2015, were given their subjects before Easter hols - ALL 263 pupils got all their choices this year at our school.

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Madmog · 05/05/2015 16:23

Ours haven't heard yet, their options choices have been in about 10 weeks.

No one seems to know when they're coming out, but at parents evening they did mention they are approachable if children aren't happy with their original choices or there is a problem giving them a subject the really want, so from this I guess we might hear by early June as the school will need time to consider any alterations before timetables are made up.

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TheFirstOfHerName · 05/05/2015 16:35

It must vary a lot between schools, but last year we heard before the May half-term. Almost everyone (187/190) got both of their choices.

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Millymollymama · 05/05/2015 16:48

Only two choices? I guess why they nearly all get what they want!

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Whyjustwhy · 05/05/2015 16:56

Well DD hasn't even chosen her options yet!
The presentation is just before half term, so I'm guessing the form (not that we've seen it yet) will be due back after the May holiday.

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TheFirstOfHerName · 05/05/2015 17:57

The compulsory subjects are Maths, English Literature, English Language, Physics, Chemistry, Biology (or double science for the two lowest sets).

Also your first MFL and one out of History or Geography. It's a given that they can accommodate everyone's choices for these.

2 options takes it to ten GCSEs. How many options are other schools offering?

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ragged · 05/05/2015 21:37

DD is yr8 & has 6 options. They go to new timetable soon after half term, so I think we'll hear soon.

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MaryhadalittleDamn · 05/05/2015 21:40

Yes, choices were confirmed in writing before the Easter break.

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TheFallenMadonna · 05/05/2015 21:42

DS is all sorted. He is doing 11 - an extra language before school. Standard is 9 or 10 depending on whether they do two or three sciences. The extra science gcse is not one of the options.

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TheFallenMadonna · 05/05/2015 21:44

That's 4 options, with one of them being double language.

I'm not convinced about him doing 11. I'd have been happier with 10...

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member · 05/05/2015 21:45

Not yet, choices have been in since March but they have had exams in some subjects since then. As they have an interim report due out next week, I should imagine it won't be long.

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Cafeconleche · 05/05/2015 21:47

Ours heard at Easter and have started the core subjects already, the rest after half term. With all the new changes to the GCSEs, our (state) school wanted to give them a head start and have time to iron out any problems. DS got all his first choices, as did almost all the 200+ year 9s.

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poisonedbypen · 05/05/2015 21:51

I don't think we have confirmation it just happens - presumably we hear if they can't do their options but I don't know anyone who that's ever happened to.

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Wanttobemagistrate · 05/05/2015 21:52

Ours haven't heard yet. We had to give in the choices in February I think.

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ragged · 05/05/2015 22:07

Last yr @ DS's school, the kids who didn't get at least 3/4 of options were called in first for a week or so, for careful counselling what to choose instead. Then there was a freeforall week for the rest of cohort in case they had last minute desires to swap around. I thought all that was fair enough.

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janethefirst · 05/05/2015 23:05

DD got all her choices- we're guessing. All the girls that haven't got there choices have been called in for meetings (such as DD's best friend who didn't get her second choice and is very upset!) just glad she didn't have to rethink what she was taking as it was hard enough the first time to get her to finalise!

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janethefirst · 05/05/2015 23:07

Also, my DD's compulsory subjects are; Maths, English, Triple Science, RE and either ICT or Computing. They highly recommend you take a language too.

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Madmog · 06/05/2015 10:24

My DD will do 10-11 GCSEs - Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths, Triple or Double Science and give options - she had to choose six in order of preference and will get five.

Her school guarantees the first two choices so know she has geography and French. Her next choice is music and Head of Department decides who does music - factors taken into account - effort, present instrument grade and attendance at lunchtime clubs/out of school concerts - we (and her teacher) think she's guaranteed a place and we know her instrument teacher has emailed Head of Year literally with a reference for DD. So here we only have the last two choices to worry about, and DD has an argument why she really needs to do both.

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SomewhereIBelong · 06/05/2015 10:46

DD has started English, Art and double Science, will be starting Maths after half term

Eng lit/lang Maths/double science compulsory

Choices - art, music, German, geog. so 9 here.

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Whyjustwhy · 06/05/2015 17:12

Interesting to hear how many GCSEs are being taken.
DD is in top groups at a well regarded comp, & although we've yet to have it confirmed, I have assumed she will do 11 GCSEs like her brothers before her. But I like the idea of concentrating on 9 instead.

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motherwithheadache · 06/05/2015 17:20

10 subjects here. Still waiting to hear.

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24balloons · 06/05/2015 17:31

We haven't even had the options evening yet but have had a booklet detailing available subjects. Also only 2 options because of compulsory language, RE, & humanity as well as Maths, Eng, Sci etc
In previous years they did 11 GCSEs but this year they are dropping to 10 in order to fit in extra Maths & English lessons to meet the demands of the new GCSEs!

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Whyjustwhy · 06/05/2015 17:50

24balloons we're waiting for options evening too, I was beginning to think it was just us!
I'm hoping the school might reduce the number to 10, but I think it's unlikely

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VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 06:43

We heard two days ago. Dd hasn't got all her choices and is not happy. Trying to sort it out and under pressure from the school for an answer like yesterday!

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