How many gcse is the norm at your dc school?

9-10 usually. Is it a SEN school ?

Most schools seem to do 8/9.

I remember being very put out as to why friends from other school did so few, when I had to do 13 at my VERY pushy state school! These days, I'm glad that perhaps there's a bit less pressure to do so many!

7 is not much - the basics are maths, English language, English literature, biology, chemistry and physics. So that’s six already. To get a broad education it‘s good to be able to add a language, history and/or geography, maybe something like art, music or drama, or computer science.

Norm is 8.
9 if you do triple science (taught in the timetable space of double science)
Exceptional mathematicians do Further Maths too.
Pupils that are struggling might drop one or 2.

10

Basic 9. Option to make it 10/11 with triple science and / or further maths dependent on ability.

At DDs school there was -
eng lit
eng lang
maths
science - single, double or triple
tech
4 options
So 9 - 11 also if children were fluent in another language (Spanish, French, German) they would often sit that GCSE but not take the class

5 or 7 seems very low to me unless they are less academic doing some vocationals alongside. My daughter's school (in Wales) does 11 plus the wbq. I think some lower sets may drop one or 2 (eg only do English not English lit or do some vocational awards instead of some options / the compulsory Welsh), and top set science do 12 as they do triple science in the double science time slot! That is unusually high though I think as it's quite an academic (state) school on the whole and also they start them in y9.it does seem a lot for my daughter in year 11!

I did 10 and same school in the past and schools I've worked in mostly do 10 or 11.

I would worry about 5 or even 7, unless they really need the time to focus more for reasons such as having missed a chunk of school etc, as it narrows their curriculum very early. It also doesn't leave them any room not to be good at some as most sixth form / college courses are likely to ask for 5 or 6.

Breadth of knowledge. Joy of learning. Exam grades aren't the only things that matter.

My ds took three separate science's, two maths two English. He wants to be an engineer so Design Tech as well.

Then a MFL - I think everyone should at least understand the structure of a language so they can go back and learn it later if they want. And geography - if he wants to build windfarms and hydroelectric plants he'll need to understand rivers and rock strata.

It meant he had a good mix to choose from for a'level, and he enjoyed the variety.

@Starfishyellow I was thinking more about this. You say 5 is a minimum – tbh I have worked with YP for whom 5 GCSEs, with perhaps no Eng lit (so so hard for some) and more time to focus on F level maths and science, a blitz on trying to get a 4 in Eng lang (also so challenging for some) and perhaps one other option – history or food tech or DT or art or whatever they like – would be an excellent idea.

I have to say I don't know a school that would permit this as AFAIK all students basically have to take Eng lit and it’s not on not to offer any option choices tbh. But it might be of benefit to some (a very few).

But you say 5 is the minimum – so how many will most students without major SEN take? that's the key question surely.

To those saying why do more than 5 – well to give some breadth of study, to give options outside the compulsories for post-16 study (history, geography, MFL, RS, CS) and yunno, just bc many DC ca manage 7 or 8 GCSEs perfectly well.

8-10

I have a child in Yr11 and one in Yr10. Comprehensive school. Both top set kids.
Yr11 is doing 10 (was doing 9 but has just been put in for Further Maths).
Yr10 is doing 8 - they decided to reduce the numbers of GCSEs from now on.

I'd prefer 9 to be honest. Gives a good breadth of subject.

Same with my two, they both did 11 GCSEs - English x2, Welsh x2, Maths x2, Science x2 and three subjects of choice and the Welsh bac.

Yes, I think they just do science x2, English x2, maths, French and either history, geography or art. I guess it’s one way of ensuring good results, having that much more time in a week to teach each one! Much prefer our school where they can choose textiles, photography, food tech, sociology, citizenship etc etc

Doesn’t Michaela School do this? Just focus on drilling them to get 8-9s in Maths, English and Double Science?

Seems horribly restrictive but obviously some parents like it.

As I understand it, 9 is a popular number because most Universities look at the best 8 grades obtained and doing 9 gives you a bit of leeway if you've got a weak subject or have a bad day in an exam but isn't an overwhelming workload. Since the demise of AS levels, GCSEs are the only public exam results most prospective students in England will have when they apply for University, so I guess those results give admissions tutors an idea of whether their predicted A level results are realistic or not.

DC school do 9-10

English Lit/Lang (2)
Maths
Either combined science (2)
Or triple science (3)
4 subjects of their choice
RE is compulsory (which i slightly object to) and can be done as a full GCSE , or a 1 year course.

11 in DD school. They start their options in year 9, dropping ones they are not taking so they have extra time for GCSE. subject have chosen

Why so many? Every 6th form and college my DS applied to only asked for the best 7 grades.

Nine at our school, unless you’re doing a community language on top - got a letter about the option to do those today. Triple science counts in those options. My DS is doing further maths on top but that’s a certificate rather than a GCSE as such.
I think a good balance is English x2, maths, science x2, then ideally a MFL, a humanity, an art/tech subject, then one more free choice - could be triple science, or whatever.

10 for the majority (but one is taken in y10 and nine are taken in y11).

Quite a few take a community language as well so would get 11, but that is not taught at school. A very small number take Latin as an extra curricular so have that as an extra one.

My son did 10. One was Further Maths which was taught as an after school club one lesson a week so I think 9 is standard. Not sure how you’d find the space for more than 9

At our child’s private school they find 9 to be the optimum and that is what is strongly encouraged. For very able students who want to do either further maths or triple science they can apply if the school think they are capable.

10 at my DC’s school: maths, 2 x English, 2 or 3 science, a language, a humanity, a creative (art/drama/DT) plus one or two others including PE, computer science, an extra language or an extra humanity.

Math, English language, English literature, Single Science is 4 alone.

Are you sure you're not counting English as only one and science is triple not just one?
That would mean rather than 5, they'd get 8 - maths, 2x English, 3x science + 2 options.