AIBU poor GCSE options?

able mathematicians

My ds is at a high performing comprehensive, it gets some of the best results in our county. It does offer triple science but you can only do one MFL for GCSE (although it offers three languages). If you do triple science you get 9 GCSEs, if not you get 8. There are also options for ale mathmiticians to do Statistics GCSE and they also offer a couple of other subjects as after school options. MFL is not compulsory but about half the year are doing either French or Spanish. Most kids won't do science degrees so there's no real need to do triple science unless you think you will. I think your ds will probably already know where his interests and talents lie, I certainly knew from what is now year 7 that there was no way I would do science A levels. At my school sciences were taught separately and you only needed to do one. I suspect most did two or three but not me, I just did chemistry.

I did 8 GCSEs at a grammar school and it's enough, we're not longer in the era of doing about 14 GCSEs because they were so easy. I don't think many private schools do that many anymore either.

The compulsory GCSE'S you mentioned are fairly standard in most schools, and he may not have had much more choice even if he had gone to a different school.

Not doing Triple Science is not the tragedy you seem to think it is, and even if his school did Triple, that does not mean he would be able to do it, you don't get a choice in most schools, it goes on ability. It does not stop you studying science st A Level either, many students go on to study Sciences at A Level without having done Triple.

I think you need to change your "woe is me" attitude and stop being so dramatic about it. Totally ridiculous attitude, I agree with your husband.

Zombie thread

If your DS is motivated and bright he'll do well in almost any decent school.

It sounds like you live in the same borough as me. We went through a similar hand-wringing with DD1. In her school, 9 GCSEs are standard, but she was offered Further Maths after school, which she did, so she ended up with 10 GCSEs - and all 8s and 9s , I might add.

DD is a high achiever and her school does offer triple science and computer science. However, she has chosen to study RE (even though she was raised in no religion at all) and PE (even though she isn't particularly good at sports!). She was originally told she could do PE (as she wanted to do it as a 11th GCSE) but actually suggested she took it in Y11 (studying independently).

I was a bit dubious of those choices (over history/geography for instance), but now that she has finished Y12, I can say that they were both excellent choices for high achiever. RE is little about religion, much more about sociology, ethics, debate and DD has learnt so much from this course. I think it is one that is very poorly understood because of its name. I would actually think highly of a school making it a mandatory GCSE. As for PE, again, it is assumed it is all about sport. It isn't. A lot of it is about science and they also learn a lot about leadership. The best achievers in DD school are not the ones involved in high level sports, but those who are good at sciences and those who making fair decisions come to naturally.

The only downfall of RE is that it is almost impossible to get an A* (I think you need to get 100%). All this to say that you shouldn't write these off as 'easy' subjects, they are not.

No, muffintop - nor to study science at Cambridge (I checked explicitly)

Maybe slightly off topic but you don't even need triple science at GCSE to do medicine or veterinary science.

You have all been very reassuring re: double science and 9 GCSE's. I have to suck it up.
Most posters have been reassuring because we all know very good schools state and independent that do the things that you are worried abou. Those per se are not signs of a poorer education for your DS, in fact schools that push DCs to do more GCSEs even now would be the ones that worry me.

However we can't reassure you about the most important factor - the quality of teaching in your DS's new school - since we don't know and I suspect that you don't either either though you appear to fear the worse. You may be pleasantly surprised at least some of the time. Selective schools certainly don't have a monopoly on good teachers.

Ds is at an independent school - he's doing 8. The range is from 8-10 GCSEs. It's fine. They know what they are doing and students don't have any problem going from double science to A level or from 8/9 GCSEs (via 3 - not 5! - A levels) to a place at a good university.

Sorry to hear about your frustrations OP. A lot of it sounds incredibly familiar... I"m pretty sure you live very near me and I'm pretty sure I know what school you're talking about - especially because you say that it used to be a sports academy and it changed hands. There are other fantastic comprehensives in the area, where you can definitely do triple science and languages are compulsory for high achievers. I know this because my Y9 DD is very bright and doing very well indeed. She is constantly send on trips to universities, represents the school at maths competitions etc.

Are you totally sure that triple science is not possible? Maybe you should have a chat with the head of year. I find teachers are incredibly approachable as long as you are approach them calmly.

DCs' very highly performing comp only does double.

I compared its A-level science results with another localish school, similar cohort, does do triple.

The A-level science results were essentially identical.

the only issue that can arise is if your DC transfers from an 'only double' to a 'usually triple for those likely to go on to A-level science' school for A-level and does science.

Double science to A-level in a school that expects A-level scientists to have double = no problem at all.

Triple where expectation is triple = fine too (and in comparable schools, very similar results at A-level)

Double where majority of those doing A-level will have triple = tricky, especially at the beginning of Yr 12, as there is a gap to fill.

Double only works well for my DCs, because it gives them 5 genuine options - they do 2x English, 1xMaths, 2x Science + 5 options (DS does 2 languages, 2 humanities and Music as a practical subject, DD will probably end up doing 2x Art & Design-based GCSEs, a language, a humanity and one other.)

And it was only one bonkers person who said the "avoid like the plague" thing.

It's not a matter of "sucking it up"

It's absolutely fine!!!!!!!!

My dd went to a ludicrously high achieving grammar. They had to get special permission to do more than 9 GCSEs........

Doesn't invalidate the comment about his lack of understanding of the current curriculum, university views on courses etc.

His comment is snobbery and that's all it is.

Lulu - slightly unfair on rogue dad my DC's school also refer to first to fifth form. Absolutely no need to do more than 9 subjects.....can't comment on the whole 2 or 3 science bit - DC have to do 3 and theregore only have 3 'choice' subjects.

IMHO referring to subjects as 'proper' is very narrow minded.

I did this quoting rogue dad. I - should have " " ed.

Don't forget that a kid's education isn't just about the subjects they study at school. My son did science A levels but read for pleasure the books that other kids were studying for English lit. My daughter did Arty subjects and English but adores natural history documentaries.

rougedad is talking about an independent school. Not a state school.

OP - so what GCSE's would he / might do?
What does your ds think of the quality of teaching?

Roguedad- there has not been a 3rd year and a 4th year for about 20+ years now. What are 13 proper subjects? You have no idea about school curriculums and examination specifications, nor what universities accept- at least not on the evidence of your post.

I know of at least one well known boys 'independent school with very good results for science A levels that only does double award science GCSE in order to free up slots for other subject choices. What matters is how well the separate sciences are taught and whether the top sets do more than the double award syllabus so they don't have too much to catch up for A level.
Probably obvious and has already been said but if students stay for sixth form check the number of students doing A level science subjects and their grades. That will give you an idea of how good the science teaching is and whether the transition is managed successfully. However I understand that physics can be the Achilles' heel since most schools have problems recruiting good physics teachers. Schools may value science but need to make pragmatic decisions in how to best utilise teaching time.

OP, what year is your ds currently in?

I think you'll be ok with the double science award as oppose to the triple.
When he gets to 6th form, you should have more choice as to where he goes to study. Am I correct in thinking that there are no catchment areas for 6th form?

My school - a very good selective grammar school that only took A students after 11+ - offered both double and triple and we only did 9 subjects - 10 if you took the optional ad maths or drama - which were studied in your own time.

In terms of choice we only had 2 choices in addition to the core modules, science and a compulsory foreign language.

We also weren't allowed to take a subject for A level unless we scored a B or higher in it in GCSE and if you wanted to do a science A level then you had to have done triple award. That was our schools policy anyway.