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😞

I think you may need to accept that he isn't, at least not in an academic way. Either that, or there is a reason (i.e. SEN or something else) he is so dramatically under-performing compared with his potential, including not being able to complete assessments in the allotted time.

I hope you get some answers, as regardless of his academic performance this has been handled very poorly.

His individual teachers will probably not know what pathway he has been offered or why.

i used to be a teacher (retired two years ago) and the decision as to which pathway to offer was made by head of year in discussion with senior leadership.

teachers had no say and no knowledge of it. So probably not much point contacting them.

on a separate note, I think single award science no longer exists in England but wales and Northern Ireland still have it so whether this is a possibility depends on her location.

the creative subjects are probably being offered on this pathway because they have a lot of coursework and practical work and people to whom this pathway is offered will be people who have trouble with exams.

photography for example although it requires a lot of work that is sustained work over time and support can be put in to help students - lunchtime photography club, Ta support in lessons etc.

it can make a big difference.

This. You don't have to dance to their tune given the lack of notice and discussion.

Out of interest, what sort of marks has he been getting? Has he had a straight set of 4's across the board in these exams?

What is the school like generally? High performing state/grammar, mixed ability comprehensive with a wide range of outcomes or generally pretty low grades and outcomes. If he's below average in all of these environments it will point to the school taking steps to address but with different motivations.

I would say that while it's a shock, that's an awful lot of additional tuition. The last thing you want to do is ignore that a) they feel it's necessary with a lot of maths and English yet to cover, and b) the risk of completely derailing his aspirations by failing either in his GCSE's.

I would also accelerate dyslexia testing privately if you can afford do. It will give him extra time in the exams which will be invaluable if it's just a processing speed issue [from brain to pen to paper]. The brain might be working at 100mph and his ability may be exceptional but if that doesn't join with his ability to commit to paper or laptop then he will be hampered.

Ring school, speak to head teacher, demand a meeting. You need to be in a clearer position about why this has happened.
I would also look into a private tutor if one maths or English is particularly weak. Gcse is a tricky time. Even those starting off on another pathway can end up dropping a subject, particularly if they are struggling.
Just thinking, your son might not have done well in these tests, but what about his homework? Does this also reflect this? If so then it might be better going with less GCSE's, so he can focus on them.

Didnt want to read and run. His discription of running out of time, not being able to work at speed , knowing the answers but not being able to get them out is exactley how both my kids presented in year 9 and 12. Both have dyslexia and processing isssues, both had exrtra time in exams and support. One got bbb and alevel and one got ccc, both are/ went to uni. BTeC instead of a level may work better but unis unless oxbridge all take them . Your main priority now should be insiting on urgent screening for specific learning difficulties ie dyslexia. Dyslexia does not mean you arent bright it means you struggle to process written info. Alot of dyslexics can also read well despite common misconceptions! You may have to pay for testing privatley, if so check.the school will accept the results . They should then support him and allow him to do more. Good luck

Why is music, a highly academic discipline, listed in the practical subjects? Learning to read music at sight (and possibly write it), play an instrument (the practical bit, presumably) to a high standard, know and understand the classical canon etc are not non-academic! Do they think Beethoven and Bach had special needs that stopped them being physicists? Weird.
Unless they equate music with banging a symbol and learning pop songs, of course, which is always possible.
Ditto art.
Drama requires the ability to read and understand and interpret dramas/plays, which is not really a practical skill like making a pizza.
For some reasons, subjects which used to be part of a proper education (music, art, dance, drama) are now considered 'easy' and only for those incapable of doing history etc. What is going on?
As to your DS I would be asking why nothing has been flagged up about his ability and I'd want an explanation of why this pathway has been chosen. And I would challenge it. But don't disparage art, music and drama as the school obviusly does - they are all worthwhile subjects, assuming they are taught properly.

As above, he will be doing 8 not 6, with extra support to make sure he gets the 5s he will need in maths and English. Sounds like a good move to me. FYI most students do not do 2x humanities. DS only did 1 and did music and art for his options.

It’s not unusual for specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, processing disorders etc, not to be diagnosed until the teen years in bright, intelligent children because their intelligence allows them to compensate, @Mapletree1985. If they are achieving at the expected level for their age, even if that level is far below their potential, it may go unnoticed until they fall behind when the pace of learning picks up later in education. Especially if they are quiet, conscientious and well behaved…

That said, OP’s DS being moved down to bottom set in maths last year was a sign that he is struggling, so it shouldn’t be a complete surprise.

