GCSE options currently in year 8 2013

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Hi everyone

dd got to choose her options for GCSE levels (currently in year 8)

we have mislaid the booklet that she was sent is there anywhere online we can get a copy of it?

Or alternatively a place that we can go where someone can make sense of this? (I get utterly lost with choices like this)

Leaflet located (underneath the sofa cushions!!) as thats the FIRST place to look.. blinking kids.

Surely they'd be specific to the school wouldn't they? So best to ask the school for a copy.

It varies what you can and what you have to study at GCSE dependent upon the school. There is a huge list of GCSE courses and not all schools will offer the opportunity to choose from the entire list as they don't offer the subject. Some schools also have a particular specialism that determines what you can take, or have to take. For example, if some schools have a language specialism it might mean that stdents have to take more than one language at GCSE or if it's a specialist technology college it might be compulsory to take a technology.

At our school they don't select options for GCSE until Yr 9 and I thought that was the norm. Then they go straight into their GCSE courses in years 10 and 11. I didn't select my options for O'level and CSE until Yr 9 (the "third year" in those days!) either.

Just out of interest, can I ask you why they do it early at your DD's school? What's the thinking behind it? Does it mean that they start on their GCSE courses a year early or something and then have to drop stuff that they would otherwise carry on doing for another year in another school?

Confused...

This strange idea of make them pick their gcses a year early has been around a while now .It happened at a school locally a previously okay school when the unwelcome decision to close it was made 'first another school came in to close it because there was no where for the pupils to go then it was presented as a wonderfull oportunity and promises of extra gcse options for year 11 the only option the pupils got was all to do public services in year 11 Pupils felt they had chosen their gcses too soon before they knew what they wanted to do No one felt they had better results even though they had more time to re sit and they were sickened to find out the only extra opportunity they got was to all do public services course Why have ofsted never looked into it it failed a lot of pupils this idea and prob still does

The school changed to do it from year 8 this year dd1 who is in year 10 did it at year 9.. From what understood they had been told it had to happen nationally but I wont claim it is set in stone.. Just what I understood.

I struggle greatly with the English Education system having not gone through it myself it makes little sense.

Just to add my dd in Yr8 is also in the process of choosing her GCSE options. We have the meeting next week so I don't know the rationale behind it but I think it's too early!

Our school started it last year so Ds1 went through it. He is quite academic and being able to specialise a year earlier has been good.

For Ds2 now being asked to do the same it's a nightmare ( see my other thread) he's getting marked out as non ebacc material when he's only 12.

The most successful school in our area has been doing it for some time and their results get better every year, I imagine that's why our school has gone for it.

The only school my way that takes their options in year 8 is one of the worst in town. It did become trendy for a while to take GCSE's early but now the research seems to suggest it is a bad idea.
www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/bright-children-lose-out-by-taking-gcses-early-8157488.html

DD1's school take GCSEs in Y10. All of them, with terminal exams (non of this module business). They have been doing it this way for 4 or 5 years I think. The school's position in the league tables for GCSEs published yesterday seems to indicate that it is working well for them.

DS's school makes the kids take French GCSE in Y9 and while some do well, some do ridiculously poorly given their ability. I think this is a Bad Thing but I think the way DD1's school does it is just fine.

Our school still take the exams in yr 11, just start studying for them a year earlier