GSCE option choices

I do think she needs to think of where her talents lie. 3 humanities, RE, Geography and History would be an overload of humanities. Creative subjects are fine! Many good pupils take them and if you have a talent, why not? Both my DDs nearly got full marks with Drama. Exceptional teaching though!

If you want two languages and feel this is a real strength, do them in school. Two is a massive bonus for MFL degree applications. Classical Civilisation is mostly done at A level not GCSE.

10 is normal for bright children and a variety is the best advice to include an art, a humanity and another two that you are good at but consider A levels - and even possible careers! No university requires 13 nor do you need lots of similar subjects or ones that are often taken at A level without the GCSE.

She won’t have a choice of how many she does as she will be picking GCSEs that fit in the blocking for the timetable.

If she wants to study another language on her own through years 10 and 11 I would say that would be exceptionally difficult.

The OP’s daughter wants to do RS as an option.
All students at my school do a full GCSE in RE and 10% of timetabled time is given to RE every year. Parents can withdraw them but it would be an odd choice to send them to an RC school and then remove them. No option subjects happen at the same time as RE, so they couldn’t do a different subject instead, they’d just have to study in the library and do 8 GCSEs instead of 9.

Parents have a legal right in England to remove their children from Religious studies.

My DC1 did 12 but only because they did compulsory Ethics in yr10 plus 'dual language' which enabled top set to do 2 languages in the timetable slot for 1.

I would caution against adding in a creative subject just for the sake of it. They still have a large element of course work which takes up a huge amount of time and effort.

Triple science, a language and a humanity or two is fine! Get good grades in fewer rather than stretch too thin.

And please don't ask teachers to give up lunchtimes!

I think it's only on offer in private schools or large 6th form colleges round here.

What are people’s DC being told about Classical Civilisation? In my day (O levels) it was considered a bit of a doss option. DD really wants to do it though, whereas I’d rather she did Latin (she is top 10% in year).
Not sure how it’s viewed these days.

At my children’s school (Grammar) they do:

2 x English
Maths (some also do additional maths)
1 x MFL
3 x Science
3 x options

Plus in year 9 they do an HPQ on an RS / Ethics type question eg “should euthanasia be legalised?”

DS' school has dropped to 8, though you do 9 if you do triple science.

He had to do Maths, English x 2 and Science x 2, and then had 3 options, so chose History, Geography and a MFL.

Our secondary school is looking to drop from standard 10to 9. They are all much harder now and more work so I suspect lots of schools may be doing this.

DS also Y9 choosing shortly

He’s at an SS where they all do:
2 x English
Maths
3 x Science
1 x MFL

then choose

1 or 2 humanities
And choice from Art, Music, DT, RS, Latin

It’s looking like he will choose German as his MFL

And prob Geography and DT

Then needs to make a choice between History & RS....

More GCSEs is not necessarily better.

DS1 only did seven GCSEs and one level 2 certificate. He is now studying A-levels and has received offers from all five universities he applied to.

DS2 will be sitting ten GCSEs this summer and one level 2 certificate in Further Maths. He is hoping to apply to Cambridge / Imperial.

DS3 is studying 10 GCSE courses.

DD (about to choose her options) will be doing 9.

8 is the standard at DDs school but its not that simple.

They take the usual compulsory subjects
Maths
English Lang
English Lit
Science either double or triple (triple is solely for top set academic students and compulsary)
French

If you take triple Science you can only have 1 GCSE option choice and that is between the Humanity subjects, History, Geography or RE. You have no further options that is your 8 GCSE subjects.

If you take Double Science you choose a Humanity subject and an Arts subject so Drama, DT, Art, PE etc

You don't have to take your Arts option as a GCSE you can choose a BTEC if you prefer and they offer alternatives like Health and Social Care, Business Studies, Childcare etc.

So more academic students doing triple science only have 1 option to make between their humanity subjects and less academic students, in the middle and lowers sets, get to choose between BTEC or GCSE in an Arts subject plus the option for a humanity.

9 is standard at DDs school (also just picking options yr9)
8 for those that need extra time for Maths or English
10 for those that want to take 1 as fast track in their own time (lunch & after school) if available (1other language, music, drama & RE)

We have looked into whether DD needs to do 10 and she has decided to stick with 9 to get the best grades she can.
That way she can take on extra activities if she wants to (they have 1.20hr for lunch time so they offer lots on offer).
From what I've read, uni only look at their top 8 grades so 9 is fine

Does she have a choice as to the number to take?

I've not seen ds's option choices yet but I suspect it might be 10

English Lit, English Lang, Maths, RE & 2 single sciences are compulsory (6)

Then either History, Geography, German or Computer Science

Plus 3 further choices

When applying for sixth forms: the sixth forms in our area are looking at the points score from the best 8 or 9 GCSE grades (plus minimum grades in Maths, English and the subjects they plan to do at A-level).

If applying to university: the student has to list every GCSE grade on the UCAS form. 9-10 good grades looks better than 12-13 mediocre ones.

9 is the standard at dd's school with 8 for those who are really struggling (they do extra literacy/numeracy instead of a language.

Maths, English Lang, English Lit & Double Science are compulsory so that makes 5

They then have to choose French, History or Geogrsphy plus 3 further choices (which may include triple science.

I'm about to go through this with the fourth child and second school.

The usual pattern seems to be:
Maths, English Language, English literature (3)
Sciences (3)
Humanity (1)
MFL (1)
Two free choices, which can include another humanity and/or another MFL (2)

This results in 10 GCSEs for the majority of students.

The lower sets only do two science GCSEs (but in the same number of science lessons).
A small number of less able students do extra numeracy & literacy in the MFL slot.
So certain students might only do 9 or even 8 GCSEs, but this is decided by the school.

Linneasweet English, maths and science are compulsory. I think most schools have maths, English language, English literature and double science or triple science as compulsory. Double science counts as 2 GCSEs and triple science counts as 3. Given that most schools can only timetable for 10 subjects that would only leave 5 options at most to choose from.

Linneasweet -
Does she have compulsory subjects which are done as well as the choice? ie/ Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths plus 7 others to make 10?
Triple science is 3 gcse's.

I'm confused: my DD's school allows 7 choices plus RE and the compulsory pe (non gsce). The school is one of the best state schools in the borough and rated outstanding (not sure if that makes any diffrent to my post!) but why can she only chose 7 while your dc's choosing 10? My understanding is also that triple science is count as one? Sorry for my thick questions but she's the 1st and i'm foreign so never gone through this!