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Original poster

Private GCSE - wtf have I got myself into

106 replies

DoggerDidIt · 08/09/2019 11:46

DD year 10. We were talking about GCSE's etc and how difficult they are compared to when I was at school.

I ended up googling with DD if you can do private GCSE's and it looks like you can. So DD bet me I couldn't get a 7 or above, I said i'd do it if she did it with me and now I've agreed to do a private Psychology GCSE with her next year.

She's well up for it but i'm wondering wtf i've got myself into. Can she do a GCSE privately at the end of year 10? Are her teachers going to be pissed off with me? I looking at the books etc we need to order and planning how we're going to study it all.

Any tips gratefully received!

OP posts:
Original poster
DoggerDidIt · 08/09/2019 18:34

What's citizenship.......fucked if I know.

The options list was not exactly latin and the history of art....

Citizenship was bunched in with child development, food tech, DT, drama, art and music.

OP posts:
TeenPlusTwenties · 08/09/2019 18:35

Dogger There is a hell of a lot of content in the combined science. There is no 'suppose' re counting it as 2 GCSE!

English Lang and English lit have always been 2 separate GCSEs.

If the BTEC PE is a level 2 then it isn't a GCSE but is an equivalent qualification and is still a lot of work. Don't underestimate it.

Haggisfish · 08/09/2019 18:35

It’s not ‘suppose’ -they each contain two GCSEs worth of content! The new GCSEs are bloody hard and I say that as a teacher who found them easy when I did them.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General education Private schooling Secondary education
TeenPlusTwenties · 08/09/2019 18:38

OP you sound very uninformed. Is your DD equally uninformed? Was there not an 'options booklet' when she picked her GCSEs explaining each subject?

ps1991 · 08/09/2019 18:39

You should definitely do one that she is already doing. And imo one that she doesn’t get a choice to do ie maths, English, science.

TryingAndFailing39 · 08/09/2019 18:43

It sounds as though you’ve decided to do this anyway despite all the comments suggesting it might not be a good idea. At the very least I’d inform her school (I’d actually suggest asking their advice but I doubt you’ll do that).
It seems a shame to potentially hinder your daughters current studies by adding the pressure of an extra GCSE. You’d be better off just doing one yourself if you want to as she has plenty to do already!

Original poster
DoggerDidIt · 08/09/2019 18:47

The booklet consisted of an A5 of paper with the GCSE's split into different boxes.

Triple science you couldn't do unless you were invited to
Music, art, dance and drama you couldn't do unless you were invited to
Child development I wouldn't have let her do.
History and Geography they had to choose between at the end of year 8.

The choice wasn't fantastic

OP posts:
TeenPlusTwenties · 08/09/2019 18:52

That sounds a bit rubbish. We were given a booklet with around a page on every subject. How could she choose subjects without information as to what the content would be?

Anyway, 9 GCSEs or equivalent will be plenty of work to do without throwing an extra GCSE into the mix just because.

Sleepsoon7 · 08/09/2019 19:17

The PE BTEC is not likely to be difficult as such but a lot of work - kids at my youngest DCs School picked it as no exam as such but underestimated how long it took to do the required elements. The new GCSEs are hard - science content has been changed and from memory they don’t get given the lists of formulas they used to. English lit involves memorising quotes again as they can no longer take in texts with them. There is a lot of content in most GCSEs and it is easy to underestimate this. I think it’s great that you have a good relationship with your DD and want to do something with her but the reality is it will likely add extra stress to her workload. I’m not a school teacher but I had a DC go through GCSEs when the new grading came in for most subjects the year before last and remember how long they dragged on and how stressful it was at times. You might think it a good idea to check for exam date clashes with her other subjects too and even if there are no clashes, if she had to sit the psychology elsewhere and had another gcse that day, would you be able to get her to both venues in time. Personally I wouldn’t do this, especially as it could impact on her other exams. Help her by talking through past papers with her and reading the examiners reports on past papers where they indicate what they wanted and where students went wrong (best thing we ever did in relation to the English papers in particular).

Zuma76 · 08/09/2019 19:24

MN at it again- massive assumption that the OP would do the GCSE in competition with her DD. Then massive judgement that her DD was only doing 7 GCSE, which weren’t apparently academic. Loads of children do extra curricular activities, which can’t this child enjoy learning a new subject with her mum as one. That one to one time with your DD will be amazing and if it’s too much just stop. Enjoy your time OP with your daughter.

escapade1234 · 08/09/2019 19:52

I think you should do the Btech in PE.

