Dropping French GCSE

[French2004]

How can you drop French for ( GCSE )?
Some children are able to drop and I know it is nothing wrong with them just because they don’t like it.
Many Thanks
My son is swimming at the National level 16 hours training plus 6 hours traveling to the pool.
At the moment he is going to fail French nobody try to support him in school. The school is telling me now that he will have support but I think it is to late. He should concentrate on subjects that he is not so good.

If other students have dropped the subject then what reasons have the school given to say your child can’t do the same?
To be honest, if they insist he continues to take French then just go along with it but accept he may fail. Encourage him to try his best but don’t worry too much. Maybe just channel his energy into other subjects that he enjoys and that he needs to get a pass in, such as maths, English and science.

Might not be an option (depends on exam boards/entry deadlines), but is there a GCSE foundation level paper available (simpler paper but level of possible attainment lower than standard paper)?

Tell them he wot be turning up for the exams. They will withdraw him to protect their results

A lot of the problem is they have to find something for your son to do if not in French. Thats not easy. He cant just be left to sit in a library, for example, nor do they have resources to supervise him as an individual.

Unless others have been allowed to stop and there are options for him, accept he might fail but he should turn up to classes and do what he can. Lifes like that sometimes.

A lot of the problem is they have to find something for your son to do if not in French

Is he in Y11 ? In which case he will be on study leave shortly. He'll probably be allowed to go to the Resource Centre under the eye of the librarian.

It is up to the school.
It will depend on lots of factors.
You need to discuss with them, make a persuasive case that won't 'open the floodgates' to loads of others giving up too.
What year group is he?

Our school wouldn't allow it as, allow one, others want to as well and the resource centre staff member has their own work to do and can't suddenly handle supervision of a whole raft of students who don't want to do French (or any other subject that takes their fancy).

Its that time of year when tempers fray as the pressure builds and some just know they won;t pass, however much effort they put in. Unless there is already a policy in place, and he fits the criteria, it would open the floodgates - and some who could pass if they put the ga on now, would give up and not try, because trying is difficult.

Once study leave starts then so be it. However, until then, it is quite likely its just not possible to facilitate and tick all the safety/supervision boxes.

My Ds is year 10 and has been allowed to drop his language gcse. He has possible sen though and is having a difficult time. He was taking 11 gcses so dropping down to 10 is not a huge loss. He goes to learning support for those lessons and completes homework and revision.

Plainspeaking many schools no longer offer study leave for GCSE these days. Or not until well into the exams.

Many Thanks for all your reply's.
My son is year 10 at the moment.
The school won't give me the reason why some kids can drop French.
He was not offered to take for example another subject instead of French.
I will have to take to the French teacher and check if he can take lower paper or if he is not good at all not to do exam.
I know he is not worry or getting stressed about this but is only time waisted for him.
I don't know if he will be able to do some revision in French class instead?
Many Thanks

Sometimes it will be recommended on medical or mental health grounds, so obviously they could not share that information.

Thanks I do understand that but we know this boy he is also a swimmer but not on higher level like my son. In all other subjects he has very good results. I have spoken to his mother and I know he did not like the French and she didn't see the point him taking the subjects.
The school rules are all students have to take language. I can understand if he has a problem but not in this case.
I have emailed the language department to tell them that they have different rules for different students but not reply jet.

My daughter has been removed from French, and has also dropped another subject. This enables her to make enough space in her timetable to maintain a grip on her mental health. I’m not aware of being able to drop a language because it’s not something someone is good at.

I know when my son dropped his language other children in the class did also enquire about dropping it too. I pretty sure the school would not have divulged the reasons my son left the class to them or their parents.

I would much rather he was sitting his language gcse than going through the awful time he is at the moment. He dropped because he is currently being assessed for autism and struggling to cope, even though his results are high in some subjects. That's not much fun when you are 14.

If languages at your ds’ school are compulsory for all then there is nowhere for him to go. Just as with maths and English.
There are higher and foundation tiers in French, ask about that.
If your son aspires to swim internationally, wouldn’t another language come in handy?