GCSE reduced subjects advice needed

Under normal circumstances I would absolutely agree but here time is of the essence and school is closed next week.

I see your point about creative subjects and use of coursework but art, music etc are not really for the academically challenged either.

I speak as one who was not allowed to do cooker O level on the grounds I could not cook (true - better now) and had to do history of art because my drawing was not up to standard for A level (I enjoyed history of art, as it happens, and it has been of immeasurable use and a source of pleasure ever since, I can also water colour and use oils, since I followed these parts of the 'practical' art course).
Horses for courses,

It’s not unusual for specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, processing disorders etc, not to be diagnosed until the teen years in bright, intelligent children because their intelligence allows them to compensate, @Mapletree1985. If they are achieving at the expected level for their age, even if that level is far below their potential, it may go unnoticed until they fall behind when the pace of learning picks up later in education. Especially if they are quiet, conscientious and well behaved…

That said, OP’s DS being moved down to bottom set in maths last year was a sign that he is struggling, so it shouldn’t be a complete surprise.

If he managed to keep up with the middle set for 2 years, and he struggled to finish his assessments in time despite knowing the answers, that would suggest to me that this is not a case of lack of ability, he may have an SpLD.

As above, he will be doing 8 not 6, with extra support to make sure he gets the 5s he will need in maths and English. Sounds like a good move to me. FYI most students do not do 2x humanities. DS only did 1 and did music and art for his options.

Why is music, a highly academic discipline, listed in the practical subjects? Learning to read music at sight (and possibly write it), play an instrument (the practical bit, presumably) to a high standard, know and understand the classical canon etc are not non-academic! Do they think Beethoven and Bach had special needs that stopped them being physicists? Weird.
Unless they equate music with banging a symbol and learning pop songs, of course, which is always possible.
Ditto art.
Drama requires the ability to read and understand and interpret dramas/plays, which is not really a practical skill like making a pizza.
For some reasons, subjects which used to be part of a proper education (music, art, dance, drama) are now considered 'easy' and only for those incapable of doing history etc. What is going on?
As to your DS I would be asking why nothing has been flagged up about his ability and I'd want an explanation of why this pathway has been chosen. And I would challenge it. But don't disparage art, music and drama as the school obviusly does - they are all worthwhile subjects, assuming they are taught properly.

Didnt want to read and run. His discription of running out of time, not being able to work at speed , knowing the answers but not being able to get them out is exactley how both my kids presented in year 9 and 12. Both have dyslexia and processing isssues, both had exrtra time in exams and support. One got bbb and alevel and one got ccc, both are/ went to uni. BTeC instead of a level may work better but unis unless oxbridge all take them . Your main priority now should be insiting on urgent screening for specific learning difficulties ie dyslexia. Dyslexia does not mean you arent bright it means you struggle to process written info. Alot of dyslexics can also read well despite common misconceptions! You may have to pay for testing privatley, if so check.the school will accept the results . They should then support him and allow him to do more. Good luck

Ring school, speak to head teacher, demand a meeting. You need to be in a clearer position about why this has happened.
I would also look into a private tutor if one maths or English is particularly weak. Gcse is a tricky time. Even those starting off on another pathway can end up dropping a subject, particularly if they are struggling.
Just thinking, your son might not have done well in these tests, but what about his homework? Does this also reflect this? If so then it might be better going with less GCSE's, so he can focus on them.

This. You don't have to dance to their tune given the lack of notice and discussion.

Out of interest, what sort of marks has he been getting? Has he had a straight set of 4's across the board in these exams?

What is the school like generally? High performing state/grammar, mixed ability comprehensive with a wide range of outcomes or generally pretty low grades and outcomes. If he's below average in all of these environments it will point to the school taking steps to address but with different motivations.

I would say that while it's a shock, that's an awful lot of additional tuition. The last thing you want to do is ignore that a) they feel it's necessary with a lot of maths and English yet to cover, and b) the risk of completely derailing his aspirations by failing either in his GCSE's.

I would also accelerate dyslexia testing privately if you can afford do. It will give him extra time in the exams which will be invaluable if it's just a processing speed issue [from brain to pen to paper]. The brain might be working at 100mph and his ability may be exceptional but if that doesn't join with his ability to commit to paper or laptop then he will be hampered.

