Latymer Upper scrapping GCSE

What I have noticed is a sudden shift away from U.K. unis to foreign ones and not just to the US but other European countries too as lots of Londoners have dual nationalities and some qualify for free/cheaper elite unis abroad. I have seen this happen after Covid and the word has gotten around regarding quality issues in U.K. unis quite quickly amongst rich private school parents. Interestingly though apparently there are now more rich students coming here for uni from the US in reverse.

I think I understand why - once you have had an elite private education you may seek an even more novel experience as a British town might be rather dull.

OP, I would feel uneasy about the change until more schools adopted a similar policy.

Current LU parent here. They've spoken extensively to universities etc. Lots of FAQs on the website covering most of the points raised on here such as switching schools for 6th form, employment, university applications etc.

They could very well bring in the IB Middle Years Programme, or IB courses?

It won't be a cost-saving exercise - GCSEs are not expensive to deliver and parents are charged for them anyway in the private sector.

I think it is driven by a desire to offer something better than GCSEs. However, it is easy to sound inspirational, but in reality quality control is very hard to secure. It is a massive job to create a whole new curriculum that meets the right standards. Plus there is a kind of exceptionalism about it that makes me uncomfortable. It becomes like the US where the brand name of the school becomes important because there is no universally recognised and accredited curriculum. Fine if you are a big name private school, but most schools can't do that, which means most kids can't then benefit from a bespoke curriculum. I wonder if they have consulted universities too. I have heard that students at these schools can't apply for competitive courses like medicine because the medical schools don't recognise what they do. I'd love to know why more schools don't offer the IB before sixth form as it seems to be the leading light in progressive, internationally-minded, wholistic education and it is properly accredited and quality controlled.

I would be extremely careful in these financially precarious times. Is this a cost saving exercise by them under the guise of “doing the best for the children”.
Also due to the impeding recession if this school runs into trouble and suddenly has to close, you might have a lot of trouble finding another sixth form/school.
Apprenticeships also require minimum number of GCSE eg 5 at C or above.

The video and FAQs on the website are worth reading. My children are too old but having just gone through GCSEs with one of them I found the information quite inspiring. I guess if their application numbers plummeted they'd rethink though!

You'd have to be a certain type of parent to send your child to a school that is highly regarded (as of today) but doesn't offer any widely recognised qualification until the age of 18. That's a huge gamble.

They'll still teach the usual subjects. They'll have to as the pupils will still be sitting A levels.
From the website...

Students will still follow a scholarly curriculum which will stretch all learners to their full potential and in which traditional subjects such as Science, Geography, History, Classics, Modern Languages, etc are taught to the highest levels in long courses (a little like the time we currently give to a GCSE subject). In addition we will also be developing short courses, like the electives that we currently run in the Sixth Form, which will be interdisciplinary, dynamic and creative.

Apart from scrapping the exams, what exactly are they doing with the pre GCSEs curriculum? I would still want to run the broad range of subjects even if not relevant for chosen A levels, the early secondary years are about good and broad education too

My DC went to this school until recently. As I understand it, other London day schools are also considering (soon to announce?) scrapping of GCSEs, inc SPGS and FHSS. Nothing mentioned at G&L.

This is really interesting because one of the reasons we chose DD's school was because it was possible for her to do up to four languages if she wanted, out of a choice of six MFLs plus Latin and Greek. Although I am unfortunately not part of the global elite, it would definitely attract me! DD only ended up taking two to GCSE in the end but I really liked the curriculum flexibility and the wider than usual choice. Most of the schools we looked at only offered one or two MFLs at best.

Her school also offers some tech options that sound a lot more interesting than your standard computer science GCSE, with a lot more practical content. I think creative stuff is also really important and that was something that made a big difference to us too.

However, this was/is all delivered within the context of GCSEs, though the creative and tech subjects mostly seem to be school-directed courses that are externally moderated and have a different curriculum from standard GCSEs.

