9 or 10 GCSEs?

[kimlek]

My dd is due to choose her GCSE options over Xmas. The school has suggested she does 10 but there's also a 9 option. She's keen to do 9 as believes she'd obtain higher grades. It seems most children at the school take 10. I've heard that university DO look at GCSEs and also put a child's results in the context of the cohort at school. So I'm concerned that it would go against her if she does 9 and the majority of her cohort do 10. Her 9 are maths, English x2, triple science, Spanish, geography and history. She's no idea what she wants to do but obviously wants to get as high grades as poss. If she took a 10th it would be 'food and nutrition'. We have a meeting with the head of year in Jan to discuss but I'm interested to hear views in the meantime please? Thanks in advance

possum in a pear tree your DD should benefit- take a look at the contextualising data on university websites - very interesting and is meant to flag any very able children who may have had less opportunity. Gives unis an indication of potential compared to those kids who go to schools where there's more hand holding etc.
sensummerMy DD would die at the thought of doing a self taught language or essay writing BUT something science or maths based maybe an idea - she'll have to look into that! Thank you for that nugget - great idea!

DD found Drama the hardest of her GCSEs not because of content but because she found it very hard to organise the other members of her group to do anything in preparation for performances.

9 won't make any difference at all to Uni apps if the grades are good - she's chosen subjects that they deem to be "academic". And to be honest, with the uncertainty surrounding the new exams/grading systems and the inevitable boundary adjustments over the next couple of years, I'd put her through as few as possible and make sure she does as well as she can in those she does. I think more schools will move to fewer GCSEs as the impact of funding cuts and linear exams are felt.

Huge thanks! Does the school benefit in any way if their students do 10 rather than 9? I'm trying to understand what the rationale may be?