His individual teachers will probably not know what pathway he has been offered or why.

i used to be a teacher (retired two years ago) and the decision as to which pathway to offer was made by head of year in discussion with senior leadership.

teachers had no say and no knowledge of it. So probably not much point contacting them.

on a separate note, I think single award science no longer exists in England but wales and Northern Ireland still have it so whether this is a possibility depends on her location.

the creative subjects are probably being offered on this pathway because they have a lot of coursework and practical work and people to whom this pathway is offered will be people who have trouble with exams.

photography for example although it requires a lot of work that is sustained work over time and support can be put in to help students - lunchtime photography club, Ta support in lessons etc.

it can make a big difference.

I think you may need to accept that he isn't, at least not in an academic way. Either that, or there is a reason (i.e. SEN or something else) he is so dramatically under-performing compared with his potential, including not being able to complete assessments in the allotted time.

I hope you get some answers, as regardless of his academic performance this has been handled very poorly.

From what you describe the communication around this has been absolutely shocking and the school should be ashamed. I think you are right to challenge them on this basis alone.

However- and I say this gently- coming below average in all subjects and being in bottom set maths would indicate that DS is not as academically able as you think. Processing speed is part of that and unless he has SpLD slowing him down he should be able to complete the exams in the allotted time.

This doesn't mean he's stupid, I'm sure he has many types of intelligence not measured by tests in school, but it does mean that maybe aiming for an academic career path is not going to make the most of his talents.

He sounds like a lovely, diligent and hard-working kid so I'm sure he can make a good future for himself.

What sort of reports did you get for the first 21/2 years? Did they make it clear which set your son was in? Did they give the impression your son was doing well? You should ask to see his year 9 assessments and go over them with the relevant members of staff If your son is right in saying his answers were correct, but he just didn't do enough, the school needs to find out the underlying reason. Were the subsequent questions more difficult? Had your son done sufficient revision at home? Or does he have some underlying problem the school can get him help with? The school has not restricted his choices for no reason. They will be trying to do the best for him, and he is lucky to be in a school where they are able to supply extra Maths and English.

The key issue is that he didn’t have enough time to finish the exam papers so he needs to be assessed ASAP for possible processing issues or ADHD . Could he have done the questions with 25% or 50% extra time? Does he have problems with writing at speed? Has he ever done non- verbal reasoning tests ( IQ) tests. If so did he perform well in these? The school SENCO needs to be contacted. The pathway he has been put on is a result of his test scores and you say he is bright and able so the reason for his poor performance needs identifying.

I wonder if your emphasis on intelligence and academics is also making it difficult for DS to be honest with you? I’d be surprised if it’s come as a genuine shock to him that he’s struggling in school, and I wonder if he’s been hiding things or bottling it up for fear of having “failed” you.

You seem to have quite a narrow mindset of what success looks like and the pathway to it, and that might not be the more appropriate option for your DS. A levels are generally quite academic and exam heavy, they may not be the best option for him. Uni certainly isn’t the best option for everyone, especially with rising costs.

Before going all guns blazing into the school I think you should have a heart to heart with your son about what he really wants, and work backwards from there. E.g are a levels best for him, what alternatives are there. Look at local sixth forms and colleges to see what is on offer and what the grade requirements are.

In 3 years of parents evenings, school reports etc? That's really strange that only now are you made aware. What sets has he been in through years 8 and 9? I know you've said he's intelligent several times but the school will be using the data they have available. I've seen you mention only one set of assessments in year 9 but has he never done any other tests or coursework or anything in his time at the school?

You've got plenty of time for a face to face conversation with school, email the head of year and/or your child's form tutor about your confusion and your son's disappointment at not being able to pursue the subjects he wanted to.

My year 9 son received a sheet that said he's in the top 10% in the year with advice about which blocks he could choose from and advice about some of those choices. He's taking up the opportunity to take triple science but he's not picking any humanities or languages despite the invitation to as he really wants to do as many DT subjects as he can as that's what floats his boat.

Your concern about the impact on his A Levels and University needs to go on the back burner. It will only matter if there's a specific subject that he's passionate about and wants to do. Unless he wants to do A level French and a BA in French, a French GCSE doesn't need to be in the mix. English, Maths, and Science are key and it sounds like the set up they're suggesting is to support him to do as well as he can in those.

The range of types of subjects is less important than him having the opportunity to do subjects that he enjoys and will thrive in. That's what your focus should be on.

As an aside. It annoys me that Drama is in that "less academic" selection. I did Drama at GCSE, A Level and degree and we had some less academic pupils forced into our GCSE class of 20 ish of us. They really struggled because 1. they didn't want to be there which made group work challenging and 2. it required lots of textual analysis, language skills, the kind of literary and historical understanding that students who are strong in English Lit thrive on.

