GCSE Choices - Computer Science and?

Also check if your school does Bebras challenges - would be good to ask them for that stretch if not.

Computer science, triple science, business studies, art and design!

it’s nice to have a non-academic subject even if you’re not great at it.

At Alevels, did Maths, further maths, physics and CS. Then maths at uni, followed by a Masters in computer programming. Now works as a software engineering consultant on mega-bucks.

The school stuff was almost a sideshow: was never off the computer throughout schooling, designed games, learned languages, wrote code from the age of 11.
Becomes a great hobby and a lucrative career if you’re good!

It was taught after school so the cost I guess was to pay a teacher outside normal hours. My dd wants to do A level Maths so it was recommended to do FM. I don't know how well she will have done as they only had around 15 1 hour lessons in total in yr 11 compared to others saying they studied it as an option in yrs 10 and 11 with presumably more than 1 lesson per week.

If your child is a competent programmer, GCSE comp sci can be very dull. DS1 loved it at KS3, but has come to despise it at GCSE - and won't be talking it at A level next year.

Yeah, I get that but clearly this school does have the staff and the time to teach that subject and some of the capable students whose parents can afford the additional expense will be able to study FM and other students in the same school will be just as capable but too poor to do that subject. That's a bit distinct from timetabling and staffing issues.

High grades in maths. Also, look at universities near you and see what maths/computing summer schools they run. He is probably too young at the moment but worth bearing in mind for the future. For his age there are computing and robotics summer clubs that you can pay for.

Oh I see. Some schools don't offer it at all though, or offer it but hardly put any teaching time to it.
Some schools let you do 2 MFL whilst others only permit 1.
Schools can't offer everything, so it just depends whether their restrictions impact you or not.

I read on here recently of a DC being able to do animal care as part of options. My DD would have loved that...

Well, this additional barrier in which you can only hope that your parents can fork out to afford to do a GCSE that is being provided for free at other state schools. Especially when a further maths GCSE is hugely helpful in transitioning to A-level maths.

I guess you just assume your own experience is the standard experience until you know otherwise.

What disadvantage?

That seems really unfair. I had no idea that some students are being put at this kind of disadvantage.in some schools.

Yes, state comprehensive. Lower sets do double science not triple so have 2 options I forgot to add.

same here. DS2 is about to go into yr 11 and has been offered FM as an additional GCSE as he will take maths in November and is predicted an 8.

At a state school?

It depends how prescriptive your school choices are. Ours were compulsory maths, English language and lit, triple science and 1 language, then either history or geography and 1 free choice which could be CS. Further Maths offered after school but we had to pay for the lessons and exam.

Fwiw, my eldest, who's just completed his A-levels and will study Computer science with AI at uni - didn't have the option of doing computer science at all but the college was only interested in his maths/ FM grades.

My middle child who has just finished his GCSE's did do computer science and he really enjoyed it but he isn't really at a distinct advantage over his older brother who enjoyed it as a hobby.

Check nearer the time that the Comp Sci department at school is decent.
Our charismatic and influential IT head left when my DS was in Year 10, and his teacher only taught half the course to her class. Comp Sci teachers are hard to come by.
Obviously if he is really interested, he'll be able to do the course himself.

A couple of DC friends are doing Creative imedia alongside CS, but maths is without a doubt the most important for A Level, and so needs a good grade at GCSE.

DS had four options and chose C, Triple Science, History and Spanish. This just happened to work with the subject blocking.

@SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn my child is 13 and isn't yet at all decided about what A level choices will be, or degree subject! But, definitely something in the Maths, Further Maths, Science or Computing territory without a doubt. A levels will likely be Maths and Further Maths, and not sure about what the other choices might be. Could be Physics, Chem, or Computing at the moment.

At my ds's school, FM and stats is offered as an option to the most capable math students at the beginning of y10. Before that there is only maths.

No IT quals now really at GCSE or A level. As I said, best A level choices for CS are maths, FM and CS. A fourth is often required by schools with FM but that could be whatever interests the student. Maths and FM most important and obvs maths is compulsory at GCSE so that's all good. Just let him pick what he enjoys fir the few choices he will have at GCSE.

ETA yes FM is a separate GCSE but not all schools offer it. If it's there tjo it can only be a good one to take if interested in maths and CS.