Help! Fast Track French GCSE at 13 and stressing

[MzMonkey]

Hi all

DD is just 13 and about to sit a French GCSE on a fast track programme. We are not sure where she is at progress-wise as we have been away for 6 months. All seems a bit tricky and scary at the moment.

She's very capable overall, and has been keeping up, but what a stretch! Don't want her first GCSE to be a big stress or end up in a low mark or, even worse, fail. She's at a vulnerable age / stage and a lot else going on.

We have a tutor helping and DH did a French A-Level equiv. many moons ago.

Questions then

1. If she gets a low grade or fail, how will this look later on?

1. Could we just drop it? All seems a bit stressy at her age. Lots of other stuff going on. How many do they need?

1. Can all this cramming just kill her love of languages? Want a life long language lover not a hot house swot here...

Confused! Will know more when we speak to the teacher, but as she has not been tested for awhile, they don't really know where she is at. Trying to get Tutor and DH to communicate with teacher before it's all too late. They sit written just after half term.

Sorry for length. Yep, I'm a newbie.

Many many thanks in advance....

At the risk of repeating myself, all post-16 providers do not all use formulas for entry to courses.

Early entry can impact on grades clearly, but it does not mean that they will not be accepted for entry.

I see UCAS applications from 1000s of university applicants every year and there are lots and lots of examples were students have take GCSE early and then taken the subject of A level.

There are also only one or two universities that want GCSEs taken together, and these only require 8 anyway, so one or two taken early will not make any difference.

my dcs are at a high performing gs and the school never enter any one early for anything .All GCSEs are sat at the end of Y11

Interesting that even similar type schools can be so different in their approach

If the grammar school she is in says it will be OK and the gcse will be included in entry for 6th form, I'm assuming her 6th is at her school, then surely you should trust what they say as they are the ones who probably want her to go to their 6th for. They wouldn't jeopardise that, surely?

Surely the grammar school she is at has a very high reputation at stake, they wouldn't put groups into fast track without knowing the consequences, if any. I am assuming she is going to their 6th form, in which case surely they know whether her early taken GCSE will be included, they are the ones wanting her to go there, so presumably they wouldn't try and ruin her changes.

Sorry sent two similar messages as thought one hadnt gone through.

Well its done...

Really interesting topic - I was trying to understand why schools don't want to let the students take languages early ( as we did) and it makes sense(confused) ...sort of