GCSE reduced subjects advice needed

[Arizona29]

I started a different thread about this yesterday but am starting a new one here because I've got a new question and I know many readers never read OP updates on a thread!
DS year 9 had been put onto a GCSE pathway for additional support.
He has no SEN diagnosed.
He has never had any intervention classes at school.
School have never made me aware at any point since year 7 that they feel DS needs additional support.
I have not received any communication whatsoever about him being put on to an additional support GCSE pathway. It has been like a bolt out of the blue and I only found out on Monday.
Parents evening last week made no mention of it.
So I spoke to a member of staff about it today.
It is not a mistake, as suggested by posters on my other thread.
The member of staff has told me the following:
That DS has been put on a pathway for year 10 & 11 where he will study
Maths
English
Science
1 humanity OR 1 language (his choice but only 1 of these)
2 practical based subjects of his choice such as DT, art, music, cookery, dance, photography, etc.
3 extra Maths intervention sessions a fortnight
3 extra English intervention sessions a fortnight
He cannot choose 2 humanities.
He cannot choose 1 humanity & 1 language.
He cannot choose 2 humanities & 1 language.
it is 1 humanity only.
He is only 1 of 16 students who has been put on this pathway out of the whole of year 9.
The 'standard' Ebacc pathway is
English, maths, science, 1 humanity, 1 language, then 2 further options which can include a second humanity, even a third one, but DS had not been given this pathway as an option.
I was confused when I posted on my other thread yesterday, and I remain confused.
I still don't understand how DS has been put on this additional support pathway with no communication whatsoever about any learning delay or concerns whatsoever from school in the 2.5 years he's been there.
I asked this question directly today, and it wasn't answered. It was glossed over.
DS is really upset.
A. He doesn't want to do only 1 humanity and no language. He feels he's had all his choices removed from him.
B. He says nobody at school has talked to him about this.
C. He feels excluded from the standard pathway that all his friends are doing.
D. He is asking me do his school think he's stupid and incapable
E. He fears stigma about this amongst his peers, and feels he is going to get comments and 'jokes' about not being able to do what everyone else is doing.
He has never had a conversation with, or any input from, the SenCo.
I have never had a conversation with the SenCo about DS.
The SenCo has never contacted me about DS to discuss him.
Again, he has no SEN.
So.
My questions to people here who have knowledge and experience:

1. What the hell is going on here?
2. Can they enforce this? Does DS have any choice or any say in the matter??
3. What right do school have to remove his choice to do 2 humanities, or 1 humanity + 1 language? Without any prior conversation with him or with me?
4. AIBU to feel they are 'dumbing down' his options?
5. Why does DS have to choose 2 options from a list of practical subjects? This isn't the pathway he wants to follow - cookery, or DT, or dance, or drama, etc. But he's now got to pick 2 of these subjects.

The list of the 2 extra choices on the standard Ebacc pathway contains additional academic choices.
Whereas the list of 2 extra choices on the additional support pathway DS has been placed on contains no academic choice whatsoever.
If he only does Maths, English, Science + 1 humanity, plus 2 practical non academic subjects, is this going to exclude him from doing A levels and a degree??
DS most definitely wants a career that will require A levels and degree. Will this additional needs pathway block him from going on to do A levels & degree because he won't have enough GCSE subjects?
DS is an intelligent boy. I can't believe the school are restricting his GCSE choices like this and putting him on this pathway, having never once put him into any additional intervention measures since starting in year 7.
His year 9 assessment scores were all below the year group average. Not way below. But they were below. His results do not reflect his intelligence or capability. He said he knew all the answers but didn't get to complete the assessments as ran out of time. So the unanswered questions that he hadn't got to pulled his total score down, even though all the questions he did answer were correct.
Basically I feel like I've got an intelligent boy who hasn't performed well in the year 9 assessments and as a result has been placed on an intervention GCSE pathway that enforces a reduced number of GCSEs and being forced to take 2 practical subjects instead, yet with no consent from or discussion with DS or myself about this.
I have tried really hard to speak to the SenCo since Monday when I found this out, but I am not receiving any replies to the emails I have sent her requesting for her to contact me to discuss this. I've been told this has all been based on her recommendation, yet she's never even had a conversation with me or with DS.
I am really worried aboug the impact this will have on DS's options, choices, future success and I'm worried about this affecting his self esteem.
Only 16 kids out of an entire huge year 9 cohort have been assessed as unable to do the Ebacc route and my intelligent DS is one of them? He's in the bottom 10% of kids who isn't allowed to do the standard Ebacc pathway that the other 90% of kids are following and yet he has no SEN and has never been given additional interventions at school and who is really bright?
From what I know of his blunt and highly insensitive and never-endingly mocking peers, he is not wrong when he says he is going to get put downs and negative comments from peers about this.
He has such hopes for his future career and these restricted and limited GCSEs are going to block that, because his career hopes require A levels & degree.
Help😞

