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Original poster

DD forced to do X number of GCSEs subjects?

62 replies

lora200 · 18/07/2014 14:48

DD will enter Year 10 in September and wants to study medicine at university (further down the line).

DD will do 7 'curriculum' GCSEs:

  1. English Language
  2. English Literature
  3. Mathematics
  4. Biology
  5. Chemistry
  6. Physics
  7. Religious Education

... and 3 optional:

  1. Spanish
  2. Geography
10. ICT

School however wants her to choose another optional subject saying the all of the students choose 4 optional. I argue that this could be the case but most students do not take triple sciences hence it makes them for them to study 4 optional.

Surely the school (state comprehensive) can't force my DD to take up a forth optional GCSE? We are talking of subjects here that do not interest DD at all such as Business, Food Technology, Resistant Materials, PE etc.

We are in talks with the headteacher about this but have not heard back yet.

OP posts:
titchy · 18/07/2014 16:58

Why does she 'need' history talkinpeace - she has a humanity subject, she doesn't need two.

crazymum53 · 18/07/2014 16:58

I think there was a previous thread by this OP - where it wasn't possible to study both History and Geography.
PE would actually be fairly useful for a potential medical student as they learn a lot about keeping the body healthy through exercise and healthy eating.
Business studies does go quite well with Geography. At dds school there is an Economics option for one of the units that is popular with the more able students.
HTH

PenelopePitstops · 18/07/2014 16:53

Time table nightmare if she doesn't.

You would be better off just getting her to do one of the subjects and get through it with as little hassle as possible.

TalkinPeace · 18/07/2014 16:45

Why is she not doing History?

The thing to bear in mind is that the top set will be doing :
2 English GCSEs in one timetable slot
3 Science GCSEs in two timetable slots
1 or 2 Maths GCSEs in 1 timetable slot

History would fit well with the other core academic subjects ...
Or is there Latin for the top ones? (DD did it, the teacher retired before DS could)

DD is waiting on the results of her 13 GCSEs - all taken as final exams this term ! Madness but the way it has been.

titchy · 18/07/2014 15:31

Well she doesnt HAVE to do any work for food tech does she? And you could always ask that they dont enter her in year 11 if she looks to be doing badly.

But asking them to allow her to not do anything won't work, and I can't see why they'd agree to not putting it on her report - or even what difference this makes.

Just go along with it, it won't do any harm, and you never know she might actually enjoy it.

As an aside, have you really found a GP will to have a 14/15 year old shadow them Shock FWIW she really doesn't need to do anything like that till after GCSEs. She'd be better off doing something fun as an extra-curricular - med schools like to see that.

bruffin · 18/07/2014 15:25

At dc school ICT is not optional and dd and ds did 8 curriculum subjects plus dd took history, sociology and drama plus decided to take a twilight on top of Photography. She managed to it but the photography and drama are a lot of work out. DS took German, History and Engineering.
Its normal if you take triple science from what i can gather.

Original poster
lora200 · 18/07/2014 15:23

DD would like to do Drama but sadly no Drama is offered. Not sure how easy it is get A* in Food Tech and anyway, it would just be a distraction for my DD. She will start volunteering at a GP practice next year so 10 GCSE subjects are perfectly fine for her.

I am not insisting that she skips classes at school. I am perfectly happy for DD to sit through for example Food Tech classes. But I don't want the Food Tech subject to show up at all on her end of year report, let alone send her to do a GCSE at it.

OP posts:
donkir · 18/07/2014 15:18

Is there a way that she can take 4 but then 6 months down the line drop one of the optional if she's struggling?

titchy · 18/07/2014 15:15

Yes they can, and assuming they do triple in the same timetable time as double science is perfectly reasonable to request your dd goes to a lesson rather than none.

11 GCSEs shouldn't be too much of a workload at all, and something like Drama or Food tech will show a good breadth of subjects - it's good to do something fun easy you know.

almondcakes · 18/07/2014 15:13

DS did the seven you list and five more. It was a bit of a disaster and the school decided at the last minute that DS did not have to sit the GCSE in one of the subjects. We will see what the grades are like in the other 11 on August 21st.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 18/07/2014 15:05

They can and they will. It's exactly what the triple scientists in DD1's year did (they squash 3xscience into two option blocks).

It's not what next year or the previous year did because only DD's year had to do full course RE.

It's totally manageable if you are a good scientist.

sinningsaint · 18/07/2014 15:03

My DD was in the same situation and sadly there was no way around it. She took Food Tech as she enjoys cooking so it wasn't the end of the world, but put little effort into coursework/ exam revision as apparently it is 'all common sense' for a grade A/B student (which I am assuming your DD is if she is taking triple sci). I guess we will find out on August 21st!!