Yr 6 are choosing schools without a clue as to the exams they will take!?!

[pugsandseals]

I may be a bit late to realise this, but reading the paper today, year 6 will be the first year to take the new replacement GCSE's (apart from English, Maths & Science). This means as parents, we are currently choosing their senior school on the basis of what is on offer now when actually it has absolutely no relevance to what will be on offer by the time they get there.:-S

This is an absolute nightmare!!! quietly panics

It is always diffcult to know what to base the choice on as so much can change. Either with the school itself, or from a higher influence.

For DD1 (now yr 11) we had a realistic 'choice' of 2 averagish comps. Not much between them in the league tables.
DD1 was at the time science mad and keen on music.
Our first choice was the school that had a sixth form, offered triple science, more than one MFL, and had a better head. The other school had a Performing Arts specialism, alhough dd not appear great on music. Never thought of asking whether triple science took up an option, or whether any GCSE's are sat early or modular/linear.

Fast forward 5 years, she is taking the triple science (at the cost of another option), not altogether happy about the GCSE's/modules she was forced to take in yr10. And now being music mad, not struck with the facilities and attitude to music at the school. Also, whilst having a sixth form is a bit of a security blanket in a competitive area, she would have to compromise subject choices to stay as the option blocks are so limited.

The head in the other school has also since changed for the better. I have heard they now offer triple science too.

Next year, we will face the same choice for yr5 DD2. Also in catchment for a superselective, but not sure we want to put her through it. (Streets ahead in literacy, especially writing, but maths very average).

We will be going to the open evenings for both schools this year and next and keeping a close eye.
As for specific questions - not a clue. Final choice likely to be down to gut feeling alone.

Its always crap when they change the system. I am victim of the 1st year to do GCSE all those years ago. Most of my coursework ended up in a bin and redone 1 weeks before deadlines because the syllibus in most subjects simply had not arrived so the teachers just taught us what they thought would be needed from the old O'level and CSE courses.

I think I was looking at schools I would still aim for the one that would suit my DC best with the best results. What else can you go on really?? Crap situation though.

This choosing idea is getting more complicated by the minute! Why don't I just pull a name out of a hat?

It's horrifying that our kids futures are decided at the whim of government & heads!

Yup. Infortunately when teachers try to bring this to the attention of the public at large, they are accused of whinging, and don't get a lot of support (in general) from society as a whole. It's the constant changes and government interference that drive teachers out of teaching usually, not the actual teaching part of the job. . It would be fantastic to actually let experienced teachers decide - based on real research - what works well, and how things could be improved for all of our children, but politicians always think they know best.