Tell me about Citizenship GCSE. Which is apparently compulsory at my DD's school. She doesn't want to do it.

the 2 out of 3 Sciences approach isn't possible in the state sector. Some independent schools may allow this

Yes, I get that it's current DoE policy, but it's only policy because someone has decided it's a good idea - political decisions like that should be up for public scrutiny and debate.

Do you want combined science to a relatively low level of sophistication because the overall aim is to prepare the citizens of tomorrow such that they have enough of a nodding acquaintance with science that they don't fall prey to anti vax conspiracies or climate change denialists?

Or do we want in depth single subject sciences to prepare the scientists, engineers, medics, HCPs of tomorrow?

Or put more economic resources into the education system so we have the flexibility to offer either, depending on what individual students would benefit from?

I just find myself frustrated at times by the blinkered approach I often see on Mumsnet of "well that's the way this school/state schools do it" as if that means no-one can then question whether that's the only or indeed the best way the school could have chosen to organise their curriculum.

DD had to do Citizenship. The topics covered are actually very useful, but the major drawback for DD was group coursework. She was the only one in her group of two who did any work, and as a result only achieved a D for coursework because her friend didn't do any and lost the letter from the prime minister. However, she aced her exam and ended up with a B overall. She took her GCSEs in 2016 under the old grading system.

She didn’t want to do it, but I told her it wasn’t optional, and that was that.

The content is listed here

I agree that telling your DD is an easy A is the way forward.

Is there room for what sounds like a determined and sensible student, (and cheers for her) to discover a 'work-around' ? Parts of the science stuff she wants to do must be available on line, or by correspondence.

Both the public and the public sector cannot be certain that there will never be another pandemic, so we all need to get it into our heads that everything needed for a lifelong future of study, re-train, work, re-study and up-dating can only all be done by attending buildings in year groups, in that quaint old way surviving since medieval times.

The BBC has been disgracefully slow, but they do now have schooling of all stages as public broadcasts on BBC2 and on one of their small children's channels. Online, the output includes built-in continuous computer marked revision/assessment checks, which are instructive and re-assuring for study and must prove more fair as well as less time wasting than variable teacher-marked homework.

Open University has been available for decades, and at last, standard universities are grasping the point that study can be alongside work, carried out in units for either interest or credits; can and must be drawn out and continued and refreshed at all ages, and, above all, that in most cases there is no educational advantage in physically sitting in a building.

DS has to do the one year GCSE RE, it's not a faith school. I'd prefer citizenship!

I don't think it can be nationally compulsory (neither current Y11 or Y9 DC are doing it), but it is probably just compulsory at OP's DD's school (weird choice but they can decide that) and options/timetables are arranged accordingly.

If only 9 GCSEs offered it does seem to limit future choices unnecessarily. Can't they offer separate sciences in the same time as the double. That's what they do at DD's school. They also get to sit 10 or 11 (or 12) GCSEs, and it is just a normal comp, quite big but nothing fancy.

@CaraDuneRedux the 2 out of 3 Sciences approach isn't possible in the state sector. Some independent schools may allow this.

Unfortunately OP schools can and do change their GCSE requirements between joining in Y7 and choosing options in Y9.
It changed for my dds year group because of Performance 8.

Cara I'm bitter because at my high-performing independent girls school we had to choose between Physics& Chemistry OR Biology, so I was forced to drop biology.

(Maybe I'm just still bitter after 40 years because my school made us all do biology because biology was suitable for girls, which meant that because I wanted to do physics and chemistry, I was left with a really science heavy set of O levels instead of being able to swap biology for music or art).

So what you really wanted to ask was:

'Can anyone tell me about GCSE citizenship as it is compulsory at DD's school and we don't really know much about it?'

And all the stuff about not wanting to do it, avoiding a school with RE, preferring to do triple science was irrelevant? You can see how someone might not have realised what you really meant, surely.

I'm with you on this, OP. Given how many subjects have to be compulsory for good reason (maths, English, science, delighted to see modern foreign languages back on the list) and how little scope there is for choice to pursue stuff that genuinely fascinates you or that you have a real flair for, it really pissed me off when schools make a niche subject compulsory (usually because of one particularly ambitious, empire-building HoD).

Yes, I can see the argument that understanding the society around you is important - so how about compulsory block, "one of" set of history, geography, citizenship, then two free options?

I don’t think it is generally compulsory- my brother is at GCSE stage and he isn’t doing a Citizenship GCSE.

She would prefer to do Triple Science but doesn't want to lose a free space in her GSCE options to do it.
Any suggestions?
Using up an option space to accommodate 3 separate Sciences at GCSEs is far better than trying to squeeze all the content into the same time as the 2 GCSE Combined Science. Schools that do the latter often struggle to complete the course and students often get poorer results than if they had the full teaching time for 3 GCSEs.

Anyway the AQA content is here:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/citizenship/gcse/citizenship-studies-8100/specification-at-a-glance

Thank you @TeenPlusTwenties

I understand it is a compulsory part of the National curriculum at your daughter's stage. It is an easy A,so suggest she makes the best of it. If you do a google search on "GCSE Citizenship" you will quickly find the AQA website which will provide you with a general outline of what is involved as well as some fairly detailed information about the content.