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Original poster

GCSE Options Mix-up

36 replies

Buck3t · 11/07/2016 10:41

Hi
Can anyone give me advice and opinions on how I go about dealing with this problem.

We received information from the school giving us our son's Options. He chose his options but what he has been given are quite right. So I queried it with the teacher in charge and he said that my son chose

1st - Geography
2nd - Product Design
3rd - Creative iMedia
Reserve 1 - Drama
Reserve 2 - No choice given

However, as far as we were concerned, he chose Computing, and Creative IMedia is his reserve. The teacher suggested that my DS was confused and mixed them up on his form.

Computing is something he really wants to do because of what he wants to study later, but we know that it may have been hard for him to get in as it was so popular.

Now it appears that there has been a mix-up and being the kind of people we are we photocopied his options paper. which clearly shows that he chose

Compulsory Option - Geography
Option 1 - Computing
Option 2 - Product Design
Reserve Option 3 - Creative IMedia
Reserve Option 4 - Drama

On each he had to give his reasoning as to why HE wanted to do them.

I have this morning forwarded the form to the teacher responsible for Options, asking to see a copy of the form he has received, i.e. to make sure we're talking about the same child. As Computing is full, I am not sure what we can do at this stage, but it seems a little unfair (and I know life isn't fair), that he does all that he was supposed to do but has been stopped at this point by a mix-up, not of his making.

Just any thoughts if something similar has happened or if anyone has fought to get their child onto the options they desperately want.

Thanks
B

OP posts:
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Original poster
Buck3t · 02/08/2016 17:12

Thanks all.

School holidays had begun and I never new this thread was still going. You've all made valid points.

Ta

OP posts:
DrDreReturns · 22/07/2016 09:15

redhat that teacher may teach other shortage subjects as well e.g. physics, or work part time etc. I'm sure there's a valid reason why they only run one GCSE class. There is a shortage of IT professionals in the country, not just in education so it doesn't surprise me there is a shortage of computing teachers.
I'm a programmer and I didn't start learning programming until my mid twenties. If he is interested in computing then, as pp said, tell him maths is really important.

ErrolTheDragon · 22/07/2016 09:15

DDs school has one excellent CS teacher now. He has to teach GCSEs, a levels, but also knows it's important for the younger age groups to have some proper CS teaching. He has the heaviest teaching timetable and it would be totally impossible to schedule another set, there are simply not enough hours in the week. This is a very good school, many won't have even one CS teacher like that. Schools can't just add extra sets for this sort of subject.

redhat · 22/07/2016 09:03

They clearly have a teacher who can teach computing though. You wouldn't have though it impossible to schedule the time table so that the one teacher teaches two different classes.

ErrolTheDragon · 22/07/2016 08:52

(Uni open day that should have started)

ErrolTheDragon · 22/07/2016 08:38

We were at a uni day recently, in a dept which covers my DDs subject but also one of the best for CS in the country. The talk admissions talk covered both ... The required subjects were maths and physics, with a comment that if people had done A level CS they'd unlearn their bad habits in the first term. It's one of those subjects which because of the severe shortage of proper CS teachers either isn't offered or may be poorly taught (non specialist teacher gamely self teaching and doing their best type of thing ).

If your DS doesn't get a place in the class ( and if he's first reserve there's a reasonable chance he will) then support him to learn at home (raspberry pi/Python for instance) or see if there are any relevant clubs. TBH from what you describe I'd be more concerned that he now gets some good maths teaching.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 22/07/2016 08:35

(Our school = the school I teach at, not the school DS goes to, btw, which does offer Computing.)

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 22/07/2016 08:32

Phew: looking online, I can only find that Maths is an essential requirement for entry onto a degree course, so our school is OK after all!

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 22/07/2016 08:27

Fair enough. DB was at uni a number of years ago!

Our school doesn't even offer Computing as a subject though so am interested to see how that develops.

