GCSE English Language only

[mannylou1971]

Just had a letter back from school on the last day of term concerning my ds. He has just finished year 9. Nobody has told me of any issues regarding his English ability and he is supposed to be bright. At parents evening he was predicted 2 Cs at GCSE or if he worked hard 2 Bs. However all of a sudden school is recommending that he drops English Literature entirely and just concentrates on English Language. They are now saying that he may struggle to get even a C grade. Does anyone elses school do this? Is it likely to be in his interests or just for school league tables?

This may appear to be for the schools benefit in giving him a better chance of a grade C but its the child's benefit too, to get a C in English (which is the name of the one paper and has a combination of literature and language). My daughters looking for universities and all require C grade in English and Maths, so he will be better getting one English C rather than Language and Lit at D grades.

The school cannot also predict borderlines very accurately. They were messed about with last year and rumour has it, they will again. With a English being so important to your child, I am not surprised they are going the one paper route.

My son is also sitting one paper. He has dyslexia and finds English stressful. He is cleverer than his sister (who passed the double papers at C) but he just doesn't have the technique - caused by years and years of neglect of dyslexia at primary and support at secondary but with a backdrop of his problems. He has been far better off doing one paper.

Thank you everyone for your comments and support. I'm now feeling more positive about everything. The letter from school does clearly say that the GCSE would be English language only rather than the combined one. Just wondering what I can do to support him during the holidays, so that he goes back without the dip in September. Are they any books or web sites anyone would recommend?

OP, as you will be discussing this thing with the school in the autumn, and probably throughout GCSE years, you will hear a lot that your DS is unmotivated and lazy and that the only thing he needs is to work harder and show his dedication. If you don't believe that laziness is your DS only problem, don't feel any need to explain yourself. Just stay focused on what you think is right for your DS.

Ask why other pupils are allowed not to take triple science and further maths plus statistics as compulsory.