How many gcse's do year 10 study?

[bellarations]

Our school is forcing all pupils to drop one subject from their options, how many do most schools take? Can they do this? They are an recently converted academy.

[bellarations]

Thanks again for more replies and clearing up that triple science is not 1 but 3 gcse's.
So is the consensus quality over quantity but not less than 8 ?
Are there any subjects that a preferable to colleges and universities?
For example should she drop art over geography or French?
Dd is a high achiever and in top sets so I'm not ultimately worried about her ability to do well, which is why it is so disappointing for her to be forced to drop a subject that she is a) very good at, and b) really enjoys.

[HPparent]

Another local school asks for 6 but has various hierarchies - to be in the top set you need mainly A etc.
burlingtondanes.bitmachine.co.uk/sites/default/files/41/attachments/Course-Guide-FINAL.pdf

We have local FE colleges but not terribly nice places.

[EvilTwins]

5 needed here - very well regarded secondary.

[RufusTheReindeer]

Our school offers

English (can't remember if lang and lit are separate)
Maths
Science double or triple (triple also do statistics which has pissed me off as ds1 has missed out on an extra GCSE)
And three or four other choices depending on whether you do double or triple science

So that's 8/9 if you do double science and 9/10 if you do triple

[EvilTwins]

8 here - super selective grammar.

[HPparent]

What subject does she need to drop Bellarations. Tbh Art was a pita a massive amount of work and not terribly enjoyable

[HPparent]

My elder daughter was forced to do I-media as her school was a specialist IT college at the time - there were other IT options but she didn't fancy them. An utter waste of time, 2 years playing around on Photoshop. To make matters worse the poor teacher got the spec wrong and a two year battle ensued with the exam board. They got a cert in the end - not the diploma they wanted - but the whole thing was a massive fuck up and waste of time.

[lljkk]

Okay, so HParent cited Holland Park which is massively over-subbed for yr7 entry, but with banded entry. So it must get super high results.
Also in y7 has 10% selective preferential admissions for kids with high ability in art and design (so semi-selective from yr7 already).

From this website my first three, semi-random choices, state schools within a close distance, which are Acland Burghley, Southfields Academy & William Morris 6th form.

Acland: need 5 GCSEs to get onto 3-A-level path.

Southfields: minimum 5 GCSEs for entry.

WM:minimum... five! GCSEs.

I really didn't look hard to find those. I guess how many depends how narrow is the path you're going on to next. Nobody has cited a 6th form wanting more than 8, at least, and those that do want 8 seem to be particularly in demand destinations.

[bellarations]

Hi hp.
She needs to choose to drop - art, geography, history or French.

[bellarations]

Thanks everyone.
I'm surprised at the range tbh.
But reassured that most colleges want min of 5.

[lljkk]

Of the schools nominated:

London: Holland Park, Burlington Danes

Cambridge: Hills Road,

Gloucestershire: Balcarras & Pates (is Gloucs wealthy? I never knew!)

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Well does she like languages, because out of those 4 I might drop French (though a MFL can very occasionally be a requirement eg I think for UCL)

Does she really love art? I've heard (& seen with dd) that it can be a lot of work in terms of homework & getting a portfolio together.

Then thinking that's two humanities - does she prefer one over the other?
How does she feel about studying 20th century history (2 WW's) as I think this makes up quite a bit of the GCSE curriculum, and frankly would put me off history a bit - that's one reason i opted for geography in preference.

HTH!

[TeenAndTween]

Juggling History could be Medicine Through Time and the American West, both of which I'm finding interesting while helping DD1 revise.

OP - as you seem to be concerned with keeping looking good she should keep an MFL and at least one of History of Geography

[EvilTwins]

Is Gloucs wealthy?

Gloucester no, Cheltenham? Yes. Cotswolds? Hell yes.

[HPparent]

Bellarations, any idea what she wants to do at uni? Frankly I would drop the art. Both my kids have now done it and the workload is horrible. It becomes a chore rather than light relief.! If not one of the humanities.