Have you looked at what the requirements are for the further A-Levels he wants to do? Different sixth forms and colleges have slightly different requirements or options too.

That's a good idea - it's early to look and what they offer can change due to demands - but would give you an idea of what he'd need grade wise.

This is daft advice. OP needs to go to the head of year in the first instance; if there is another SLT member directly involved in the GCSE pathways process, then to that person. If she still isn't satisfied, she goes up the food chain, via the complaints procedure (which will be on the school website). Going straight to the HT will result in the HT passing it back down to anyone who hasn't already been contacted.

Contacting the Chair of Governors is pointless at this stage, because they come at the end of the complaints procedure.

Yes sixth form requirements will vary for sure, my DCs’ for example did not ask for 6 at GCSE in maths and English, 4 was fine (unless taking those subjects obvs). So the OP needs maybe to look at what is on offer locally once she has a bead on what grades her DS is likely to get at GCSE.

None of us can know so I guess there’s not much point speculating – it can vary so much.

I have seen a couple of refs to single science which I am pretty sure does not exist or at any rate I have not heard of it for years. Similarly with the doubt over taking Eng lit – unless a student has a very high level of SEN and LD (seems unlikely in this case) a school will for sure enter them into Eng lit (even when it is most unsuitable IME – not saying this is the case here).

I agree with the poster cautioning about science A levels if in bottom set for maths btw. @Arizona29 has not said what her son’s long term plan is but I am hoping not medicine or vet sci tbh. If you do come back @Arizona29 then let us know what it is as there are many knowledgeable posters who may be able to give you helpful advice (for example Btecs post-16 are a perfectly valid route to many universities and may suit your DS better).

I don’t think people are getting hung up on A-Levels.

OP is concerned that reducing the number of GCSE’s to 8 will curtail his post-16 education options and preclude him from doing A-Levels or a degree.

Everyone is just reassuring her that that is not the case and if anything, this pathway is likely to broaden his options if it results in higher grades in English and maths.

I do agree that it sounds like poor communication from the school. My sons are out of school now but when they went, from Years 7-9 their school had a scoring system on the termly reports that really meant very little to parents. In reality it meant ‘below where they should be,’ ‘working at the expected level,’ and ‘working above the expected level.’ But they had three words that were meant to show this and they didn’t. The ‘below’ word was quite ambiguous and a lot of parents thought it meant they were on target. I always knew with my two that it meant below as they, especially the eldest, had struggled all through primary. But I went to a virtual meeting about how to read the reports when my youngest was in Year 9 and it was clear most parents did not know if their kids were behind. Plus, it didn’t give any info about how behind a child was. Were they in Year 9 and working at Year 8 level, so still might catch up? Or were they Year 9 but working at a Year 2 level so were likely to fail everything in Year 11? You didn’t know from the reports and parents evenings were usually full of vague ‘well if he works hard he might get there.’ Then in Year 10 the report style changed and suddenly you were getting predicted grades. Which might come as a hell of a shock to some parents if their children are predicted grade 3s in most subjects after years of assuming they were doing well.

