GCSE options totally suck

[Windywuss]

My son is in y9. He's got ASC and had issues at school. Things seem to have settled a bit now and I've just started looking ahead to options.

I don't get it at all. He loves computer science and science. The school don't do GCSE computer science at all. Sciences are not single subject but a triple science option instead. The options look awful. There's loads of dance and PE and some Digital creative alternative qualification that isn't a GCSE and vocational subjects.

If his school doesn't do computer science then is he not going to be able to do this at A level? I just feel it's all geared to the less academic kids which make up the majority of the catchment.

It wasn't our first choice school..no chance of moving.

I would want him to go elsewhere for sixth form but I feel like he's already going to be behind, and possibly won't be able to do what he wants. I feel I've failed him (though I'm really tired and emotional tonight and I'm a single parent and just exhausted with everything).

Anyone else been stuck with poor choices for GCSEs?

He’s not being held back - cs gcse isn’t required the next level courses or degree, other GCSEs are preferred before that. There’s a benefit to doing it in terms of variety and interest but not particularly as a stepping stone

The vast majority of the country doesn't have any grammar schools so it's hardly unusual not to come across people who didn't go to one! I didn't even know they still existed until I went to university and made friends with someone who had been to one.

I add to PP that computer science teachers are really hard to find. DH is a seco dary school teacher and his school offers fewer and fewer options for GCSE as they can't find the teachers to staff them.

just to add be careful anyone else reading and tempted by CS - check the staffing as others have said.
great schools near us but cannot get cs teachers and the teaching is dire as a result - supply/non specialists (whoever’s got space so not necessarily maths or something slightly connected) ‘teaching’ from a bought in PowerPoint. It’s shocking

I think this is probably hitting the nail on the head!

@Windywuss several years ago, GCSE IT (which was broadly useful to a wide range of students) was ditched in favour of the more academic GCSE Computer Science, with a focus on coding skills. The aim may have been noble but it had consequences:

• the main way to find Computer Science teachers quickly was to re-train IT teachers (few of which had computer science degrees). Once they were upskilled, they were rapidly poached by private schools, or left to earn more money outside of teaching.
• many students who do GCSE computer science find it too difficult, so are put off computing as a career. Often this is due to sporadic teaching from an unstable workforce and lack of preparation in KS3 rather than because it is any more difficult than other subjects.
• the numbers doing comp sci degrees then choosing to teach are too few to sustain the subject, leading to a vicious cycle.

So, for now, your son should follow the path of so many others before him - concentrate on other subjects (especially maths).and do computing as a hobby. He will probably enjoy it more!

@lopdoo Yes, I think you're right! I teach in a private school and many of our students don't take an EBacc combination of subjects as we don't force history/geography to be an option. It's never been a problem.

Computer science gcse can be great but the Edexcel board is best as it is more practical (the exam is on a computer) and it actually provides a really sound base which would be useful in any stem career or degree.

The problem is the teaching available and the fact the curriculum is only really suited to middle/top maths set.

Really they would be better off training some of the maths teachers to teach the computing gcse as the skills are similar but unfortunately there is a shortage of maths teachers as well.

As I've found out from this thread it's not what I thought. ..., the issue I thought was there was that single sciences were not available and he loves science. I thought the combined 'science' GCSE was a dumbing down. There was something like it when I did mine many moons ago, and that combined science was for the less able kids. The bright ones did single science subject GCSEs.

I felt looking at it yesterday that the subjects were somewhat aimed at lower academic aspirations and didn't suit my boy. I think if the triple science and double science are good enough and taking on board the comments about computing which have been so insight, I'm feeling an awful lot better about it now.

@PhotoDad My DDs were at private school and I would say a humanity is vital for a general education and they insisted on one. In keeping education broad, I agree with the Ebacc. Obviously few unis care but some do take GCSEs into account. I’m actually very pleased my DDs did broad GCSEs.

I agree. But humanities such as Classical Civ don't count towards EBacc (although Ancient History does). Lots of our students take Economics which also doesn't count; and some want to take multiple languages, ancient or modern.

According to wikipedia there are 163 grammar schools in England. I don't know of any at all in Wales or Scotland, so the 'bubble' that anyone unfamiliar with them lives in is rather large.

I never met anyone who went to a grammar until I went to uni - and that was just the one person.

I agree that some on MN seem obsessed with them.

Statistics is quite a good option if he likes maths, it's very little extra work for a full additional GCSE. It's also useful in future as some grad scheme online tests have an element of statistical analysis.
Many moons ago, I did stats GCSE in one term and got an A*.

@PhotoDad I think Class Civ instead of History doesn’t make sense at gcse. It’s like the Comp Sci argument: it’s not needed. Ditto Economics. I’m all for MFLs though. I think the Ebscc is a good general grounding for A levels in that the subjects included are a launch pad for wider choice at A level. Obviously large private schools have more staff but Geography, for example, can greatly inform some sciences.

Our DS is doing computer science A level atm and he's in the minority of the class who have it at GCSE. The requirement for doing it was a good maths grade.

"It's not needed for A-level" is a very different argument to "it's helpful for a broad education even if you don't pursue it further." Arguably the world would be different if more people, whatever their eventual career, had a better understanding of history, or geography... and you could definitely make the same claim for economics! Our school insists on 3 x science, 2 x English, 1 or 2 x maths, and 1 x MFL, then students can take any three options at all. I'm not saying it's the right model for all schools.

I think the EBacc is a little bit of a red-herring here, though. Sorry for derailing.

Yes I did actually quite like the sound of it but not sure my son did! Sounds dry but I think he's got the kind of mind that would excel in it.

Actually I don't know anyone who went to grammar school in my adult life. The only grammar here is actually a fee paying private school.

@PhotoDad that is more or less what my child's school is saying for the academic kids. My son is one of them but wouldn't want the language.

I'm feeling an awful lot better about it after this thread. V grateful to everyone.

Yes, it is clear from knowledgeable posters on here that GCSE computer science is not necessary for the next stage, and good maths courses would help the most.

Three separate sciences are the ideal though even if many schools aren’t offering that option. No doubt the combined science will be fine in practice if that is all some schools have teachers for.

This is where the grammar schools are.

You can see there are three major areas that retain the grammar/secondary modern system and then quite a few freestanding ones.

If you don't live in one of this areas that retains the 11+ you are very unlikely to meet anyone who has been to a grammar.

The way schools talk about science GCSEs is really confusing.

I think OP is saying her sons school does do separate sciences in effect but (as with most schools it seems) that you have to do all 3 which is lumped in together all under 'science', although worth 3 gcses. In our local schools this is called 'triple science' although confusingly that makes doesn't seem universal.

There is a 'double science' version which confusingly is also known as 'combined' science. Again, it's all 3 subjects together but orth 2 instead of 3 GCSEs.

I think there needs to be a GCSE for parents in understanding school options OP 😝

So they do separate classes and exams for chemistry/ physics/bio but it's all called 'science'.

I think.

Oh bloody hell I'm not even sure now....

Buy in any case, they definitely study all 3 subjects and get 3 GCSEs, whatever they name it...

@PhotoDad So at your school, 5 GCSEs could be stem? Or even more? That's very unbalanced. Obviously bumps up results but it’s hardly “general”. I agree the “not needed” argument is different and I totally agree about economics. I did it at O level yonks ago and it’s been useful ever since. However more and more maths and CS doesn’t help with a general education.

@AstonScrapingsNameChange It would be so much easier if schools could decide whether they're going to call it "triple science" (singular) or "single sciences" (plural) as they are the same thing despite sounding so different!