Recommended number of GCSEs ()

From this year (summer 2016) secondary schools (and pupils) are going to be assessed on the basis of "Peformance 8" which measures GCSE results over 8 subjects rather than the current 5 A*-C for League Table purposes. So the new minimum is 8 not 5.
Most schools expect pupils to take 9 or 10 subjects.
Computing counts as a Science so won't really add a new subject area if your dd is taking Triple Science already.
RS would probably be less onerous in terms of study time.
Encourage your dd to take the subjects that most interest her and where she is likely to do best.

"School should be a time to develop ideas, teaching children about redistribution, universal sufferage and equality for all, which is far more important than being tested in any subject"

Those topics get covered in Citizenship, which is a GCSE subject.

I think maybe we are asking children to do to much, do you think it would be a good idea to ban children from doing more than 5 GCSE's?

School should be a time to develop ideas, teaching children about redistribution, universal sufferage and equality for all, which is far more important than being tested in any subject.

Extra curricular activities aren't just about getting extra stuff to put on the C.V. or personal statement, they help children find themselves and grow as individuals. The school that values non academic achievements must be producing some well rounded adults. and that is also what education is about , not producing automatons which have ticked all the boxes.

At DD's school you don't get a choice in the number of subjects you do as the curriculum doesn't allow it. I think the only exception is dance which is done after school.

Like TeenandTween, my experience is that the pupils don't actually get a choice.
Schools aren't prepared to have pupils sitting around with 'free lessons' prior to 6th form. The only choice most dc get is 'Subject a or Subject b' , not 'Shall I do 10 or 11?'

I would try and add in an Arts/Technology based subject. This would give a total breadth of subjects. 9 is perfectly ok at top grades but adding RE or Computing would not be too onerous if your Dd actually enjoys one of these subjects. Adding both is not necessary.

Universities do not give much weighting to doing other things unless they are directly relevant to the degree the young person wishes to study. Except possibly learning a musical instrument to a high level. A friend of my DD got Gold D of E but not a single offer to read English at University with AAA at A level. Therefore carry on with any extra curricular that is hugely enjoyable for now and in the 6th form think about what degree and what your DD needs to do to to enhance her chances of getting into the course she wants. However, lots of extra curricular activities and volunteering may not be what is required unless it is relevant or suitably challenging and academic. Time consuming things like Gold D of E are really not needed. Mentoring younger children is great if you want to be a teacher but not much good if you want to do MFL and should have been doing extra vocabulary!

How much choice will she actually get?

At DD's school the only flexibility in number comes with certain choices

• triple science can be accelerated or not. if accelerated it saves an option for something else but is very fast paced.
• RE&Sociology come as a pair in the same time as other options
• latin as a twilight (after school) extra

At DD's school the 'standard' was 10.5

Or maybe if DD is bright, she could replace a couple of GCSEs with an early AS level?

At the Academy where I was a governor until a couple of years ago, they decided to stop bright kids taking more than 10 GCSEs for that very reason. Universities think more of high grades than they do of quantity of subjects.

Our Academy took the view that it was better to encourage bright kids to do other things alongside GCSEs to instead of more exams. EG voluntary work, help with school fund raising projects, mentoring younger children etc

All these things are equally valuable as exam passes on CVs and university applications.