The next issue you might find is that if your son is placed on this pathway this might mean that he takes foundation papers in all subjects - apart from English which is all levels. That would mean that the highest he could achieve would be grade 5 and this might then prevent him from doing A Levels.

Though, there is no shame in taking a different path from A Levels. My two are both doing vocational subjects and absolutely thriving. And they both suit the assessments being less reliant on a big exam. Plus, a Level 3 vocational course can be used as a pathway to university if that was still a strong desire.

Btecs post-16 are a perfectly valid route to many universities and may suit your DS better).

I know a few teens who enjoyed the BTEC level 3 Applied Science course. Level 3 means it’s treated like A-levels for uni entry purposes so if you’re unfamiliar with BTECs like I was before my kids did some, it’s worth learning how great they are for students who are more likely to get 4/5 rather than 6+ at GCSE.

BTE GCSE English is 2 GCSEs (Literature and Language) and Combined Science is 2 GCSEs (you learn all 3 sciences)

Also are you assuming that Ebacc is a university entrance requirement? It’s a theoretical spread of what kids should study for a rounded education - there’s no certificate or difference whether or not you achieve it. My kids picked their subjects based on their interests and strengths. One dropped MFL for example as he’s dyslexic and the MFL teaching is very patchy (hard to recruit MFL teachers these days) One of my kids did Geography and History and wishes they’d stuck to one of them and did a more practical GCSE for a change in rhythm.

Good post

Just to mention that F tier is only offered in maths and science (and MFL) not English or other subjects. Yes I imagine maths bottom set dc will sit F tier but they are unlikely to want to take science A level anyway. But you to science Btec post 16, it can be excellent

My DDs in year 9 and we went to the options presentation at school this week, where they explained the pathways.

at DDs school paths 3 is the same as you have described where they explained that children on this pathway have been flagged as needing extra English or maths support or both. And also have more options for non exam based courses (NVQ type courses).

i feel like this is a good thing for those that may be struggling.

what I don’t think is right is that you aren’t getting the answers.

It’s likely your child will be struggling in maths or English.

this should have been flagged to you/your DS especially if you have just had parents evening.

try and get a meeting with the head of year and cc the head teacher in. Make sure you express disappointment that you havnt had questions answered.

i wouldn’t worry about the EBAC that has been abolished (what we were told this week). He will need a 4 or above in English/Maths/Science (main focus on English and maths), for A Levels. He will then need a least a 4 or above in another subject too (so 5 GCSEs at 4 or above for most sixth forms to include maths/english and Science (which is two)).

if he wanted to study geography at A level for example our sixth forms says he would need a 6 or above in geography at GCSE level. Have a look on the sixth form website as they will give exact details of their requirements.

hoping you can get some answers.

But remember if your child is struggling this will be positive for him as he will get more help to achieve a grade 4 at least in English and Maths.

If he isn incredibly bright and intelligent, then the problem must lie elsewhere. Is he unmotivated? You don't make it sound as if he is. Low effort? Doesn't sound like that either. You make it sound as if the school has done this for no reason at all. Is that possible? I suppose it's not impossible.

I would definitely book to see head teacher and ask why this was never communicated when there was a time for intervention rather than writing him off as the school apparently has done.
If you can afford it I would find outside independent help. Maybe look into a tutor for maths and English assessing your son's level? Have a SEND or dyslexia assessment done, we discovered our son was dyslexic very late on, age 14 as he was struggling to copy down things and keep up. It was only as the work got harder that it showed in class. We had questioned it several times in primary school but been told no he was fine. My son did 4 A levels and is doing a degree, he's on track for a 1st, so you're right to fight it. He had a French and English tutor to get him through the subjects so that he didn't spend ages trying to revise them. It allowed him to spend the time on the subjects he enjoyed and did well in, and got him a pass in subjects he might have failed.

I also wonder if the results in Yr 7 and 8 were communicated as 'as expected' rather than average and the 'as expected' was predicted based on SATS and that put him on this pathway. .. but this was never fully explained...

