If your DC is thinking of taking more than 8 or 9 subjects.

[yourlittlesecret]

DS2 in year 11 is doing 11 subjects.
He also did his Maths last year.
This includes the long course RE which he knew would require after school lessons as it couldn't be fitted in.
Since September he has stayed behind at school on average 4 nights a week until after 5pm. This is not revision or remedial classes, he's predicted all A*/As.
It's because the useless school apparently can't fit it all in the timetable. No one told us this when he was choosing his options .

He has to do;
I night RE which is what he was expecting.
1 night of science as they can't fit the curriculum in for all three sciences.
1 night Geography, planning or some sort of coursework.
1 or 2 sessions of history.
The revision lessons haven't even started yet.

He is worn out.

DS1 is in Y13 at a sixth form and doing 4 A levels but has more free time than DS2.

DD is doing 12 GCSEs
DS is doing 9 GCSEs

I seem to remember arguing with DS's school about the few number of GCSEs they did. In retrospect they were quite right. It's not just the volume of GCSEs it is the way that they are taught. DD's school teaches to the test (pretty elementary and a rubbish grounding). DS's school teaches the subject.

That's a world of difference. IME avoid any school teaching more than 10 GCSEs

My DS is in Y10 and is doing 11 GCSEs, they seem to be doing them in normal time so far (although we're only 25% of the way through the course). He is doing his Physics GCSE this year and all the rest at the end of Y11.

I have only just today realised that one of the Sixth Forms we are looking at has admission criteria based on average GCSE grade from all those taken which is worrying when doing more than 8 GCSEs.

DD is doing 12 - it all fits in the timetable, no early takes, just optional after school revision three days a week this term and next.