Which GCSE/KS4 curriculum would you think offered the best choices/flexibility/breadth?

Thank you for posting back @AlderAppleAsh - that is brilliant that the schools are recognising where their students might go on to and tailoring their programme of study accordingly. I wish my child could have gone to one of your local schools - they sound brilliant. He's just started his 1st year of a 3-year motor mechanics course and where we are getting a sensible apprenticeship will be really hard (south-east).

Fascinating on the Spanish vs. German. I went to a selective school close to where I live now and took french and German O level. The german grammar and structure was fabulous for later in life when I tried as an adult to learn a new foreign language. Still cant speak a word, but can manage to read/write due to that initial foundation. But I do know that the local girls selective schools don't offer German (Not sure re the boys). I worked at an independent school previously - academically selective, London borough, all girls - again German was not offered. But in the 6th form if students wished to take a subject not on main curriculum the school would find a way to offer it, but that is perhaps the freedom of independent.

Interesting what you say about German. Most of the schools in this area offer German (and French). I don’t know of any who offer Spanish. There’s a greater uptake of German than French among the children as well from what I can gather from looking into subject choices.

That's good to know; the school where I taught German and French has sadly dropped German in favour of Spanish. And I believe when DS2 was taking his A levels, there was only one state school or college in our (small) city where anyone was taking A level German (which happened to be his - tho not him!) - out of six or seven settings. Fewer and fewer schools are offering German as part of their MFL offer. Lots of kids want to take Spanish as they may go there on holiday and so see it as useful.

An interesting post. I work in a non-selective state school as a Data Manager, so yes there are definite restrictions with Progress8/EBACC as to what can be realistically offered. We have just moved from a 3-year KS 4 to 2 years. Our compulsory subjects are : Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths, Science (it is only decided at the end of Yr 10 whether the student will take all 3 or combined. Still same number of lessons), RE (we are a religious school), then 4 options - which include Hist, Geog, French, Spanish (I though the German at one of your schools was an unusual choice these days), Performing Arts (dance or Drama), Art, Music, DT, ICT, PE. I am sure I have forgotten some!! All students take a compulsory range for Y7-9 which includes at least 1 language (unless absolutely not the right decision). Ours are all GCSEs apart from the ICT. We dropped Travel and Tourism BTEC. Most of our students continue to take all 9 subjects, as if a child drops the subject where do they go? We are over-subscribed - every class has approx 30 students. There is no staff capacity to deal with odd students.

I have been interested in this as I have a severely dyslexic child who has just sat GCSES/Level 2 equivs at another school. He has passed 7 1/2 GCSEs including Geography. So to answer another PP regarding the special needs and humanities - Geog rather than history is perhaps broader and more useful in every day life. It's mostly short questions, rather than essays. He only started the subject in Year 9. But he took functional skills english level 2, just missed out on the maths, but luckily passed the GCSE. So worth asking all the schools, if appropriate, how they manage the burden on lower-achievers? I finally got the school to agree to drop English Lit, he took a short course in RE (hence the half) and we dropped a 4th option. So my child's curriculum was less than many.

OP - I love that school C are offering so many unusual options, but... My question to them would be why? Why are they able to do what other schools can't? How do they cope with low numbers on the course? eg if only 10 students take Electronics how can they staff that at GCSE (ie not A level)? I think some of that looks like fantasy timetabling where it wont happen in reality.

That's good to know. It's such a rigid and old fashioned approach. It's what I had to do when I did my O levels in the 1980s!

My DDs grammar school has 7 compulsory (3 science 2 eng 2 maths) and then 3 free choice. No compulsory ebacc. This worked well for my DD who really really hates speaking in languages classes and decided not to take a language! At our local comp she'd have had to do a language and a humanity. (She's chosen 2 humanities and music )

My DD2 had 3 completely free choices.
She had to do the 5 core GCSEs, then one of Hist/Geog, then 3 free

I'm sure I have read somewhere that the ebacc as a measure of schools is set to be quietly dropped. That link about it was last updated three years ago.

So by the time Yr dd does GCSEs op, the landscape may be different.

Am I the only person who finds it depressing how rigid the choice is? Yes, no one needs more than 8 GCSEs, but if you then are like school A, students only get to pick one choice for all of drama, music, art, DT, food tech, textiles, RE, computer science, PE, plus less common subjects like class civ, psychology, sociology, dance, creative media, sports science. Wow no wonder dt teachers are getting worried. At least my younger two dc were able to pick two rather than one from that list.

Just to throw my 2p in - do any of them have sixth forms? That was the decider for us because of the trickle down effect of having teaching staff who are keen to develop those who might go on to A Levels. Two of our three local options don't have sixth forms so we went with the one that does, and so far so good

School C
Many kids want to study subjects that aren't a humanity, science, English or maths eg Art or Music.
One of my kids is dyslexic so being able to drop a language was great for him. He enjoyed his optional subjects.

Thanks op but when I looked it said school day would be 8:45-3;15 to meet these bourse and that most if not all already do this or are within 10 mins of doing it

the hours inc breaks and lunch so majority of schools won’t see a change I imagine?

Oh just googled

I imagine it won’t have any impact

surely most schools do the proposed 8:45-3:15 anyway?

What’s the 32 hour week OP?

School A offers EBacc subjects. Schools get more points from the government the closer they are. By the time your DD does her GCSEs, it's likely all 3 schools will make them do the same core subjects.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-baccalaureate-ebacc/english-baccalaureate-ebacc

Option C.

Our child loved primary school. At 10, I would have chosen school A and expected child to shine.

At 14, I am grateful we chose a school like C. After a pretty disastrous year 7 - 9, year 10 is going really well precisely because they have been able to choose subjects they enjoy.

Our school does
English x 2,
Maths,
Science X 2
One of history, geography, triple science or computer science
3 free choices from a list of 20 subjects including traditional academic, vocational and arts.

Assuming all else is equal.

If your DD is a keen scientist, I'd go for school B, as the others may exclude her from triple science if she just happens to not be in top set. And it sounds like there might be a small amount of flexibility in the options.

Otherwise, I'd go with school C. Especially so if she is into the arts or sport.

But do bear in mind things may change between all schools e.g. my school changed how many options students were allowed to pick, and choices around triple science last year- so the current Y9 expected one thing when they joined the school but were actually given more free choice.

Wow they’re all quite rigid

state schools near me all offer

6 compulsory - eng x 2, maths, RE, Science x 2

then four free options - you can choose any 4 and would inc the extra science if doing triple science