GCSE option refused by school

What were the other options on the list from when she picked. When mine have picked there 4 columns and was about 6-8 options in each column. So it would be surprising if she can't do any of her top three from that column and got stuck with a non option. You need to asking that fair enough not enough picked that one but what happened to her 2nd,3rd choices. Spanish can not be the only option for that section of timetable else the whole year would be doing it, so what are the other choices. Just email in. If she's asks it will just go back and forth.

Sometimes creative subjects are 'cross-subsidised' by the popular, non-creative subjects. Music can run with 8 because Geography has classes of 28 at GCSE level.

However, this is becoming less and less common. Even creative subjects might need to hit 10 or 12 students or more. When they don't, department sizes are reduced and those staff are used to teach things that aren't their specialism. There are a lot of classes being taught by non specialists in many schools in order to 'fully' use staff and ensure everyone is used to capacity rather than hiring further staff. On one level it makes sense, but any flexibility when numbers then change the following year is lost. Very 'tight' timetables and staffing mean cost per lesson per child is cheaper, but when it comes option choices far more children don't get what they would like and things which are less mainstream drop off the curriculum when a teacher leaves.

Many schools have most students taking fewer GCSEs now. On one level it's not a bad thing and if students have more time in Maths and English, more should pass those subjects. However, it's also a money saving exercise so schools can timetable more simply which means more cheaply.

State schools have to note down the 'price' per head of each timetabled lesson. When budgets are so tight, getting that orice down becomes more important than getting students into the subjects which suit them best.

Has she already selected a language?

Philosophy and Ethics IS RS. They label it as that to reflect some of the units studied and make it more appealing to students.

All schools timetable differently. It might be that Spanish is all that's available as an alternative or there are others. Is have expected them to have already offered the range of alternatives if there were some.

Some schools (independents) build the timetable around the choices and make sure everyone gets what they want. However it means running lots of small classes that they can afford and state schools cannot. Even then, some choices might not be possible.

Other choices can also dictate what is available as sometimes a couple of subjects are timetabled together. It is extremely comolex to do the timetable and all the feeling furious in the world won't stop that.

All you can do is enquire and ask to speak to the timetabler. A conversation is likely to be more useful in revealing exactly what is and isn't possible.

Unfortunately lots of students can't study what they'd like and end up with options that are a poor fit. It's another feature of the poorly funded system which means schools have zero flexibility on staffing due to cost and can only run classes that meet very high minimum numbers. Lots can no longer offer creative subjects as a result and the curriculum is narrower and narrower to ensure large classes which are financially viable. Bigger schools sometimes can manage a bit more flexibility by cross-subsidising some smaller subjects with larger subjects running bigger classes still.

It's crap, but the reality.

Just be careful to adopt an enquiring and looking for solutions tone rather than the furious one which you seemed to voice in your opening post. There will be limits to what can be achieved but people will always help someone who asks politely and in a non accusative tone more than someone who is really aggressive.

Most state schools cannot afford such small classes now. We have A levels cancelled if there are under 8 students.

JustAnotherOpinion21 was that a private school, most state schools do not have the budget or timetable space to run classes with only a few students

We only had 8 people doing GCSE music and 2 doing AS level music, 1 doing A level. Our classes weren't cancelled.

Don't fight OP, it's pointless.
Is this a small school?
Ds1 was forced to take an A'level he didn't want because of a timetabling clash.

There isn't much the school can do if there simply isn't the uptake.

There isn't an exam board that runs a Phil & Ethics GCSE. Since the Govian reforms all course have to study at least 2 religions, one of which is Christianity.

Statutory provision of RE is until 18, but does not have to be through an examinable course- many schools will deliver through form time or combined with PSHE.

All this is by the by however for OP, they cannot run a course with minimal students especially if the RE dept is staffed by non-specialists.

If you want to DM me I can happily send you over some of my GCSE RS resources and your DD can decide if she wants to pursue as a private candidate.
(Might even put myself up as a private tutor! 😉)

I think its pretty common for schools to rule out 1 option either due to lack of numbers or school deciding it doesn't meet their criteria. My DD had geography vetoed, it was a bit annoying as she was predicted a 9 but she was told she had to have 1 from a different category.

She did get a choice however, saying you only have one choice as the replacement is unusual though if she hasn't got a language at all then a language school may well have a requirement to have at least one. Otherwise I don't think you can make them run it without the numbers but they should be able to offer more alternatives normally.

Denise... 6th form is a bit ahead of the game; it’s GCSEs she’s picking not a levels.

Similar happened to dc1 - however when they couldn't run a course because of poor uptake all dc concerned were given a minimum of two options to choose from and a 1:1 meeting in order to discuss the best option for them. I'm not sure you could do anything about the course they are not running however you could ask what other options are available.

Did they not say with all the options info that courses may not run without sufficient numbers they usually do. I would question why she can do her other options but its probably a timetable thing.

Very surprised by this. At my school P&E was the (broader GCSE) equivalent of RS. Legally all schools have to offer RS I believe? If they're offering RS and P&E I can understand why numbers are tricky, but can't she take RS and focus on P&E modules?

This is why we left our school and went to sixth form college.
Have you looked elsewhere?

Your dd should have a list of the option blocks, op?

I wanted to study Italian GCSE. The school ended up not running it as it was under subscribed. I found a course at night school and ended up studying it there and getting a B in the exam. Is night school an option for her. I don't think you're going to get anywhere with school, it's impossible for them to run an undersubscribed course.