Choosing options in year 8

[Jamrollypolly]

Hi

My dd's school have just sent a letter to say that the current year 8 students will be choosing their options this month! They will have meetings in school and we will also be invited to an options meeting to help decide. The reason for the change is to give students a better chance due to the changes being brought in.

Are any other schools doing this? Does anyone know the pros and cons? Can any experienced parents/teachers share their experiences.

I really want the best for my child (like any other parent) and would really appreciate some advice. I thought I had an extra year to do some research.

It's such a shame that students can be so put off a subject due to poor teaching. Dd's had an amazing ict teacher last year, this years teacher isn't the best and I'm hoping she doesn't have him next year, he is difficult to understand.

Going off track, I do wonder if they check this during the interview process.

I wonder too, Jam. This teacher is horrendous - she brings in evangelising Christian organisations to speak to the children but never any representatives of other faiths, and last week she threatened my DD with a gross misconduct charge for questioning the existence of God in a conversation where this was a logical extension of where the debate was going. The only reason I didn't complain is that my DD was adamant she didn't want me to, and I could see her point.

It's a terrible shame, because RE can be a hugely engaging academic subject in the right hands.

last week she threatened my DD with a gross misconduct charge for questioning the existence of God

That's not poor teaching, that's breaking the law. If the teacher had gone through with this they could find themselves in much more trouble than the pupil.

True, reddidi but if I pursue this, some of her fellow students will have to make witness statements (those involved in the debate) and DD will be forever in this teacher's sights whilst any investigation takes place.

Part of me wishes the teacher had gone through with it, especially because it would then have been an obvious and flagrant breach of the discipline policy - she is supposed to give warnings first, misconduct is the final step and the criteria for it are very very clear. We could indeed have caused great trouble for this teacher, and would have done.

As it is, the situation is much more 'she said, she said'. I've asked DD to report any further incidents back to me though, and if anything like this happens again I will insist on a meeting no matter what.