CuboidalSlipshoddy · 22/07/2016 08:10

I think, like Law, it's one of those subjects where GCSEs and A Levels in it are really not necessary.

That was true, but may not be in the future. Most selective departments, including my own, now strongly recommend A Level Computing, and I can't believe we are the only one considering making it compulsory. It's very easy to see who has and hasn't got A Level amongst first and second years (the cohorts for whom it's much more likely they have it).

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 22/07/2016 08:02

DB didn't have a single qualification in Computing before he began studying it at university. He now has a degree in it and two post-graduate qualifications in it, and earns a shedload in the City working in ICT. I think, like Law, it's one of those subjects where GCSEs and A Levels in it are really not necessary.

DS isn't going to pick it as one of his options but has chosen instead to go to all the extra-curricular clubs linked to it instead - is that an option?

SilverDragonfly1 · 22/07/2016 07:32

Stillunexpected That's a fair point!

I know individual schools can't do much about it really. It's the system as a whole that's flawed. It should be the norm throughout the country that you find out how many pupils want to do a subject and then work out how to accommodate that, rather than to have a set number of spaces and if some miss out that's just tough. It doesn't help engagement with school if teens who are just starting to see themselves as part of a wider and more appealing world outside education are told that despite 'promises' they still can't study things they have an interest in.

But I do realise that they way things are run and funded means this isn't currently possible for schools and I will go and have my Utopian fantasies somewhere else Grin

Leslieknope45 · 21/07/2016 22:19

It's disappointing OP but if there is a full class what can the school do now if they don't have the teachers for another class?

Stillunexpected · 21/07/2016 22:14

still not really acceptable - regardless of funding cuts, they can't magic up teachers where none exist.

SilverDragonfly1 · 21/07/2016 12:41

I really think that if they are disappointing 20 pupils, they should be looking at how they can run two classes of 25/30, not just telling them that a very relevant and vocational GCSE is closed to them. I know, funding cuts etc but still not really acceptable.

Original poster
Buck3t · 21/07/2016 11:26

Thanks EllenJane and Spandex

Will get little man to have a look. Thanks for all your help.

OP posts:
Spandexpanties · 19/07/2016 20:57

Maybe look at an online computer GCSE if everything fails

EllenJanethickerknickers · 19/07/2016 20:45

'Hello World' is a great book for a keen programmer if he doesn't get on the course, and still great even if he does!

Original poster
Buck3t · 18/07/2016 14:08

Thanks NeedAscarf
B

OP posts:
NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 17/07/2016 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Buck3t · 14/07/2016 11:40

This back,

The criteria for students being accepted on the course was:
-The choice preference
-If they are Mastering in Maths
-If they studied Computing before in year 9

I am currently getting a large number of requests to change so a students may drop out before the end of the school year or the first 2 weeks back. He is the first name on the reserve list."

I have pushed back saying that he fit the criteria for two of those and he was never given the opportunity for the 2nd criteria as his teacher hasn't been around since January to teach her class or allow anyone to administer the two tests he should have had since then. So everyone else not in his maths class has not been given the opportunity to improve etc. I don't know if he will be mastering or not, but to not be given the opportunity when he has been working so hard seems so unfair. I know life isn't fair, but I really feel for him.

On the upside though he has decided to change his reserve to Graphic Design (which is surprising and I thought ridiculously hard), but it's another way in to what he wants to achieve so can't argue with his logic.

I'm sure it's all going to come good, but for something so important it is annoying that this has happened at all.

Thanks for all your assists.

B

OP posts:
HSMMaCM · 12/07/2016 16:05

I would definitely ask if he would have been in the class if his form was not mislaid or if he had been able to take the maths test. He shouldn't miss out because of an admin error.

tiggytape · 12/07/2016 16:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Stillunexpected · 12/07/2016 15:57

Certainly worth asking on what basis they chose the students for computing, given that not all students had the chance to take the test which you believe was essential in order to be in with a chance?