@Araminta1003 , I agree, for example if a parent at a session for those with offers asks Godolphin in March 2024 why they should choose Godolphin with GCSE's over Latymer with their own exams, Godolphin and other similar schools will probably come up with something along the lines of the structure of examinations in the U.K. is something all schools are considering in the long term esp with the Govt's intended reform of A levels/T levels etc.

I wonder if it translates to children being able to study more foreign languages too, for example. Let’s say for GCSEs the usual maximum is 2 plus Latin. If you don’t have to constrain to 10 or 11 GCSEs can some international kids do 4 modern languages etc. That is what the global elite want. These schools will be setting kids up to go to the best unis worldwide etc for the best jobs, not constrained to the UK uni market and the declining UK economy. This is also why these VAT proposals by the Labour Party are so short sighted. The computer science GCSE is dull for many. These schools may be able to teach tech and coding properly outside the constraints of the GCSE syllabus.

However, parents choosing this have to have cash and options and I suspect many will have several passports/ nationalities too.

I can see more and more successful London schools going this way. They are setting themselves up for the mobile international elite and want no Government interference.

This kind of move makes them more of an international school as well. It means if there are vacancies in Year 10 and 11 they can easily fill them from people moving in from abroad. So for the school it makes sense, also far less red tape on teachers and less pressure on teachers so could help staff recruitment. However, for British kids wanting a British education - expulsion, financial troubles etc, all a problem. As well as the big one now which is the option for high performers to move into successful state Sixth Forms.

Doubt it would be a major issue. The school has links with quite a few state sixth forms anyway. Children join sixth forms in London all the time from abroad or after being home schooled without having the usual set of GCSEs.

They have addressed all these sort of questions in info sent out so parents can make an informed choice.

That's great if you think the school would fund a child from eg the beginning of Y11 through to the end of A levels.

It doesn't help if A levels, or the subjects offered, are not right for the child. Or if the child has problems with their health, friendships, gets expelled, needs specialist provision that the school can't provide etc. An ethos that suits an 11 year old may not suit the same child at 16, particularly if there are changes in the leadership in the meantime. It seems risky to me to remove options for post-16 education.

Latymer have 1 of the biggest bursary funds going so it's unlikely anyone would have to leave for financial reasons.
I think it's more helpful to accept that parents who choose Bedales, Teddies and now Latymer tend to invest in the ethos of the school and won't doubt the school is right.

The co-Ed private sixth forms will be delighted to take bright students who have already been taught to think outside the box and started considering the A level syllabus rather than spent 2 years constrained by the narrow GCSEs curriculums and constant testing.
What will be more interesting will be to see parents next March having to decide between offers from Hampton, Godolphin, Highgate etc v Latymer. It's a much bigger decision than deciding between hockey and football!
Bedales and Teddies don't have the same competition locally. .

I’m all in favour. It’s not the school my DC are at or would go to (not our neighbourhood) but I rather envy those doing it. Takes away a lot of stress and anxiety from children at age 14-16.

You really would (as PPs have said) have commit to having your child stay there until A Level though!

exactly, on another thread a poster is having to remove her child from year 11 in a private school because of sudden reversal in financial circumstances - what on earth would happen to an ex -LU child if that happened and they had to apply to state sixth form?

I think it's risky for uni applications? I am no fan of GSCEs but I think going out on a limb like this is potentially doing the kids a disservice. All the kids who didn't do GSCEs (covid) struggled with A levels this year... so additionally putting these kids at a disadvantage vs. their peers at other schools.

Isn't this risky? Sure it's fine if the child stays in the school but what happens if they move elsewhere? Will the school exams be valid? Or they apply to universities which look at GCSEs? Isn't the whole point of GCSEs is having a nationally recognised qualification that is accepted everywhere (in the UK) so that schools don't have their own exams with no quality checking or standardisation?

Yes what if the young person is ill in 6th form? They end up with no (well, 2) 'fallback' GCSEs, which I suspect is even fewer than Home Ed pupils.

@TheWitchCirce
I completely agree. Like it or not, GCSEs are a sort of common currency for further education and employers. It's very risky to be one of a handful of people who don't have them I think. And naive to think it's ok because they will just stay on at the school for A levels, anything can happen.