School offered GCSE option but has withdrawn it.

[Blef1974]

My dd is taking her options. She really wanted to take Statistics as she wants to be a Maths teacher. About 10 other pupils also put down Statistics as one of their options. Last week the children were told they can't take Statistics, it's no longer being offered. The teacher who teaches Statistics hadn't even been told that the option had been withdrawn, and my dd said he looked visibly upset when the pupils told him. When I phoned the school it was down to lack of interest apparently.

I'm not happy. She is very good at Maths, she loves the subject. I'm not sure what to do now. She was made to choose an option on the spot and she said she couldn't remember what was left so chose catering. When I said to the teacher today they I wasn't very happy about her choosing catering she said to me "well it's still a GCSE".

I'm really annoyed that a group of academically minded pupils who had been offered a GCSE subject have had it withdrawn. Can anyone recommend what I should do next?

You could probably have a dialogue with the school to see how many did want to do it and how close they were and let them know just how pset the children are but, also bear in mind, finances are really, really tough now. Schools cannot afford to run courses with low numbers - there just isn't the capacity £££ wise. If that is their reason there really is very little you can do. Budgets are really being squeezed.

I'd complain and ask that she can be given more time to choose an alternative. However Statistics GCSE isn't really necessary to study Maths, and Statistics is quite easy to pick up for anyone even mildly good at Maths, I wouldn't worry too much about that aspect.

I would definitely try and get to the bottom of the catering choice though. Children are given weeks and weeks to decide on their choices and give a reserve option. It's bigged up as a major decision. Then something like this happens and she is forced to choose (I assume catering wasn't her reserve) without you around and without even the full facts of what is on offer!

She should at least have been given a reminder of the other options in the block and allowed to disuess them with you.

For what it's worth my DD1s school a well know superselective which sends loads of girls on to medical schools, oxbridge etc are also withdrawing from statistics next year. They felt is was too much course work and detracted from maths and other GCSEs. They lumped it in with maths though, it was taught as as separate option which makes me think they didn't give it much value in the first place, just an "additional" GCSE.

There is not a great deal you can do. School budgets are mega tight these days so I can understand why they withdrew a subject with just 10 students signed up for it.

Just found out that only 9 children are doing French but that is going ahead.

French is slightly different though, I think they have to have that subject available.
Personally I would ask your dd to go through the options book again and decide what she does want to do, it's wrong of the school to put her on the spot like that, she needs time to consider it carefully

All is not lost I think.
Statistics is covered as one of the modules at A level and if she is very able at maths she could do further maths at A level as well.
DS1 plans to do Maths and FM at A level (got A* in Year 10).
His school do Maths GCSE in year 10 for set one and then statistics in Year 11. However he, along with most of the rest of the class, doesn't enjoy statistics at all.
Agree that she should be given a proper alternative choice though.

French will be needed to enable students good at French to get the English Bacc. Statistics is nowhere near as important. Maths at A or A* GCSE can move onto Maths and Further Maths at A Level.