Lljjk - holland park is not selective and the results are ok but not great. One if my children goes there and she is an art aptitude entrant. I think it wants to reinvent itself as a selective school for Sixth. Despite its location the majority of kids come from social housing.

Burlington Danes is in an area of massive deprivation despite being Gove's nearest school. Pulled itself out of the doldrums quite recently.

Isn't William Morris partly for special needs kids? I thought that was its thing?

[bellarations]

Thanks juggling. A lot of that makes sense, but I thought top set students had to do the ebac route and that meant a compulsory mfl ??? Have I got that wrong???
Teen thanks. She loves art and is very talented but dislikes the idea of doing acres of coursework.

[TeenAndTween]

Some schools mandate(d) ebacc, some just pointed out that the ebacc range show a level of general ability so recommended it for students who were able.

There is a newer measure now based on a pupil's best 8 GCSEs, but there are rules as to what that 8 can be and weightings.

Partly, are you looking for good results or a good education?

I personally think that having some competence in an MFL (eg C grade) is of more use later in life than an A for Art (unless aiming to go down an artistic/design/etc route), but I suspect many will disagree with me. (I'm a bit of a Philistine when it comes to art anyway).

[Nocomet]

DD has just finished 2x English, Maths, 2xscience, RE and 4 options = 10

So triple scientists do 11, but this year is unusual. There was a change of syllabus and they fetched up all doing full course RE which is normally an option.

[Nocomet]

I have 8 from when three sciences took out a lot of choices and would have loved one more to do art.

[clary]

How many will she be doing when she drops one OP?

My DS is doing 7 or maybe 8 inc double science if his English is 2 (not sure if he is doing it as one), But he does do an LS option for one of his.

I guess at his school it would range from 6 for weaker students (single science, single English, Maths, 3 options plus learning support) to 10 (two English, Maths, four options and triple science - but that has to be done as a twilight).

Anyway to answer yr questions, unless the school specifies it, no there is no requirement legally or nationally on anyone to do the ebacc, it's not a qualification as such either. OTOH I would say if she is good at languages an MFL shows breadth of learning and knowledge and is useful in later life (but then I teach MFL!).

Unless she loves art I might be tempted to drop that - it's a lot of coursework an a 9-hour exam!

[MillyMollyMama]

HPparent. You would be extremely lucky to get an interview for a Veterinary course with 5 GCSEs! These are some of the most sought after courses and they really do want high achieving people. 5 GCSEs is an absolute minimum and only there for guidance in what 5 subjects are vital. They would not expect this to be the total number of GCSEs a candidate is offering. The same applies to Medicine. Most of these prospective students will have a large clutch of As. Those with less are far less likely to be offered a place and their academic profile would be very different to their contemporaries. On courses such as these, the selection process does include GCSEs because of the sheer number of impeccably qualified students that apply.

Doing about 10, and getting the majority of those at A, keeps very many doors open. Dropping to As because a student has taken 13 is reducing their chances on sought after courses if they could have got higher grades by taking fewer exams. 8 GCSEs is not considered very challenging these days for the highest quality courses.

[HPparent]

The point I was making is that the amount of GCSEs is relatively unimportant assuming you have a minimum and the right subjects. As RVC says on it's website they are just considered in relation to A levels. Most people doing VetMed probably have 10 or more. I certainly know of current students with lower in terms of amount and not the full set of As..

[bellarations]

Clary . I think ATM she will do 10 after dropping 1.
Incl. triple sceince, 2 English, 2 maths, & 3 options from French, geography, history or art.
I agree she should keep French, but it's up 2 her ultimately.

What's the "twilight option" mean? Are the only certain core subjects?

Thanks milly your 2nd para has helped.

[lljkk]

twilight = classes after hours, after usual school day has finished. Some schools squeeze an extra GCSE in that way.

[TroyMcClure]

There's no ' in GCSEs