Cohle · 08/09/2019 20:27

I think your concern that her teachers will be pissed off with you indicates that deep down you know this isn't a great idea.

You don't seem terribly well informed about GCSEs nor receptive to advice though.

StarBubbles · 09/09/2019 00:42

I come from a pretty competitive family. We'll make everything into a competition just to make it more fun, but that doesn't mean we stress about each competition like it's a matter of life and death. I really think a lot of the aggression here is unjustified. There's a big difference between friendly lighthearted competition and the pressure of higher stakes. So long as it's a bit of fun for both of them, I don't think it's weirdly jealous or wrong.
I took an extra GCSE (11 GCSEs in total, plus a PE qualification and an IT qualification), and I took an extra A level too (four, when everyone else in my school was doing three). Got good grades in everything and definitely don't regret it. That's not to say that taking extra qualifications is always a good idea - it's definitely not, but it's also not automatically a bad idea. It's really down to the individual and depends how much time they have, how much they can handle, and whether it would be fun or a chore. So long as the dd is sure of what she's doing and the op isn't pressuring her, imo there's no problem, and I hope they both have fun.

burnoutbabe · 09/09/2019 02:18

I did a gcse last year for fun, as I wondered if I could get an a star as they didn't have them when I did exams.
And it was quite a lot of work on top of my full time job (I paid for a course via an online hone learning and got loads of textbooks) and got my a star.
I have now starting a degree in it in 2 weeks time!
So could prove expensive!
If I was you I'd pick one like maths she is already doing.

Hotchocolatejunkie · 09/09/2019 07:34

I agree with @rocknrolly. People are being unnecessarily aggressive with the OP accusing her of being jealous etc.
A little bit of competition isn't always a bad thing sometimes people thrive on it. Also not all schools do 9/10 gcses now... Especially with all the budget cuts in education over the the last few years. My DS, who just completed gcses, his school limited the amount of gcses for everyone to 7. Maybe the OPs DD feels she can take on an extra one. I just went back to college myself and one of my classmates had done 13 gcses. We really don't have enough information to be so harsh with the OP.
If once DD starts the gcses she may feel like she's taken on too much and can drop the private one without any issues

PinkFlowerFairy · 09/09/2019 07:49

The extra one will become the focus of discussion at home though, especially as the OP wants to help the student through it, taking away needed time from her 9 main GCSEs.

PinkFlowerFairy · 09/09/2019 07:50

It would be far better to support her school learning, or take a subject she is already doing at school - adult ed have some fab classes if you wanted the company - you could still compare notes with your daughter without the intensity and focus on it in her spare time.

noblegiraffe · 09/09/2019 07:53

his school limited the amount of gcses for everyone to 7.

Bet they didn’t, or their Progress 8 would be terrible. You’ve probably done what the OP did and counted English and Science as two instead of four.

Enb76 · 09/09/2019 07:56

I’m doing G5 theory with my child - pretty sure she’ll knock my socks off as regards marks but part of the fun is learning together. I say go for it.

C0untDucku1a · 09/09/2019 07:58
  1. Create a homework / revision timetable for the 9 gcses she is already doing.
  2. Ensure you have a slot for every subject, every week.
  3. Really look at it. Do you have at least 45 mins per subject per week?
  4. Do you think adding another subject is good for her when looking at the useable time she has left?
  5. Choose a subject she is already doing. Then remember she is doing 9.
DocusDiplo · 09/09/2019 08:00

Sounds fun to me OP :)

BertrandRussell · 09/09/2019 08:03

“English and science, I suppose you can count as 2 each”

No suppose about it. They are two each!

LIZS · 09/09/2019 08:05

BTec Level 2 is gcse equivalent.

BertrandRussell · 09/09/2019 08:35

My ds took Btec PE because he thought it would be a doddle.........

MildThing · 09/09/2019 09:10

OP; just put a stop to this right now.

If you have to go ahead, you take a subject that she is doing at school.

The revision / exam period is intense for GCSE. You might book a board that clashes timetable wise.

She has only just started Yr 10 and doesn’t know what the actual homework and revision workload will be like.

It is unnecessary and silly and give over with the “oh, what have I got MYSELF into” and think of your Dd.

This is what you are not getting about the grades: yes, she will doubtless get the grades she wants for college, but bad / low grades also count against you, and all have to be declared. So you have nothing to lose, in your untutored learning, with no one experienced to mark your work and give constructive feedback. She does.

Do a subject she is taking.

And if she needs extra challenge let her do DoE with her mates.