Parents who had DC begin secondary school in year 9 - choosing GCSE options.

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My DS will move to secondary school at 13 in year 9.
So will the majority of the year, he won't be alone.
Presumably he will have to make his choices for GCSE fairly rapidly, wihtout much knowledge of the school, teachers etc.

How did this, or will this work for your DCs in the same boat?

Ds just did his. Yr 9, upper school. Moved here in sept from middle school

It's scary! But he had 2 sisters go before him so we knew what to expect and what he wanted.

Going through this at the moment but vast majority entered at 11+. tbh it leaves little time to assess any rapport with teachers and differnet subjects. His choice on entering Year 9 was already limited especially in MFL. You just have to go with instinct really.

Thank you.
DD went to secondary at 11, and teachers began informal chats about options almost immediately.
By y9, I suspect she will have a good handle on what she wants and the teachers will have a good handle on which subjects she should take.

DS though, will be new to the teachers.

I suppose there's no that much choice is there?
He'll have to do Eng, maths, science x3, MFL. So only really a choice of what, three or four others?

ds only got to choose 3 more as the MFL had to be French in his case as not previously studied any others and isn't quick to pick it up so an accelerated option in Year 9 didn't suit. Those who joined at 11 had 2 years of basic taster courses.

Parents' evening tomorrow.
Choices evening next week.
School wrote to us to ask DD to do even more subjects!!
I'm drawing the line at as many as she can do and still get straight A*
so probably 14 in total (we must be mad)

English Lang , English Lit, Maths, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, French, Spanish, Latin, Geography, History, Textiles, Computer programming.

NB
science can be 1, 2 or 3 GCSE's - depending on academic level
English one or two -ditto

wordfactory it really isn't a problem. Both mine went from prep school to senior school in year 9. The first year they did all the subjects after being streamed as a result of CE and we had a parents meeting at Easter for GCSE choices. As you mentioned there are only a few choices so it is reasonably straightforward.
talkin I may be wrong but no one needs 14 GCSEs regardless of whether they are A*s or not. At most universities look at the top 10 GCSEs. Oxbridge don't require it and there is no extra advantage. Could this be your school wanting to improve their stats especially as now GCSEs in the future will all be taken at the same time and therefore less chances for resits for the weaker students thus bringing down the average(not sure whether this will have started in your daughter's time). Apart from the stats issue there is more to years 10 and 11 than just GCSEs.

My sons joined their senior school in Y9, and made their choices in the spring term. They were well acquainted with the school by then.

No one can rely on individual teachers being in school in the years to come. They have their own lives.

going
Oxbridge not really an option for the course she wants to do (think six years!!!)
She wants to do all those subjects (and more) and does dancing, riding, music and swimming outside school. I'm not a pushy parent, I just magically gave birth to a swot.
My real point is that unless SHE enjoys herself, the school will have to lump it.
And when DS gets to that stage it will be a whole different ball game (cos he's a lazy £$%£$%£$)

Yes, I'm sure it's going to be fine. The school will have done this a million times before ...just me over thinking probably.