I also wonder if the results in Yr 7 and 8 were communicated as 'as expected' rather than average and the 'as expected' was predicted based on SATS and that put him on this pathway. .. but this was never fully explained...

Edit to add at my DDs school they assessed a lot in lessons. Your son may not have communicated this with you but I ca assume it’s similar across the board.

however I do think at parents evening this should have been mentioned to you.

For foundation level GCSEs I think the maximum grade is 5, though the decision is often based on what maximising a student's chances of passing at grade 4.

What subjects does DS want to do, and do his favourite subjects include more than one humanities or written subject and a foreign language.

Does he want to do subjects like art, music, CDT etc, and does he want to do more than one of these? Because they all sound like subjects which are at least as challenging as doing History or Spanish in their own right, with lots of coursework. I'm a school governor, and on the Curriculum committee, and it seems strange, logically to say he can choose two of them and only one Humanity or MFL subject. It doesn't seem like a way to improve grades for your son, and it must be so discouraging and motivating for a kid to be presented with it, saying "you can't do this".

OP the GCSEs your son would be doing are totally ok to get into any Sixth Form/university. Ebacc means absolutely nothing and is not compulsory at all. My daughter is doing no extra humanities at all (by choice as she hates essay writing) and only doing 1 language. She chose practical subjects instead (Art, Food tech, PE) as she can get better grades in those. She's very smart though, top sets for everything, doing triple science and aiming for top grades and veterinary medicine later on. So your son's GCSE choices don't limit his future choices at all.

My DS was average ish in year9 with a worrying English result. He got a 5 in the end but really needed a 6 and redid in sixth form. He the did spectacularly in A levels. Learning isnt linear.

I agree with the advice about do 8 and do well. Much better to get 8 with good grades then 10 with mediocre grades.
I'd also use it as an opportunity to get help with anxiety, how to revise effectively for him and exam management. This will really help him with A levels where the work load really ramps up. I'd get school help with this and see if he can get a referral.
Get him to concentrate on his own progress and not comparing to others. This is the time to work out strategies rather then the results will come. It will be ok, this might be an opportunity.

And...the school should have been talking to you.

Hi OP. I worked as a SEN specialist support teacher for 21 years, mostly in a boys' secondary school, so I do have a lot of experience in this area.

It may be that your son just had a wobble re exams in the Yr9 assessments. Or he might have a processing issue which is only now becoming apparent due to the pressure of the Yr9 exams and upcoming GCSEs. The Senco definitely needs to be looking at that.

I'm shocked that no member of the school staff took the opportunity to talk to you and your son about this at parents evening, given it was just last week!

The Head will have written to all Yr9 parents emphasising no changes allowed after 27 February, because it would be chaos if lots of kids wanted to change their options afterthecut-off date.
But it is always possible for cases like your son's, where discussion is obviously needed and time is short. So I wouldn't worry too much about that, but obviously keep pushing for answers.

You need a meeting with Head of Year and Senco if possible.
Good luck OP 💐

Is science a single award? At my son's school, you either did 3 separate sciences or one double science gcse.

If you are concerned about what is required for him to be able to do a levels, have a look at the requirements for your school's 6th form, other school and colleges in your area. This is all available on their websites.

What does he want to do post 16? Which subjects?

My son was home ed through gcses and took 5. We looked at what he wanted to do post 16 and what was required to be able do that course, then that is what we did. He needed 5 gcses at grade 4 and above to do his chosen level 3 course including maths and english and so that is what we aimed for. He didn't do humanities or a language and did a single science (physics). He is now at uni doing a degree. He could have done A levels at our local 6th form with the 5 subjects, where some others required 6.

I just want to add that my son got 8,8,7,6,6 in his (i)gcses. Had he stayed in school, I am sure his grades would have been lower across all subjects as he would not have been so focused and would have been spread to thin.

If you can't get a hold of the school before the form has to be submitted, submit it with the subjects you do want - all 8 of them - and deal with it later on down the line..

