Year 9 - 2022/2023 Support Thread

The triple v double v combined science is an interesting one. Ours aren’t set for anything other than maths. So they can choose whichever. My other two DDs did triple as it was the norm and they didn’t need another slot. DD3 isn’t science orientated so I was thinking she’d prefer combined (all three sciences but less in depth giving 2 GCSEs) but school has switched to double science (two full in depth sciences rather than all 3), meaning she’d need to choose 2 and drop one. Nightmare decision as it changes daily to which of the three she detests the most 🙄She doesn’t really need the extra slot so she’s now thinking triple. And possibly fail all three It May well be worth you checking your schools if it’s combined or double. As I’d just assumed everywhere did combined if 2 GCSEs.

@QueenMabby Our school used to grade 9-1 from yr9 onwards (I’ve two older ones). Some teachers used to give a grade as ‘if they sat the exam today’ whilst others would grade ‘what they think they’d get if continue as are’. So no standardisation and to be fair I think that’s pretty hard for a teacher to predict. Now my elder two have done GCSEs neither approach was very accurate. New head and all changed, so DD in yr9 has numbers 1-4 relating to organisation, homework, acting on feedback and another dimension, which I now can’t recall. I’m not sure how useful this is as I’ve not got my head around it yet. After 3 kids I’m no longer sure how reliable these reports are. Teachers must hate them but parents will always want them. Myself included. You can’t beat proper feedback as in Johnny needs to do x, y, z to improve but there’s too many kids to expect that from teachers every time.
I quite like our end of year reports that give each subject’s exam results as a percentage rather than a grade. It also states the median percent of the year group per subject. I find this quite useful as know from previous GCSE results where the median lies. It usually contains a written element per subject outlining what’s gone well and what hasn’t. But these are in July and last day of year so forgotten about by the time September rolls in.

Thanks for the welcome!

DS is disorganised and also doesn't read a task properly or does the minimum he can get away with (he can't get away with it now!). He doesn't actively dodge homework, he could just do better!

Your DD sounds very academic QueenMabby I understand the frustration with different teachers marking work in different ways. My DH who has been a seconday teacher for nearly 20 years say that they just make up the grades at this stage and progress isn't a linear plot it's usually a scatter diagram!

The crack down issue is basically because ofsted are now catching up on inspections after covid and the DofE made their remit much broader and its far more difficult to obtain a good grading.

The DofE have explicitly stated that they want all schools to be in a MAT by 2030 and putting schools into requires improvement/special measures enables the RSC to to put those schools into MATs of their choice - the school get no say.

I imagine all schools are cracking down on behaviour, uniform and attendance.

Hi, please may join in?

I have a DS in year 9 (and a DD in year 8 in the same school!) and things are a bit wobbly so far.
He's been in detention quite a bit for various reasons not all of them completely justified. His school is really clamping down on homework etc, no second chances.
We haven't had the options talk yet. DS knows what he wants to drop but doesn't know what he wants to choose!
He definitely doesn't want to do art and history.
RE is compulsory in his school (not a religious school so we are not happy about this.
He's technically minded, so I think he should choose triple sciences if he can. DH and I are both scientists (DH is a science teacher) so can support him if necessary. He'll definitely do music GCSE has he's doing grade 6 piano, so in with a good chance.

@Thatsasmashingblouseyouvegoton I don't think ds1 regrets triple. But he wasn't keen on chemistry. He could still have done biology at A level with double science. So I guess the 3 aren't always needed. Maybe if they want to go to medical school or be a vet then 3 may be better. Ds2 really likes politics, I'm surprised he didn't want to study history with politics at university. He started with history and philosophy, but dropped the philosophy.

Ds1 did triple and regrets it.
He's doing history and politics at University.

My ds did Spanish French and Latin last year. This year he dropped Spanish. He says he’s going to drop all languages for year 10. They don’t have to take a language at GCSE, personally I think it’s a shame because he’s fairly good at French, but it has to be his choice.

Every 2 weeks Ds has Q group where they learn something new. His class are learning Russian. Thats definitely different. But he will only take one language at gcse. They can only do triple science if in top set at our school. Ds1 did triple science. He then went on to study biology at university. Ds2 did double science as he wasn't so keen on the sciences, he is doing a history degree. Ds3 enjoys science like ds1.

Gcse options here are chosen in January

They are called "buckets" here (no idea...)

I have just seen this thread. I hope it's ok if I join. I've been on 2 great threads for several years for my older 2 ds's. On both threads everyone has been really helpful and supportive and non judgmental. This thread looks very similar. There seems so much to discuss as they progress through options, then exams, 6th form and onto university or whatever else they choose to do. My oldest Ds has just graduated. Ds2 started university this sept. Ds3 is in year 9. It is interesting reading how things are done differently in different schools. They don't choose options until later in year 9 at our school. So Ds hasn't thought about it much. The school teaches French and German in years 7 and 8. Ds3 learnt German but now the school have decided to drop German completely, teaching French and Spanish instead. Ds has been put in the French group, quite a few have been learning French for 2 years so Ds has to catch up. He knows he will doing gcse French. Also as he's top set science he will do triple science. But other than that we will wait to see what the options are. I know we had subjects in columns for ds1 and ds2 they had to pick one subject from each column and for both of them subjects they wanted were in the same columns. So they had to do stuff they hadn't planned. So for ds3 we won't discuss it until we see what the choices are.

Well I've just discovered ds has a Biology test on Wedenesday, which he hasn't mentioned and hasn't done any revision for. This resulted insome serious chat (from me), lots of huffing, puffing and eye rolling (from him), and now he's in his room on Bitesize looking at that topic!

Jeez it's bloody hard work sometimes!! I need a lie down!

GCSE options will be in Feb for us too. Although once all the compulsory subjects are taken, it only leaves 2 free choices. At the moment DS is saying he would like to take music but is not clear on the second choice.

That’s exciting @QueenMabby - uni open days already. What subject would your eldest like to study?

DS is still keeping up a steady rate of detentions 😬 for not doing homework.

Although to be fair to him, he does also collect a lot of credits for the quality of the work that he is doing. It’s a pity that the credits don’t cancel out the corrections but the system doesn’t work like that.

There’s an open day for a 6th form next Saturday and DD (in Year 11) can’t make it. So am taking DS instead to give his sister the low-down. Have told him he needs to look tall 🤣.

We have been trying to get our heads around the GCSE options and what ds is going to probably pick. Trying to keep his choices as wide open as possible, as he doesn’t have a firm idea about what he will do post A Level.
It’s a lot to think about!

It absolutely is :)

Ds1 had a spiky profile at gcse - some 8s, some 6s and some 5s. But at A level he got 3 straight As :)

They are by then - hopefully - studying their passions and it makes a huge difference ime.