If he managed to keep up with the middle set for 2 years, and he struggled to finish his assessments in time despite knowing the answers, that would suggest to me that this is not a case of lack of ability, he may have an SpLD.

I see your point about creative subjects and use of coursework but art, music etc are not really for the academically challenged either.

I speak as one who was not allowed to do cooker O level on the grounds I could not cook (true - better now) and had to do history of art because my drawing was not up to standard for A level (I enjoyed history of art, as it happens, and it has been of immeasurable use and a source of pleasure ever since, I can also water colour and use oils, since I followed these parts of the 'practical' art course).
Horses for courses,

Under normal circumstances I would absolutely agree but here time is of the essence and school is closed next week.

yet he has no SEN and has never been given additional interventions at school

My son has ADHD and dyslexia and school were shit at getting him to diagnosis stage because he was academically average, well liked by his peers and didn’t physically attack people (adults or children) He was seen as coping fine so not needing intervention like the kids who would physically kick off. If I didn’t circumvent the school, I’m in no doubt that he’d never have been diagnosed.

The bit about knowing the answers but not having the time to write screams processing issues. It doesn’t mean that he is stupid, it means the time from reading the question, thinking about the question, formulating an answer then writing it is longer than average and you can get extra time if it turns out that’s an issue. That would hopefully mean that he can demonstrate his understanding and knowledge to get the grade that he deserves.

Yes, this!
I remember my dd getting a school report (funnily also year 9) saying the was failing in maths when she had been doing just fine. It was last day of term and teacher had gone straight on holiday!! But I was so puzzled and angry this had never been mentioned that I pestered the school until they contacted said teacher and turns out it was a mistake!! It CAN happen.

I’m screaming processing issues too - I moved DS2 into private in desperation in year 9 . I have since met so many lovely bright DC who have a diagnosis now that state just didn’t pick up on .

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.

Failing a subject or getting low grades in assessments through the course will also affect his self esteem.

I would investigate how you can get his test scores to reflect his knowledge and understanding so that he can be in the 90% who don’t do the standard pathway but if his friends are high achieving and likely to take the piss if he struggles with a subject then it would be worth picking different subjects so that he avoids stigma. My children had access to a combination of GCSEs and other qualifications like level 2 BTECs which didn’t stop them getting uni offers later.

without wanting to kick you while you’re down, you do sound very ill-informed about all of this. Have there not been any meetings at school when they talk about GCSEs? At my kids school there were several pre-GCSE meetings when they told us how it all worked.
Nope. Absolutely none. Not one meeting. No talks. Nothing. Literally nothing.
Parents evening last week we could ask teachers questions about choosing their subject but you couldn't book a slot with them, it was a free for all with teachers standing at tables promoting their subject, the queues were massive with dozens of families standing waiting at each desk so we didn't get the chance to talk to many of them. All the parents I spoke to said the same. Aside from that, nothing from school comms.

Surely someone on this reduced-subject pathway wouldn't be doing English lit?

You still have to do both (at my DDs school the text sometimes differs), you just get an extra lesson a week in replace of a humanities or a language for example.

Pretty much everyone has to take English lit in the first pass.

If they don’t get a grade 4+ they only retake English lang. But schools are judged on it so IME they need to enter students even if they will get a grade 1.

It’s not tiered either grrr.

@Arizona29 youve not told us what your ds plans for his future career? We may be able to reassure you as lots of posters here have been through this.

I don't think any of us have any idea whether you "have to do both" at OP's DC's school. OP should definitely check.

They didn’t at DD’s achool
Eng lit was only for top pathway.

Nothing will happen faster by contacting the chair of governors, trust me.

I am one. I'm also a retired secondary head. Chairs only get involved at the far end of a complaint.

No, they don't. Just English language.

Is your Ds essentially running out of time to complete exams and struggling to finish, while at the same time seeming to be a very verbally bright and intelligent child? - If so you need to urgently get him a dyslexia test.
The answer to your question is yes yes yes yes and yes again!!!!!!!
I could shout yes to this from the rooftops!!!!!
You have described my DS exactly!
But he can read fine and learning to read was not delayed.

That’s interesting @VickyEadieofThigh abd @ArseInTheCoOpWindow can I ask what kind of school?

ds1 who has LD had to do it; as did a student in my form with quite severe SEN who wasn’t expected to gain a grade 1.

Or a processing disorder, like dyspraxia or dyscalculia. How is his handwriting legibility and speed?