Is there any actual evidence about the corrolation between the number of GCSE's taken & the grades achieved?

[KatyMac]

That I can access?

'cos I'm a pain & I want to know

[sashh]

Sashh - why do you think schools do it?

No idea. It might be time tabling, something that simple.

Possibly school teachers are more academic and that's what they know from their own school days. FE lecturers often come from industry so look at things a bit differently.

Maybe there are rules that have to be followed.

I really don't know.

[KatyMac]

DD will be giving them a miss

[forevergreek]

I actually don't remember 14 gcses being that bad, the 5 a levels after were a nightmare though!

[alanyoung]

14 GCSEs is ridiculous. When are these children ever going to have time to enjoy themselves?

[KatyMac]

Meanie

Mind you we only suspect about the BTEC science......she may not even have been entered

[OddBoots]

Sorry Katy, I was already typing the thread.

[KatyMac]

With any luck DD's teachers won't find out & she will be OK; don't publicise it too much......pretty please?

[OddBoots]

Ah, this one isn't down to the school, this is a new sly (and in my opinion) unfair change that has just come in with no publicity, even to the subject teachers.

[KatyMac]

Oddboots - that doesn't surprise me; they seem to know little about the exams as a whole (wrong exam board/qualification written in the options booklet for several exams)

[KatyMac]

But LIZS they stopped the BTEC lessons at the end of yr9 & started GCSE lessons; I have no confidence in them at all. We had agreed no RE (Citizenship/ethics) with Head of Options & I found out before half-term he teacher doesn't know that, so had entered DD in for the exam.

[OddBoots]

I'm about to start a thread on it but the goalposts have been quietly shifted in some subjects, most notably in the performing arts subjects. The school's league table will only be able to count one of them so it's not in their interests to have her do the drama if she already has dance.

[LIZS]

If you suspect she hasn't achieved her BTEC Science there isn't much point in her doing 2 Science GCSEs as well. Better to get one solid qualification in it .

[Picturesinthefirelight]

The colleges katymacs dd is hoping to apply to will probably only want minimum academic qualifications at 16 or 200 Ucas points at 18.

[forevergreek]

It also depends on what sixth fom/ college thu want to go to. Some accept with a couple of a-e grade, others ( like one I mentioned) require 8 grade b or above to stay on and you can only study those at a level with a grade a or higher. 6 a stars wouldn't get you a look in.

[KatyMac]

Whoops Forevergreek - cross post

[KatyMac]

Thanks you are only saying what I thought anyway

Sashh - why do you think schools do it?

DD is vocational & will retrain academically in her 30s probably; one size does not fit all (sadly)

[forevergreek]

I attended an excellent grammar school. Min gcses allowed were 12. Everyone gets at least 12 a-c, around 90% get all a and a's. So no I don't think it correlates.

( as a comparision the local regular school usually does 5/6 gcses with a b-e average)

[sashh]

Oh and we think she may have failed the BTEC science

You can't actually fail BTEC, you just have not achieved it yet.

I teach in FE and I constantly wonder why schools put students in for 10-14 GCSEs if they are not capable of a C. I've taught people with 10 G grades. Surely they would be better with 5 GCSEs at C? And they could still take other subjects for interest.

I also wonder why more schools don't enter ESOL students for GCSEs in the languages they speak at home. Obviously you also need to be able to read and write in that language to pass, but many do.

Sorry, rant over. I was severely scarred by helping a group create their CVs. Non put their languages down, 'because I don't have a qualification in it'.

[BooksandaCuppa]

Grammar schools round here do 10/11 (if doing further maths).

Ds's independent school - max 9/10 (if doing triple science in slot for double science).

All of the above is so that a) they can get really high grades and b) they can still do loads of extra-curricular stuff...

HTH!

[KatyMac]

Mumbles

I need a chill pill think

[wordfactory]

OP both DC's private schools suggest 10 is more than enough.

Better to get good grades and use spare time on sports/music/hobbies ...

[KatyMac]

Well BTEC Dance was last year - but for some unknown & obscure reason it won't be submitted until later this year she is predicted an Distinction*

BTEC Drama is in yr 11 so I can't worry about that yet & Music GCSE she is predicted a B but I think it's unlikely with all the time off

Oh and we think she may have failed the BTEC science

[Picturesinthefirelight]

She just needs 5 c grades to get to where she needs to go though 8 would be good.

Madness to do all these.

[LIZS]

and if she wants to pursue dance , drama , music she really needs them to be at A/ A*.