School removed GCSE for yr 11 student?

I can totally see how frustrating this is for you and your DD. My own DS had one of his GCSE’s changed to a BTEC half way through (the whole cohort not just him!) but his school did 3 year GCSE’s so they started in Y9.
My thoughts are (and I mean this very kindly)…paramedic science is incredibly competitive to get into. Many many students have to apply for 2 years just to even get an interview and that’s with all 8’s and 9’s at GCSE’s and A’s at A level. The college may accept her with 5 GCSE’s at grade 5 and I absolutely appreciate that she is dyslexic but the reality is after college it will be incredibly hard for her to get into paramedic science.

She has a few months until her exams so I doubt it.

Could she pick up another subject where I'm guessing she now has a timetable gap?
Does the school offer Statistics? We did that in 6 months when I was at school. It would suit her maths side.

So why does she not have these problems with science?

Reading a science text requires no less skill than a literature text. Both still require ability to decode + knowledge so that vocabulary can be understood. So, I can read Middlemarch and also a scientific textbook on relativity. Understanding of the text depends on background knowledge; my ability to decode depends on phonic knowledge. Put together and you are reading.

Sorry, now see you've answered about reasonable adjustments already. A shared reader / support doesn't sound great though. It used to be my job but I've only ever worked 121.

Tbh IME the art students who were significant less talented but understood the criteria always did better than the more gifted artists with less coherent portfolios.
This is really good advice for pulling up grades.

Also (as preciously mentioned) really get on the school's case about what reasonable adjustments are in place and definitely not just for English.
She should potentially have a reader for all her subjects/ extra time.

Sorry haven't read past the reply I've quoted yet so maybe repeating.

It might be worth trying to explore which learning styles suit her too. People cope better with different ways of learning - listening, reading, doing.

GCSEs are a tough enough time without all this change but hopefully she can get higher science and grades and enough of everything else.

Perhaps terrible advice but I'd consider if English is too much for her use that tutoring time to bolster maths or geography.
Many colleges offer a functional English qualification that might be more suited to her with a greater ability to make reasonable adjustments and adaptations for her dyslexia.

This seems so unfair. 6s and 7s are not bad grades, and the school is taking away her opportunity to get qualifications she's worked hard for, as well as jeopardising her college offer and making her a less competitive applicant to other courses. I'd be furious, @LolaLouise .

She chose her 9 subjects, is on track to achieve her grades for her college offer, and the school is pulling this away now, when it's probably too late to do a crash course in another subject and the only real alternatives are parents spending more of their own money to make up for the opportunities taken away (sitting privately, extra tutors, etc.).

Individual science GCSEs might not be essential for STEM A-levels and degrees, but they can be very helpful. Students get more depth and breadth, so have a better foundation for subsequent studies, for applications, interviews, etc. And it's an opportunity to shine in a student's preferred subjects - if a student has an aptitude for science, why shouldn't they be able to get qualifications that reflect that, rather than having to do another subject that's less relevant and about which they're less passionate?

Having 8 GCSEs rather than 9 could put her and others at a disadvantage in general, too. When I sat GCSEs, the expectation was that 9 was the minimum for the courses that interested me, and I was aware I'd be competing with people who would be sitting 10 or more. My school could only offer 9, so I ended up doing one privately just to give myself the same number as other applicants would have. At this stage in the courses, though, it's probably too close to the exams for the OP's daughter to do that, though.

I'd be furious and I wouldn't let this drop without a fight, OP. The school is screwing your daughter over. It might be worth your daughter contacting the college and explaining what's happening - they might be able to adjust the offer made or find another option somewhere.

People are asking a lot of irrelevant questions! My son is in year 11 doing triple science, the work is almost done and it's revision time. I'd be fuming if all of a sudden he was told he was doing one less.

I think all the parents should be at the school complaining as a group.

"Query. Why is she struggling with English if she is capable in science? They both require reading."

Many dyslexic kids can be very good at maths and science but struggle with English.

What is the college course? As a teacher I'd say the entry requirements are designed so students don't end up on courses they will struggle in. And maybe the triple science was causing too much work for the kids? Have you asked for a reason?

I did seperate science as double science time + one GCSE option time.
DS could be offered seperate science as an additional GCSE in double science time and his GCSE options are not affected. If it's offered to him, then withdrawn for double science, he still has the standard spread of GCSEs.

OP's DD is having one of her strongest GCSE's removed and is losing that GCSE option choice. She is disproportionately affected by this because of a lack of reliable, specialist teaching in art, and a specific learning difficulty affecting her ability to access English Literature and Language despite additional tutoring.

I would be emphisising that this is discriminatory against pupils with additional needs (with a dyslexic, autistic child, I get it and they'd be similarly impacted) because they can't compensate in other subjects across the curriculum. I would also emphisise that that by removing a whole GCSE option, they are jeopardising her conditional offer at college (which again with her SPLD, she has fewer appropriate academic options to play to her strengths as she creates foundations for her career path.

I hope the parents meeting is constructive and can result in a re-evaluation of this ridiculous, late change so that her education is not compromised.

Op I would be just as frustrated as you are. You have very reasonable arguments. I would ask to see the Head and then escalate to the Governors if you get no support. It's an outrageous way to treat young people

There are many grammars in my area. They publish their GCSE results so can see they are doing individual science GCSEs.

Edited: I can see one is doing the combined too but most pupils do the triple.

I wouldnt normally suggest this, as I suspect the school have a timetabling issue and this is thier only solution and for most people double science is good enough and 8 gcses is a fairly usual number.

But on this instance I might ask for the equalities impact statement they did and whether they considered the impact on neurodiverse students

You realise there’s a few state grammars, have you done a survey? It maybe doesn’t happen in your state grammar.

Wholeheartedly agree with you OP and I hope you manage to get the school to change their minds.

To offer a bit of reassurance though, I think the Extended Diploma is a better qualification than the T level and would offer a very tried and tested route to uni so it won't be the end of the world if that's what she ends up having to do.

Yes I do understand that. I was just a bit surprised she isn't allowed it day-to-day as it might help with learning. I guess school thinks it's better without.

Spellcheck etc has to be disabled for exam conditions.

Off topic, I know but I'm interested in why her laptop software doesn't have a spell check. Have the school given a rationale?

By contrast my DD doesn't have dyslexia and uses a spellchecker extensively. Much of her written work is typed as her state school have a bring you own device expectation. I appreciate there are arguments for and against spellcheckers although most workplaces routinely use them but I'm curious to know why a school has provided a device without.

It sounds as though there are enough concerned parents to push back at the meeting you spoke of OP, so that might concentrate minds in school.

She has the permitted arrangements in place for the exams, to support her dyslexia, she has a tutor, she has plenty of parental support and she’s clearly a hard worker. I’d still see what flexibility the college might offer too, when they have the information about the science situation. There may be others in a similar situation.