“Avoid” GCSEs for extremely bright DD?

[TeensMom]

DD is extremely bright, but also very driven and cut-throat competitive.

DH was educated overseas and can’t understand why we would drag DD through the mill of GCSEs, originally designed as an exit exam for school leavers, at a time when she could be continuing to learn new topics (rather than spending months rote-learning topics she’s already covered) and developing her critical thinking and debating/essay writing skills.

I devoted Years 8 to 11 to a self-imposed 16 hours a day 365 days a year regime to ace my GCSEs, which paid off in my grades, but took away four of my teenage years and left me entering Year 12 without the social skills or maturity to negotiate my sixth form friendships and settle down to study my ‘A’ level courses.

After an emotionally disastrous 13+ Scholarship term (got one, failed 2, best friend got both she applied for and didn’t fail any), we can see that competition with her school friends over anticipated GCSE grades (all aiming for 10 or 11 grade 9s) will be extremely destructive for her self-esteem and is likely to lead to an eating disorder, self-harm or worse.

We’re considering taking her out of the British system and instead sending her to a well-regarded international school nearby, where her first public exam would be the IB in Year 13.

Any advice from other families who have been in a similar position or anyone involved with university applications in the UK, Europe or USA?

I'm a bit confused by this. My DD got all 8s and 9s in her GCSES from a bang average state school. Only started properly revising a few months before, but had obviously been creating resources and revising for smaller tests for a few years before. Definitely nowhere near 16 hours a week in year 8 (wtf, unless I've understood that wrong). Thousands of kids do this every year. Unsure why you assume that because she's bright and competitive she is going to get an eating disorder due to GCSEs.

Sounds like GCSEs will be a good exercise in work life balance, earlier you learn it the easier it is for it to ‘stick’ than avoid it. You also don’t need to take tons of them, many schools do just 8, 9-10 is typical, any more is an outlier.

DD also competitive did 10 but we helped her realise she was more effective when taking time out, having a p/t job, keeping up her volunteering role even when in midst of exams and going outside for fresh air and exercise. She became good at time management and identifying what style was working for revision and what wasn’t.

GCSEs aren’t that hard for bright children and may be a good way for her to learn that perfection isn’t important.

Have you had feedback why she failed the entrance exams? Was it exam technique or something else?

If she is extremely bright 9s should be a piece of cake.

I think you are over thinking this. As said a school day plus a couple of hours homework / revision per day should be more than sufficient.

If anything do fewer GCSEs to reduce the pressure 8 or 9 rather than 10 or 11.