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Original poster

School removed GCSE for yr 11 student?

191 replies

LolaLouise · 13/12/2024 09:03

Posting here for traffic as i really need advice.

My daughter is in year 11, she is very strong in maths and science so picked the triple award science in her year 9 options as this would give her 3 strong GCSE grades. Today she has gone into school and we have been informed the school have withdrawn triple science as an option, and all year 11 students will be entered in to the double award instead. This means my daughter is now doing 1 less subject at GCSE than her peers, and now potentially cant get on to the college course she wanted as she was counting on the 3 sciences for the 5 grades 5+ she needs to be accepted.

Is there anything we can do? where do we stand? How can a school take away a GCSE from students 6 months before they finish?

OP posts:
Bramshott · 13/12/2024 09:22

Oh how frustrating at such a late stage! Whilst their general point probably makes sense - i.e. better to get 2 good grades than 3 average ones - it's rotten luck for your DD in her particular circumstances. I would be tempted to throw everything you can at getting one of her other subjects up to a 5. Could that be English Lang with some serious tutoring?? Or French? Or even Art if she works really hard on her portfolio? Then take the pressure off everything else except the English Lang to get her above the retake zone...

HellofromJohnCraven · 13/12/2024 09:21

In your shoes I'd contact the college she wants to go to and get ahead of the game.
Our local FE college requires 5 grade 5s to do A levels but have been pretty flexible in practice, especially where a student has a good grade for a specific subject eg got a 7 in History and wanted to do A level history.

Original poster
LolaLouise · 13/12/2024 09:20

AnnaMagnani · 13/12/2024 09:18

In fairness to the school it's common teachers to decide who gets to do double or triple science and children predicted 5s to be offered double science.

But shes been doing triple science for all of year 10 and now year 11. Thats understandable teachers deciding who can do the triple, making the change for children in years 10 and below is understandable, but they have changed them in year 11 which seems massively unfair on the kids that have been doing it for the past year and a half!

OP posts:
Upstartled · 13/12/2024 09:20

Jesus, that is awful. Sorry, op, I'd be wild. All that specific work, with specific papers practiced for a specific exam board, all thrown up in the air only six months before exams? Shit.

AnnaMagnani · 13/12/2024 09:18

In fairness to the school it's common teachers to decide who gets to do double or triple science and children predicted 5s to be offered double science.

Original poster
LolaLouise · 13/12/2024 09:17

ExtraOnions · 13/12/2024 09:16

What’s she getting in Maths & English ?

7 in maths, 3/4 in English

OP posts:
ArucanaFlower · 13/12/2024 09:17

Am I right in thinking she’ll still be taking 9 GCSEs (dropping from 10) but might not get 5 of them at grade 5+ without science counting as 3 subjects not 2? Or is she dropping to 8.
I presume the school can do it (although I don’t have real idea) as lots of schools only double science from the beginning but it does sound a real shame. Would a tutor and private entry for separate sciences be a possibility? Or a tutor for one of the other subjects that she doesn’t think she’ll get a 5 in?

Would it be worth contacting the college course she wants and asking if they would consider an exception for her in the circumstances.

ExtraOnions · 13/12/2024 09:16

What’s she getting in Maths & English ?

Original poster
LolaLouise · 13/12/2024 09:16

Top universities and medical schools require the highest grades in a broad range of subjects. There is no preference to the GCSE subjects, specifically no requirement to study triple science. Most other schools in the trust have not offered Separate Science for some time now and have demonstrated improvement of results, as well as students moving on to excel at both A level and degree level Science related subjects.

For this reason, as a department and as a School, after careful consideration of all the information and research we have done, as well as analysis of the most recent examinations we have concluded that we will be entering all year 11 students for combined Science. This will provide your son/daughter with the best opportunity at receiving two strong grades in Science at GCSE.

This is their reasoning.

OP posts:
thesunisastar · 13/12/2024 09:14

How frustrating and disappointing for your DD.

What reason have the school given? I think that's the first thing you need to find out.

My DS"s school have had to abandon a GCSE subject after the single teacher able to teach it left, and they were unable to recruit a replacement (they did try, very hard, but there is a huge shortage of teachers).

They have said that the current GCSE students can continue to with the course on a self study basis if they wish, and that the school will enter them for the exam.

If they've had to make the decision due to staffing, I'd be trying to find out if that is an option.

Original poster
LolaLouise · 13/12/2024 09:13

Nerdlings · 13/12/2024 09:08

But she will still do more than 5 GCSE's so can still get the grades for college

SHes unlikely to get the 5+ she needs in her other GCSEs. Currently she is hitting the 5 in her maths, the 3 sciences and geography. I have her in extra english tutoring to try and get that grade up, however, she is dyslexic and really struggling with english lit and lang. Her two other options were french where she is getting a 4, and art, the art teacher however left the school they just have substitutes and at the minute we dont even have a predicted grade for her and their course work projects are all over the place. So we were banking on the maths and science to get her into college on the course she wants.

OP posts:
Antsinmypantsneedtodance · 13/12/2024 09:13

Is it a cost thing? The exam entrance fees maybe? Or a teacher left? I'd enquire whether you can enter her privately, either at school or another location, or if there are other options. At this time of year most of the learning had happened so it's just revision mostly. So if you can find a private tutor to support for the remainder of the year it could be an option. Ultimately you need the reason the school have withdrawn the option and go from there.

leavehertoit · 13/12/2024 09:13

That’s really bad. I’m sorry OP - that’s really, really poor of the school.

wombat15 · 13/12/2024 09:13

It's terrible they have given no notice. I changed schools do I could do three science o levels. That was years ago but I was very glad I made the choice.
I wonder if they haven't been teaching it thoroughly though and will get a better mark with the combined? I wouldn't be surprised if it is easier to do well.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 13/12/2024 09:11

Why have school made this decision?

Lack of teachers? Budget constraints?

If you can find out what they won’t cover on the triple science curriculum, could you get a private tutor and enter her as a private candidate at school or at a different centre (I have no idea how viable this is!)?

How many other GCSEs is she sitting? You only need 5 passes to get into college usually

Nerdlings · 13/12/2024 09:08

But she will still do more than 5 GCSE's so can still get the grades for college