By all means, communicate with the school. My own GCSE preferred options weren't possible so my Dad wrote and spoke with them, a compromise was found and I ended up doing all the subjects I wanted to do and some extras.

They will want your son to do as well as he can because from a cynical perspective, the better grades the pupils get, the better the school looks.

If you can't get a hold of the school before the form has to be submitted, submit it with the subjects you do want - all 8 of them - and deal with it later on down the line..

I just want to add that my son got 8,8,7,6,6 in his (i)gcses. Had he stayed in school, I am sure his grades would have been lower across all subjects as he would not have been so focused and would have been spread to thin.

Is science a single award? At my son's school, you either did 3 separate sciences or one double science gcse.

If you are concerned about what is required for him to be able to do a levels, have a look at the requirements for your school's 6th form, other school and colleges in your area. This is all available on their websites.

What does he want to do post 16? Which subjects?

My son was home ed through gcses and took 5. We looked at what he wanted to do post 16 and what was required to be able do that course, then that is what we did. He needed 5 gcses at grade 4 and above to do his chosen level 3 course including maths and english and so that is what we aimed for. He didn't do humanities or a language and did a single science (physics). He is now at uni doing a degree. He could have done A levels at our local 6th form with the 5 subjects, where some others required 6.

Hi OP. I worked as a SEN specialist support teacher for 21 years, mostly in a boys' secondary school, so I do have a lot of experience in this area.

It may be that your son just had a wobble re exams in the Yr9 assessments. Or he might have a processing issue which is only now becoming apparent due to the pressure of the Yr9 exams and upcoming GCSEs. The Senco definitely needs to be looking at that.

I'm shocked that no member of the school staff took the opportunity to talk to you and your son about this at parents evening, given it was just last week!

The Head will have written to all Yr9 parents emphasising no changes allowed after 27 February, because it would be chaos if lots of kids wanted to change their options afterthecut-off date.
But it is always possible for cases like your son's, where discussion is obviously needed and time is short. So I wouldn't worry too much about that, but obviously keep pushing for answers.

You need a meeting with Head of Year and Senco if possible.
Good luck OP 💐

My DS was average ish in year9 with a worrying English result. He got a 5 in the end but really needed a 6 and redid in sixth form. He the did spectacularly in A levels. Learning isnt linear.

I agree with the advice about do 8 and do well. Much better to get 8 with good grades then 10 with mediocre grades.
I'd also use it as an opportunity to get help with anxiety, how to revise effectively for him and exam management. This will really help him with A levels where the work load really ramps up. I'd get school help with this and see if he can get a referral.
Get him to concentrate on his own progress and not comparing to others. This is the time to work out strategies rather then the results will come. It will be ok, this might be an opportunity.

And...the school should have been talking to you.

OP the GCSEs your son would be doing are totally ok to get into any Sixth Form/university. Ebacc means absolutely nothing and is not compulsory at all. My daughter is doing no extra humanities at all (by choice as she hates essay writing) and only doing 1 language. She chose practical subjects instead (Art, Food tech, PE) as she can get better grades in those. She's very smart though, top sets for everything, doing triple science and aiming for top grades and veterinary medicine later on. So your son's GCSE choices don't limit his future choices at all.

For foundation level GCSEs I think the maximum grade is 5, though the decision is often based on what maximising a student's chances of passing at grade 4.

What subjects does DS want to do, and do his favourite subjects include more than one humanities or written subject and a foreign language.

Does he want to do subjects like art, music, CDT etc, and does he want to do more than one of these? Because they all sound like subjects which are at least as challenging as doing History or Spanish in their own right, with lots of coursework. I'm a school governor, and on the Curriculum committee, and it seems strange, logically to say he can choose two of them and only one Humanity or MFL subject. It doesn't seem like a way to improve grades for your son, and it must be so discouraging and motivating for a kid to be presented with it, saying "you can't do this".

Edit to add at my DDs school they assessed a lot in lessons. Your son may not have communicated this with you but I ca assume it’s similar across the board.

however I do think at parents evening this should have been mentioned to you.

I also wonder if the results in Yr 7 and 8 were communicated as 'as expected' rather than average and the 'as expected' was predicted based on SATS and that put him on this pathway. .. but this was never fully explained...

I also wonder if the results in Yr 7 and 8 were communicated as 'as expected' rather than average and the 'as expected' was predicted based on SATS and that put him on this pathway. .. but this was never fully explained...