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.

My DD is currently year 11 and hasn’t done any RE lessons since year 8

That's more choice than I got 25 years ago! We had to do a language, and could choose 2 other options.
We had RS lessons but no GCSE in it. It's compulsory so why not kill 2 birds with one stone?

Similar to our school although they have to pick a MFL and a humanities subject, then they get 2 free choices. Very different from my day, I got 4 choices.

Just as a matter of interest, do all pupils in English secondary schools have to do science? In NI pupils get to decide whether or not to do science at GCSE level. DS1 has chosen Physics and Chemistry as single subjects but not Biology, as he doesn't like it. But he could have gone for a completely arts based set of GCSE's.

DC's school dropped compulsory RE GCSE a few years ago. I was so glad! It meant he could do something he was actually interested in.

TBH I'd have done anything to avoid DS going to a failing school, it'll take years to turn it around if our local special measures school is anything to go by. I'd move DC out of there and into a better school if there was any way I possibly could.

It’s the same at our school, they only do RE though if they do double science, it’s timetabled as the spare class against those doing triple science.
DD is sitting her GCSEs this summer and is doing
Maths
English x2
Science x3
History
iMedia
Art

DS1 in year 9 just picked his pathways and is doing broadly similar.
Neither had to pick a MFL, their school only makes them do it as part of the ebacc if they are likely to get a 6 or above, if they do the MFL option they only get one extra subject to pick instead of 2.

My view on that is that it is easier to pull them out of compulsory RE to do extra time on the big hitters, English, maths and science without impacting the chosen gcses.

Dd seems to have only one free choice

My sons school is Outstanding. Their options are:

Compulsory:
English Lang
English Lit
Maths
Science (double or triple. Both have same amount of lessons, but one counts for 2 GCSE's and one you get 3 individual GCSE's)

One of:
A language they've been studying in KS3 (they study 2 in KS3, but only have to take 1 forward to GCSE)

One of:
History
Geography

Two free choice from list.

I will say, this is the pathway for 6 or higher on ebacc. It can be slightly different for other pathways - they have 4 pathways in total.

I am intrigued hy this.
What is the difference vetween msths snd maths numrracy?
Whst is skill challenge?

Yes, science is compulsory

Wales do 2 maths GCSEs

• Mathematics numeracy GCSE assesses pupils' ability to solve mathematical problems in everyday situations
• Mathematics GCSE is focused on more traditional "scientific" skills.

skills challenge is the welsh bacc I think or very similar.

So the school does offer

further maths and Statistca for the able children who are in top set.

For me it’s about a narrowing of the curriculum and could be very humanities heavy.

Triple science is not more time on timetable but they are set accordingly and sit a longer exam and come away with 3 separate GCSEs

would love for him to do a language but he is not passionate about it and is reluctant.

My DD's both had compulsory English, English lit, maths, science (top set took triple) and re

Choice of history or geography
Choice of French, German, Spanish or classics

2 free choices eg dd1 took music and computer studies, dd2 took pe and food tech.

My kids' seconday was similar except you ended up with more than 8:

Compulsory: English x2, Maths, Science (double or triple but as per OP no extra time for triple), one MFL, one humanity.

DD1 had compulsory RE plus 2 choices, DD2 did not have compulsory RE as a GCSE because no teacher to teach itbut did something else compulsory but really easy instead. Both only had two real options. DD2 really struggled, Geography was an easy choice but because of timetabling her final choice was between Catering, Art or Drama. So she did Drama and actually really enjoyed it.

Eight doesn't seem like very many - I did my GCSE's nearly 20 years ago and that sounds very similar to what we had - we could do a maximum of ten - most people did nine with some doing eight.

Compulsory
English Language
English Literature
Maths
Double Science
Religious Studies
French

Optional
History
Geography
Art
Design Technology
Food Technology
PE
German
Spanish
IT

I did ten - all the compulsory ones plus History, Geography and German.

Ah, thank you @Highlyflavouredgravy.

Just as well science wasn't compulsory when I was at school. I honestly would have had terrible results. I think I would enjoy Chemistry and Biology now I'm older, but Physics remains a mystery to me!

That's what it was like at my school, though RE covered' contemporary issues,' debate and philosophy as well as religion. It was a good subject, really thought provoking and gave kids who can speak better than they can write a chance to shine in lessons.

And me

DS’ indie school has compulsory:

1. maths
2. English language
3. english kirrarure
4. triple or double science (they decide part way through y12 who will do doh me and who will do triple)

then they have to choose a modern language, DS chose Spanish (7) a humanity out of history, geography and RE, DS chose history (8), and then they have two free choices too. Ds chose classics (9) and geography (10).

so even though they do 9-10, they only have two optional in that.

We do this at my school, the top 2 sets do triple while everyone else does double, they just move through the content more quickly.

This is a completely standard timetable, exactly what many schools offer

DC's school had the same set up as your choices (compulsory MFL and RE -state cathedral schppl). So three choices left. But, if wanted to do triple science, that took up a choice, so just two free choices left.

DS is at a grammar and they have to do Eng lit, Eng lang, French (no choice, they can add another language but have to do French), triple science, maths. Then they can choose three others. He and I would both be very annoyed if he had to do RE as one of those.