Government Y9 options changes

[aducker]

My child has come home from school this week saying that she has to change one of her options to a Humanities or Language, she is not in set where this is compulsory, the school have explained to her that it is due to changes just put in place by the government, she is very upset and we have spent the last few months choosing very carefully her options and now she has to drop one, has anybody heard of any recent significant changes ?? I think the school are just trying to improve their Ebacc measurement by making all pupils, not just the highest set, take a humanities or language !!!! Furious mum

my yr9 kid just came home, let me ask...
nope, he's not heard such a thing. He was already asked to have 1 Ebacc options in his list, though, so maybe that's the new rule?

What options did your DD have until now?

Dance, Drama, Photography, PE she is already doing double Maths and Science, it was only the top band that were required to take a language, a humanities and two other options. She is going to a performing arts college so she doesnt need a language or humanities to get into it she needs more ART's options

www.st-bedes.surrey.sch.uk/sites/default/files/Curriculum%202014%20-%20parents%20and%20students.pdf

This might help

I would phone school to clarify.
I can't understand that St. Bede's link at all; are they saying that govt. will make it compulsory to have an applied subjects like Art/Music/Fashion/Motoring etc? That would be disaster for some of my DC!

I have left them a message to call me, there is nothing on their website, I think they should have at least sent an explanation home as to why all Y9 now have to change their options when we told a few weeks back that they were ok, she is really upset.

Well you don't 'get' the ebacc (it's not an actual qualification or certificate, just a measure) with a language OR humanity, only for both, so it can't be that...

The new league table measure is based on best 8 gcse's or equivalent. These must include maths, English, three ebac subjects and then any three other gcse or btec.
So if she is taking maths, english and double science she needs one more ebac subject. This can be computer science, a language or a humanity.

Oh yes, our kids in year 9 have to take either history or geography. Fucking crazy. (Some are already nightmares in these subjects that they have neither the ability or inclination to study)

@SuffolkGirl do you have info (link) about the new league table measurement? When does it start being applied?

It doesnt make sense to make them do subjects they are going to fail in when they could do outstanding in another ART's subject, it should be based on what they want as a career !

If they are making a change to include a humanity or a language (rather than 'and') then it looks as if they may well not be aiming for EBACC options anyway.

So even thought the school are blaming 'the Government' (as a bogeyman?), what they are actually doing does not seem to achieve any of the Coalition desiderata.

The new measurement kicks in for the year 9's going into year 10 in September. It is called Progress Eight. It should be replacing 5A* -C in the league tables which is why is matters so much to schools. Is she doesn't have 3 eBac subjects, the schools point score will really suffer.

PS don't blame the school! The Government puts in measures to judge schools by, and then we have to meet them or suffer the wrath of OFSTED, which parents then get upset about as their school drops in popularity!

Looks like aducker's school should have realised this problem ages ago.

But I couldn't rise to blaming them. The goalposts keep moving & how any schools keep up I can't imagine.

Can the school truly force Aducker's DD to take certain subjects? What if she stamps her foot & refuses to change?

My dd goes to a specialist performing arts school( a proper one not a ' state specialist status one' & their options booklet has always stated they have to take English Language, English Literature, Maths, Double Science, Dance or Drama plus 3 other subjects, one of which must be either French, History or Geography.

Even if you know what you are going to specialise in having a broad, well rounded range of gcses is a good basis.

I wouldn't recommend stamping of feet and refusal simply because if the school made an exception for aducker DD then they wouldn't have a leg to stand on with other parents. It seems rather late to be changing things after the options are chosen. Just shows how the DoE have no idea how their about turns actually affect real people.

Agree it is based on Progress 8, but the school should have been on board with this earlier. Much earlier. Not fair to blame the DofE on the school's late change on this occasion.

However I also agree that it is better to have a wider range of GCSEs.

Humanities subjects are very important in the performing arts. It's important to have 'thinking' dancers & actors who can put their performances into context both of the world around them now & the times they originate from.

When choosing options my ds1 chose history, English lit, IT and French . He thought it was a good mix with his maths, english, triple science, ethical studies). He was told the take-up rate of French was exceptionally low and therefore had to choose a different option... there were 2 performing arts options as well as media studies or business studies... he chose media.

He doesn't want to do the fourth option and is incredibly peedoff annoyed that he has had to drop French.

Was there another Modern Language option instead Ludoole? DDs school isn't running Italian this year because there was no take up, but they are all doing French instead.

If not, that is terriblle, a ML has been valued as a GCSE even before Ebacc