GCSE options - statemented pupil

[liancecilia]

Does anyone know what GCSE's a child has to take. My daughter has special needs and is statemented in a mainstream school, presently year 8 and we are doing her transition paperwork. They insist that it is a requirement that she takes 8 GCSE's (plus 2 level one subjects for disabled pupils, which are very good). My daughter cannot read, gets very tired and has complex learning difficulties. She is however fully aware and able to communicate with everyone. Surely selecting a few subjects to really work on would be more suitable and give my daughter a sense of doing well.

From DS's options booklet I know that some pupils can take a different course called ASDAN which is different to GCSE's I think and seems to be skills in a little of everything. According to the booklet it's only offered to selected pupils. It might be worth seeing if your DD's school has anything like that on offer.

Thank you, I will check it out.

Also your school may have links with a college that offers alternative courses (catering, hairdressing and others). They may offer ASDAN if your school doesn't. This course used to b e about independent living so everyday maths, social communication and literacy and so on. Do ask.
Also you should make yourself known to the careers officer sometimes careers help can kick in earlier for children with learning needs. I would have thought that a child with additional needs could do a reduced timetable and focus on fewer courses. 8 GCSEs seems rather a lot.

Maths, english and Science are the core (compulsory) subjects from the National Curriculum at KS4. They can be studied at different levels - GCSE/BTEC or Entry Level Certificate (which may be what you mean by level 1)
Students must also have RE lessons and PSHE. Some schools will make the short course GCSE in RE compulsory.

Other subjects may be made compulsory by the school - e.g. often one humanities subject (choice of geography/history or RE (full GCSE))
Some schools make a language compulsory.

As mentioned above ASDAN may be appropriate. It depends on what your daughter's needs are.

I would talk to the SENCO as well as the careers officer.

There is provision within the education act to be exempt from having to follow the national curriculum by virtue of having a statement. Don't know the reference but I'm sure if you google disapplication from the national curriculum SEN you'll find something. Worth asking for maybe. www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DFES-00224-2006 gives the guidance

What does your daughter want to do? There is an obligation for the school/LA to take her views into account - see Chapters 3 and 9 of the SEN COP. Have you been in touch with the Connexions team? There should be a specialist person dealing with SEN.

DS goes to a school for high functioning AS and most of the students will do GCSEs, but the school normally only recommend 6, as they use the rest of the time to teach life skills/independence skills under the ASDAN scheme. Life skills are far more important in the long term for future quality of life - there is just no point getting lots of GCSEs but having struggling to run a household or budget.

Will she be doing full GCSEs or Entry Level GCSEs (aimed at students not expected to get Grade G)? I don't understand why they expect her to manage 8 standard subjects if she cannot read at all, even if they allow a reader/scribe.