12 year old taking GCSE - advice opinions

[Rustygecko]

My child is exceptionally able, and wants to sit their GCSEs or at least some of them this summer. We went to see their school, (a grammar school) and to my surprise, not only were they aghast at such a thought, but they refused point blank to help.
(I have a sneaking feeling though that once they have got a handful of GCSEs aged 12 they will be at the front of the queue wanting to make publicity off their success).
Any opinions / advice.

GCSEs should be done in one whack, preferably at the end of y11. Anybody who wants to do anything academic like further or higher education needs A - recent examination success, and B - to be able to demonstrate that they can sit a series of examination in one sitting. Lots of schools tried the cramming approach - sit 3 in y9, 3 in y10 and 4 in y11 and have 10 fabulous “passes” but it was seen as the scam that it is and roundly condemned by Ofsted as well as centres of higher learning. When I was at school hundreds of years ago there was an option for boys (only boys) to sit maths gcse at the end of y10 and spread maths A-level over 3 years instead of 2. It was entirely without point (except bragging rights “we have boys starting the A-level course at 15”).
I could see that if an able, home schooled, child sitting GCSEs at the end of y10, they could take maybe 5 A-levels over 3 years. Maybe useful if they don’t know which route to follow?? What the actual point though? As others have said, their is more to learn than can ever be learned so why not learn something instead of trying to sit public examinations at odd times?

Please don't push this with the school.
They don't have to change the whole curriculum for you and it's not beneficial for your child.
I'm a teacher and I agree with the suggestions of doing wider reading/another language etc.

What would be the point? They would then still have to sit through another 3 years of school before they could leave anyway. Why don't they learn an instrument or another foreign language or complete some of the free Open University courses?

As PPs have said it depends on what will come next.

My DD took a GCSE in a MFL not offered by the school (we had lived in the country for a number of years and DD was fluent) in Y7. After that DD took an A level in that language so by the time she sat her 'proper' GCSEs she already had an A grade A level under her belt.

That A level saved her bacon when it came to uni applications as she did quite poorly in her AS' (back in the day when they counted to final A level grade). She ended up at the university & on the course of her choice because that A level added her to her tariff points.

The school were very helpful, sorted her exams for her etc.

I think the experience did help her overall. She was never phased by exam stress.

If he wants to be pushed and have more to do, why not choose one of the subjects not done at school?

Loads of more obscure ones here. My friend did Afrikaans as a foreign language as either GCSE or A level (as she was actually South African it was a bit of a sneak!)

One of DD's friends at school did Chinese GCSE in year 8 and achieved an A*. She was Chinese.

Mad idea.

One of my siblings did all their GCSEs at 13 and got 11 A stars with zero discernable effort. They did the IB at 15 with very high score and went off to university at 16.... and were back home having had a complete breakdown by Easter. It was extremely damaging being outside their peer group and it took years to recover. Never did finish university either.

I went through a year ahead and as a summer birthday. Academically it was fine - not so great in terms of social skills. I would NEVER let my DD be outside her peer group. Our parents have huge regrets.

Your child's school obviously have their best interests at heart. There are so many ways to keep a bright child busy that doesn't involve doing things early.

I'm impressed by the school's attitude and hope they explained to you why this isn't a good idea. I've known a lot of people over the years who were pushed like this and separated from their peers as a consequence - it rarely works to anyone's advantage.

The child already speaks 5 languages, three of which absolutely fluently. Among the O levels she wants to take are the languages.

But why? What will it gain her?

O levels?

Does she have any friends, and do anything other than study?

O levels?? I spy a troll 🧌

This

O’levels were abandoned in the 80s.

'The child'

And

'O Levels'

🤨

It's very young... what career path are they hoping to take (if they even have an idea of that yet)?

Fuck. Do not homeschool and revise for O-Levels unless you have a delorian

5 language at the age of 12?

The OP was on the g&t board in 2015 so probably real, though I'm surprised too at the mention of O levels.

Doing GCSEs in native/fluent languages always strikes me as relatively pointless, as fluent is a far better qualification than GCSE.

Do not do this. It can do such a lot of damage. One or two early, fine, if the school will allow,, though they might not. I only know one person who took a lot of exams early. They did ace them all, but it slightly fell apart at A level, where they did very well but not exceptionally. They dropped out of university.

I am wondering would any grammar school want the "kids take GCSEs at 12 here" accolade. It's very little to do with the school if they are taking them in Y7 and much more likely to do with the home life.
I would steer well clear of any school encouraging GCSEs that early. However, if my child was that bright, I would certainly want a school that had things in place to stretch and challenge them over all the years.

I believe this is fake, but on the off chance, I know of a very bright girl who self taught herself a couple GCSEs early. Made not a iota of difference to her university application or anything, but she did it because she could. If your kid is that bright then they can self educate and take the exams whenever. Or, maybe learn a sixth and seventh language!

Terrible idea of no benefit to the child, if they are very capable and find learning easy then they can breeze through the gcse syllabus when it comes to it and develop a whole range of intellectual extension learning on the side or start a business that will give them another range of skills, or do voluntary work, music, write and publish or become a social media legend even better if arising from a passion. Languages a good place start perhaps, politics or cultural studies. Science innovation projects.

But what do you for the remaining years of his compulsory education? After GCSE he'll want to do A level. School is not just academic learning.

To be fair my Grandfather could speak 5 languages, write in 4 different alphabets. Thinking back on it he must have been gifted and conversely was too old for O-Levels OP.

One of mine, at a super selective grammar, sat one iGCSE early, as was the norm at the school, directed by the school. While he got an A* I hated seeing a 13 year old under that pressure, while other friends were having fun.

I would advise against it. Too young for that stress. Think of the child and not the bragging rights.