Year 9 - 2022/2023 Support Thread

@QueenMabby nothing like that at our school. I'm glad really.

Gosh...are these all year 9 exams? I don't think they have any exams at ds's school for year 9. They often have tests for progress and will be doing them ready for sets in year 10. The only thing he has done was to give a speech which will go towards gcse english.

We still don't what subjects Ds will be doing from his options list.

Hi all. Ds has his exams the week after half term, all over one week so quite intense. However this weekend coming he goes on the D of E expedition, so they will arrive back on the Monday of half term - no doubt completely knackered! Then he needs to immediately be into full revision mode, not ideal!

Gosh @QueenMabby 14 exams! Sounds like a very full on week for your DD!

My DD is counting the days to half term, there is a lot about school she is not enjoying at the moment. Her friends seem to keep falling out with each other and she feels caught in the middle. Also in music they do a big performance in groups at the end of the year and most of the other people in DD's group seem to spend the time messing about (or are just not there) so she is finding it stressful, she is not a natural performer anyway and would much rather not do it. She can't wait to drop music (and drama and DT and geography!)

Her year 9 exams are after half term and spread over two weeks so hopefully she will be motivated to do some revision next week, we don't have much planned. (Her big brother has year 12 exams straight after half term which are quite important so I didn't book anything.) Looking forward to some time to relax and chill at home. Hopefully I can take DD to see the new spiderverse movie. Has anybody else got exciting things planned?

I work in Exams and citizenship always looks interesting. Prone to clashing with other exams though!

My last post should say obviously NOT compulsory for citizenship.

We only did our Options form a couple of weeks ago, so haven't had confirmation yet.

I agree with OP, that this part of Year 9 feels a bit meh and inconsequential, a bit like the whole of Year 5 in primary, just a bleugh year, and we now need to get it over with, and get onto the proper stuff.

Yes ds3 is doing a subject in year 10 that includes religious education. I can't remember what it is called I think it was PHSRE. Not as a gcse. He has to do citizenship as gcse though. My friend works at our other local secondary and citizenship is taught but not taken as gcse. So it's obviously compulsory. A language is to be taken by those in most sets, but those in lower sets don't have to. Which I guess is a good thing.

School reports came this week. Parents online consultations next week.

School broke up for Easter yesterday so DD3 is jetting off to sunnier climes with her dad. I’m staying home to support DD2’s A level revision which is all getting a bit close now.
Surprised we had Yr9 reports yesterday - all ok. Nothing too disastrous but plenty of room for improvement.

I think religious education is a government requirement isn’t it? Doesn’t have to be gcse though. It’s not a compulsory gcse at ours thankfully. At DD1’s old school they did gcse RS a year early, as an extra really, parents were told that it worked better than mocks in giving the students a real feel for what GCSEs were like. I’m now thinking it may have been a half gcse so didn’t really count as such. I’m a bit vague, but remember thinking it was a good idea at the time.

I was really surprised as also thought MFL compulsory but equally thought worth an ask as she seriously struggles. My eldest would have been much better off with no mfl - it’s quite a blip on her otherwise high grade profile. My middle one is decent at languages and did two. They’re all different and I’m pleased school has recognised this and allowing her to play to her strengths. She doesn’t find school easy so nine will be more achievable.

How is everyone doing?
Despite DD3 putting in her choices prior to Feb half term, school have agreed today to let her drop the MFL. She’s delighted and now doing Maths, English x2, science x3, History, PE and Food & Nutrition. So 9 GCSEs rather than the school’s usual 10, which will give her a free to do the very useful extra study.

Hello joining. DD has picked beyond the compulsory ones Spanish History Geography and Textiles plus has a half R/S

@Oblomov23
thats pretty similar to my ds choices, except he's doing double science and no language but Drama instead. He's put History and RS as his resrves. All the boys in his year want to start their own business, that business class is going to be very full ha ha!

Options evening Thursday. 1/2 an hour meeting for all parents. Then off to the see subjects. Spent most of the time talking to PE and Business to help ds2 decided whether to take GCSE or BTec in both.

Finally submitted his Option Form yesterday. What a relief.

Also had to do an extra form for Business. Now have to wait and pray for him to get allocated GCSE in said PE and Business, rather than the BTec.

He chose (most are compulsory)

(They also have to do PE and PSHE, as do you all I assume)

Maths
English Lit
English Language
Triple Science
Spanish
RE
Geography
Business
PE

And a reserve of Food Prep and nutrition (incase he doesn't get PE or Business, which is unlikely) but would actually go nicely with PE, plus in future probable A'level Biology, (he had to have this for anything sporty or going to uni, which he isn't keen, but ds1 told him loads of his friends couldn't get into say Sporty Loughborough because they never had Biology) because he is sporty and wants to do something sporty, say being a physio. Basically what all the boys in his year want!, to work for one of the Top Premier teams. I keep explaining him to him that the chances of him ever working for Chelsea/Arsenal/Spurs is slim-to-none.

I was quite surprised ds3 just got in with it. Filled out what he wanted to take without really consulting me. Today is the last day they can change their minds. Computer science is now his favourite subject. So I hope he gets his first choice. I don't think he's bothered about second choice so much. They are doing regular tests for science. Only the top set will do triple science. Ds1 really wanted to do triple science, so worked hard to make top set (leading onto his biology degree) Ds2 wasn't science minded at all, so just took combined. Ds3 seems to want to take all 3. But he's not that bothered.
I wonder when we will find out the subjects.

@Oblomov23 Ds's1 and 2 had to do either gcse pe or b-tech. Thankfully they've dropped that now. They can do gcse pe still. But not b tech. Ds3 won't want to do it for gcse.

DS sent his options in a couple of weeks ago:

Eng x 2
Maths
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Spanish
Geography
Music
Economics

And possibly further maths but the school decides that after the end of year exams I think.

I will be glad to see the back of Year 9. Have found years 7-9 tricky with both my DCs and also remember it being an uneasy time when I was at school. Once the options kick in and you’re not forced to take subjects you dislike any more it feels better. Plus I think lots of young people mature a bit by Year 10 and friendships sort of settle down.