GCSEs, first choosing, Ebac etc

[Jux]

DD's just had her first choosing.

I'm not too happy as the downloadeable leaflet on the school's site says there's a parents' meeting etc in January, but apparently these are last year's dates. I cannot find any other dates.

I have just noticed that they are doing the Ebac. One of the reasons I wanted her to go to this school was that they offered Ibac, and now it appears they aren't. Is that a state-wide change?

So, the Choosing. (Sounds like a Religious Ceremony!)

They have maths, english and science (3) as core subjects. Then one modern language and one further humanity. Then the choice of another 2 subjects.

DD wanted to do French, German, History, Geography, Art, Music and Textiles.

They couldn't offer German in their Pathways last year, so afaic she had better stick with French for her language. Her major interest is History so she'll do that.

She could drop Physics, but she can't. So she can actually choose two subjects out of the 5 left.

Is this normal?

Yes

Cant she do do double science, thereby freeing up a slot?

What does she want to do that she can't?

Sorry, didn't read your op properly

Normal and sensible - why on earth was she planning to do 13 GSCEs?

It looks as if her school, like my dds, only lets them sit 9 GCSEs.So she wanted to do 12 GCSEs? And her school only all

Sorry- pressed post by mistake. If her school only lets them sit 9 GCSEs, she wouldn't have been able to do the combination she wanted anyway.

The wqy the school does it is quite normal by the way.

That's probably 10 GCSEs since English would be English Language and English Literature, which is pretty standard.

Did the school offer the IBacc at GCSE age? I've only seen UK schools offer it as an alternative to A-level. The Ebacc is just a specific combination of GCSEs that at the moment is just a measure of school performance but will be an actual certificate (in addition to the GCSE certificates) in future.

The EBacc and the IBacc are completely different things- it was particularly bonkers of the powers that be to use EBacc to describe a particularl combination of GSCE subjects. I know lots of people who've been confused.

Thank you Onemoremum and seeker. That was entirely unclear from what I had read in their leaflet (of last year)!

Yes, dd wanted to do 12. She's just asked if she could do animal care and textiles at school and all the ones she can't fit in at school with private tutors at home . I think she is completely mad, and has no idea at all of time, let alone finance - maybe a tutor in Household Management would be more appropriate!

Just as an additional point- be very wary of her doing two practical subjects if she wants to do well in the academic ones. Dd and loads of her friends thought that Art, DT, Textiles and so on would be a bit of light relief from the hqrd slog of the others. How wrong they were..............!

I rather wish that schools would state the usual number of GCSE choices (9 or more) at things like Open Evenings. And the usual schedule (over 1, 2 or 3 years). Unfortunately they can't say with any certainty, anyway, given the sweeping changes that Gove wants to bring in. RATHER annoying. :(

I don't think the word "baccalaureate" got mentioned even once at any of the open evenings we attended. I expect most local parents of y6s haven't even heard of it. But why bother, given the likely changes coming & always coming (argh).

My DD will be choosing this year too (Yr9)

They have lots chosen for them, so Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths, 3 Sciences, one modern lang (French), RS, and ICT.

That leaves them with 3 to choose. She is interested in, and doing well with, the humanities too, so wants to do both History and Geography. Then of all the rest she wants to carry on with Art which she loves. She did say it will "keep me sane" which is lovely - but I take your point seeker that it may be just as much or more work than the others (If her art assignments so far are anything to go by !)

We're fairly settled on those choices and reasonably happy. But it is a shame she can't squeeze in a design/ tech subject as she's really enjoyed some of those.
And we did ask if she could continue with Latin instead of French for a language as languages not her strength, and Latin has the history interest and is more logical. But apparently not possible as has to be a modern lang.

I guess in an ideal world I'd prefer the possibility of more individual choice, so allowing her to do the Latin, and possibly a design and tech to go with her love of art, instead of the RS (which is all fine and good but I feel she could probably drop in Yr9 without much loss)

What is. The differencebetween ebacc and ibacc? ( confused non-Brit here)

If you do triple science and the "EBAcc" you get no other choices here. I think they just make sure you really do the triple science properly if you have chosen it so have plenty of lessons in these.

Seems to be wise not to be able to choose a practical one anyway as seeker* said. Those doing Art etc have lots of work.

They all do some sort of ICT, RE and can do PE in their normal lessons. Therefore they still can end up with 11, plus can do an extra MFL so 12.

EBacc is just ticking the boxes for getting A* to C in 5 GCSEs: MFL, Eng, Maths, Science of some sort and Hist or Geog

So she wouldn't have to do the Ebacc at all, just straightforward GCSEs? This is getting silly!

Gove, leave our skools alone.

EBacc is just GCSES. It's an extra bit of paper you get if you get GCSEs in English, Maths, two sciences, a MFL and either history or geography.

It was introduced to stop schools fudging their stats by classifying BTecs as GCSEs.