In 3 years of parents evenings, school reports etc? That's really strange that only now are you made aware. What sets has he been in through years 8 and 9? I know you've said he's intelligent several times but the school will be using the data they have available. I've seen you mention only one set of assessments in year 9 but has he never done any other tests or coursework or anything in his time at the school?

You've got plenty of time for a face to face conversation with school, email the head of year and/or your child's form tutor about your confusion and your son's disappointment at not being able to pursue the subjects he wanted to.

My year 9 son received a sheet that said he's in the top 10% in the year with advice about which blocks he could choose from and advice about some of those choices. He's taking up the opportunity to take triple science but he's not picking any humanities or languages despite the invitation to as he really wants to do as many DT subjects as he can as that's what floats his boat.

Your concern about the impact on his A Levels and University needs to go on the back burner. It will only matter if there's a specific subject that he's passionate about and wants to do. Unless he wants to do A level French and a BA in French, a French GCSE doesn't need to be in the mix. English, Maths, and Science are key and it sounds like the set up they're suggesting is to support him to do as well as he can in those.

The range of types of subjects is less important than him having the opportunity to do subjects that he enjoys and will thrive in. That's what your focus should be on.

As an aside. It annoys me that Drama is in that "less academic" selection. I did Drama at GCSE, A Level and degree and we had some less academic pupils forced into our GCSE class of 20 ish of us. They really struggled because 1. they didn't want to be there which made group work challenging and 2. it required lots of textual analysis, language skills, the kind of literary and historical understanding that students who are strong in English Lit thrive on.

By all means, communicate with the school. My own GCSE preferred options weren't possible so my Dad wrote and spoke with them, a compromise was found and I ended up doing all the subjects I wanted to do and some extras.

They will want your son to do as well as he can because from a cynical perspective, the better grades the pupils get, the better the school looks.

I wonder if your emphasis on intelligence and academics is also making it difficult for DS to be honest with you? I’d be surprised if it’s come as a genuine shock to him that he’s struggling in school, and I wonder if he’s been hiding things or bottling it up for fear of having “failed” you.

You seem to have quite a narrow mindset of what success looks like and the pathway to it, and that might not be the more appropriate option for your DS. A levels are generally quite academic and exam heavy, they may not be the best option for him. Uni certainly isn’t the best option for everyone, especially with rising costs.

Before going all guns blazing into the school I think you should have a heart to heart with your son about what he really wants, and work backwards from there. E.g are a levels best for him, what alternatives are there. Look at local sixth forms and colleges to see what is on offer and what the grade requirements are.

The key issue is that he didn’t have enough time to finish the exam papers so he needs to be assessed ASAP for possible processing issues or ADHD . Could he have done the questions with 25% or 50% extra time? Does he have problems with writing at speed? Has he ever done non- verbal reasoning tests ( IQ) tests. If so did he perform well in these? The school SENCO needs to be contacted. The pathway he has been put on is a result of his test scores and you say he is bright and able so the reason for his poor performance needs identifying.

What sort of reports did you get for the first 21/2 years? Did they make it clear which set your son was in? Did they give the impression your son was doing well? You should ask to see his year 9 assessments and go over them with the relevant members of staff If your son is right in saying his answers were correct, but he just didn't do enough, the school needs to find out the underlying reason. Were the subsequent questions more difficult? Had your son done sufficient revision at home? Or does he have some underlying problem the school can get him help with? The school has not restricted his choices for no reason. They will be trying to do the best for him, and he is lucky to be in a school where they are able to supply extra Maths and English.

From what you describe the communication around this has been absolutely shocking and the school should be ashamed. I think you are right to challenge them on this basis alone.

However- and I say this gently- coming below average in all subjects and being in bottom set maths would indicate that DS is not as academically able as you think. Processing speed is part of that and unless he has SpLD slowing him down he should be able to complete the exams in the allotted time.

This doesn't mean he's stupid, I'm sure he has many types of intelligence not measured by tests in school, but it does mean that maybe aiming for an academic career path is not going to make the most of his talents.

He sounds like a lovely, diligent and hard-working kid so I'm sure he can make a good future for himself.