2 Free GCSE choices only

[Bunce1]

School is in special measures and failing in every aspect. We have got a MAT in now and things are looking up.

However the school has now set the GCSES as follows
COMPULSORY
Eng language
Eng Literature
Maths
Science (double or triple. But no extra time on timetable for triple)

MUST BE ONE FROM
Geog
MFL
History

FREE CHOICE OF 2 from
all the usuals like art, PE studies, food DT, drama, music and so on. And then also Psychology, some BTECs, business and a media GCSE

So that’s 8, and not the more common 9 so lots of parents asked and they said oh yeah the extra GCSE is COMPULSORY and it’s RE.

AIBU to think that there should be 3 free choices. Totally free and not RE. I am a RE specialist and did it at Uni so I see the value in the subject but I think more broadly the push back from the parents and kids will be huge and really the children should have more choice at this age not leSs!

AIBU- RE is fine.
YANBU- 3 totally free choices is better.

Similar for my DC. History or Geography then two others. DD did French which was compulsory. DS isn't doing French and is doing computing instead. (Dependent on pathways)

Seems completely normal and any school doing EBacc normally wants a MFL as well as History or Geography. Ours does so only one free choice. Also, no extra time for triple science is also the norm.

RE (or RP) seems a sensible core subject choice to me. Learning the similarities and differences between religions as well as ethics can't be a bad thing.

Splinters in bum here from wriggling on the fence. I don't like that mfl is with history/geography, I hope doing both is possible. RE fits better as "compulsory" humanity option meaning children can then have 3 choices including History/Geography/ MFL.

That said 2 "creative/practical " subjects is likely enough because they tend to have a BIG workload regardless of ability.

I would have hated this system, as I struggled to get down to the 11 subjects I did (2 Languages, Latin, Music, Geography on top of the compulsory subjects) and would have resented RE for making me drop something I really wanted to do. Although I did music as an extra (lunchtime) and only had 2 free choices (Had to choose geography or history and choose 1 MFL). It was set up so you could choose 2 MFL and Geography and history if that's what suited though. RE was available as a short course (extra) or main in block subject (not compulsory) as we had daily assembly.

It also depends how likely you are to get what you choose - my school had blocks you could pick from to preempt timetabling issues so it was more likely than not that you'd get your choices if the teachers approved.

I'm confused. Can you only do one out of MFL, history and geography? So you can't do history and a language, or two languages for example? This is very weird and restrictive and totally unfair on kids with certain interests and aptitudes...

For PE GCSE, you have to undertake 3 different sports to a pretty good standard to get a decent practical grade, the rest is very science based. This won’t suit a lot of kids, especially those who don’t play sport outside of the school.

Doesn’t have to be a MFL. Latin counts for Ebacc too at my daughters school.

I wouldn't mind if the kids got a certificate for ebacc but it's just another measure for the school

Presumably there wd also be staffing and timetabling implications of having 3 rather than 2 free choices?

we are in wales and its

COMPULSORY
English Language (and then if in the top sets you can do English Lit also)
Maths
Maths Numeracy
Science (double or triple)
Welsh
Skills Challenge

OPTIONAL
choose 3 from the other subjects - humanities, languages, and others like art/drama/IT/music etc.

YANBU but it was the same for my DS now Y11
usual English, maths, science, then
had to do Spanish or French
also Geography or History
RE compulsory
then 2 free choices

So they can only take one language if I’ve understood? That’s a shame for those who love languages as I think most who do a ML degree will have done two languages to A Level

Also a bit strange about the triple or double science - are they teaching them all together and just having different exams?

I had one free choice when I was at school so things have improved slightly!

It is annoying when it stops people doing subjects they’re more suited to. I was never going to pass any of the technology subjects offered, but would have done well with a second MFL.

I thought children could be removed from RE lessons so how can it be compulsory?

How is that strange? We have separate sets and the triple sets go at a quicker pace, with more homework.

There are other ways to do it but most schools round us do it this way.

Crikey ds has just submitted his options, he was allowed to choose 4! The only mandatory ones are
Maths
English Language and Literature
Science - their choice of double or triple.

No other stipulations. No compulsory language, and despite being a Catholic school no compulsory RE GCSE - although they will all continue to have RE lessons.

He has chosen
Geography
business
Drama
Sports Science

This is normal. Almost all schools work like this.

Sounds like mine from 20 years ago too, except a language was compulsory as well. I had 2 free choices, did history and Latin and ended up doing 10 in total with triple science.

I don't think what you have posted is unusual?

Sounds just like when I was at school except we probably had less flexibility!

We did 10 total and had 7 compulsory: -
double Science,
English,
English Lit,
Language (either French or German depending what we'd started in year 7),
short course RE and
"Expressive Arts" (3 of art, music, dance and drama in year 10, then 2 of them in year 11)

Then pick:
one of Geography and History,
pick one Technology (Woodwork, Graphics or Food)
then one free choice (a second language, the other of History/Geography, PE, business studies, full course RE etc.).

Here:

2 x English
Maths
2 or 3 x science
History or Geography
MFL
RE
And two choices.

Yes, it’s ridiculous. My daughter’s school did something similar but made Sport Science compulsory. It went down like a wet fart.

They won’t dedicate anymore time to those doing 3 separate sciences than the ones doing combined. In my DD school everyone studies them as separate and then at the end of year 10 they decide which the students will do and whether they are doing foundation or higher.
may DD is doing;
English language
english literature
maths
double science
geography
history
sociology
btec ICT

the last 4 we’re choices but limited from groups to pick from.
she is doing 9 in total (1 of which btec so equivalent)

it sounds like your school have possibly limited choices in a hope the pulling the grades up (one less subject to learn).
the schools are ranked on pupils that get grade 5 and above even though a 4 is a pass.

RE is a compulsory subject to study, so you might as well take a GCSE in it. It makes sense to me.

They can be removed from worship, not from study. And rightly so.