How do GCSE options work at your school?

[dietcokeandcadburys]

Been reading a few threads about GCSE options and it seems that every school does it differently. How does it work at your DC's secondary school?

At DD's school there are the core subjects which everyone takes:

• English Language
• English Literature
• Maths (Top set also do statistics)
• Units 1&2 of Chemisty, Phyics and Biology
• RS and PSHE
• Functional Skills (basically just spreadsheets)
• Either short course PE or Leadership
• Citizenship

And then 4 of the following:
-Triple Science (Same as above but Unit 3 as well)

• Business Studies
• GCSE ICT
• Computer Science
• Art
• Graphics
• Product Design
• Photography
• Textiles
• Drama
• Catering
• Full Course PE
• BTEC PE
• Dance
• Geography
• History
• GCSE Music
• BTEC Music
• French
• German
• Spanish
• Media Studies

There's so many options it's overwhelming, DD really struggled when choosing. One thing I have noticed though is that other schools don't do full core RS as core? What do they do instead?

Core subjects
Maths (top half do FM and top set do FM + stats )
English lang
English Lit
French
Biology
Physics
Chemistry
One DT subject (prod design, systems and control,graphical design, food tech ) school

options 2 of
history
geography
RE
Music
Spanish
German
Astonomy
Art
Classical Civilisation

Latin- as an extra after school one night per week

they do some crappy IT qualification too
( + PE RE and PSCHE which doesn't lead to an exam.)

Yeah 'functional skills' is a waste of time really, most of the kids find it really easy and it's a qualification not a gcse. You either pass level 2 and get a B or pass level 1 and get a D, there are no other grades

School 1 (grammar, 3 years ago)
Eng x2
Maths x2 (linked pair)
Triple science
an MFL (French/German)
a humanity (their definition - RS/Hist/Geog)
a tech (ICT/product design/textiles/food)

plus two from: the other MFL, Latin, the other two humanities, business studies, music, art, drama.

School 2 (comp, 2 years ago)
Eng x2
Maths (some do early and then start on AS)
Double science
RS
ICT (ocr nationals, not gcse)
An MFL (French or Spanish at that point)
History or geography

Plus a choice of 3 from triple science, the other mfl or humanity, art, graphic design, textiles, music, drama, media, business, probably some others, and some btecs.

Looking forward to seeing what school 3 do next year!

DCs school is a comp

so there are kids who will do

• single English
• core maths
• core science
• a humanity
• a D&T
• a day a week at college doing vocational courses

On the other hand there are kids who will do

• double English
• triple science
• an MFL
• a humanity
• maths and stats or maths and further

and then three more options out of Humanities, tech, applied subjects

and all variations in between

A core of

Double English
Maths, top set do further maths in Y11.
Double science, top set do triple in same time as the rest do double.
Short course RE

Options

One DT subject is compulsory from
Graphic design, resistant materials, electronics, textiles, food tech, catering and some others I've forgotten, BTECs etc.

Three options from

French
Mandarin
Spanish
History
Geography
Business studies
Art
Music
Drama
ICT GCSE or CIDA
Computing

One 1/2 option from
Rest of RE to make a GCSE
Business French
Short course ICT, AIDA

So standard is 9 plus two 1/2 courses or full RE GCSE.

DD1s school ( Modern) pupils are limited to max of 9 subjects at Gcse English/Lit Maths 1 MFL French or German 2 sciences Chemistry/ Physics or Biology / History or Geography Art or PE Less able do core Science/Maths English (single) and vocational options. YR 13 now

DD2s Grammar YR10 is taking 11 Gcses it varies though from 9-12 Gcses DD : triple Science/ English Lang/Lit French Latin History Art Geography Pe.

DS Grammar Similar to DDs2. YR8

Despite DD1 limited options her school has supported her very well and is in line to achieve 3B s at A level ( A in Chemistry if all goes to plan!)

Comp similar to Talkins

Core
Maths (school decides if Statistics also)
English (school decides 1 or 2)
Core science
ICT
shortcourse RE

Options blocked A-E choose 1 from each, some options appear in more than one block
Geog, Hist, RE+Sociology
Double science, Triple science, Btec science
French, Spanish, German, twilight Latin
Art, Food tech, textiles, various other DTs
Drama, Music, Dance, PE
Media, Business
Computing
Beauty Btec, Construction Btec
possibly others I've forgotten

Caters for the v. academic right down to the strugglers.

Core:
English (I thought this was a single GCSE)
Math, Double Science, RE
PE not done as GCSE

4 options from these, one must be an Ebacc subject:
Further maths/statistics
Triple science extension
iMedia, Computing
Music, Drama, Art
PE
geography, history
4 DT items, including graphics, RM+ others
Food Tech, Child Dev and maybe a few others DS would never consider
French, German
long list of possible BTECs done thru partner colleges; single day week so max 1 BTEC allowed
support class option for kids who need it

dd was given the following options (chosen this year). These are the options for children expected to achieve at least 5 A*-C grade GCSEs:
CORE: Maths, Double Science, English language, English Lit, RE.
Non-Exam PSHE/Citizenship, PE.
OPTIONS (3 choices)- they must take at least one EBacc subject:
French, German, Triple Science, Computer Science, History, Geography
BTEC ICT, Art & Design, DT Product Design, Food Technology. Textiles, Music, Drama, Business Studies with Economics, Media Studies, Health and Social Care, Child Development, PE, Photography.

There are additional vocational qualifications for level 1 students, who are not expected to obtain 5 A*-C grade GCSEs. These students take the short course RE and most would not take English Lit as an exam.

Ah yes, one BIG difference at DCs school : RE is an option - all kids who do not want to do the GCSE are allowed to opt out of it freeing timetable space for more interesting things

At DD's school, everyone in theory has to do English x 2, maths, science (triple for top set, double for everyone else), an MFL, a humanity (though the subjects offered are broader than Mr Gove's list )...

On top they can choose three more from a list of the usual suspects;

Some of those that struggle can take less and have the missing options slot for study/learning support/general help etc.

DS school is a lot more free form and unusual.

The secondary school where I work (part-time) on the other hand does not have RE/RS as a core GCSE, it is available as an option but only approx 20 students study it each year. It is in a block of subjects with the humanities subjects so there is a choice of RS, History, Geography, Humanities, Business Studies, Media Studies and a few BTECs. History and Geography also appear in another block of Ebacc subjects.

Core:
English lang and lit, Maths, Science (core for bottom set, double for middle set, triple for top set) French, Philosophy & Ethics, Functional Skills ICT

3 from
Art, Business Studies, Dance, Drama, Design & Technology: Resistant Materials, Food Technology, Geography, Health & Social Care, History, ICT, Law, Media Studies, Music, Physical Education, Psychology, Spanish, Statistics, Textiles.

State secondary, four pathways ranging from 2 days vocational training to the Triple science pathway. The pathways this year were reworked for the new curriculum and progress 8.

This year for DD this pathway included

Core Exams
English Lit
English Lan
Triple Science
Maths (Top set take this in Y10 and Further Maths in Y11, don't know if will be same)

Core none exam
1 x PE
1 x PD
1 x RE

Options, 4 from
French or Italian
Geography or History
DT options, Geography, History, Computer Science
Creative/Expressive Art options, French or Italian

(There were some a couple of other option in the 3rd and 4th choice columns I can't remember)

At dds school it's

CORE SUBJECTS
Maths
English Lang
English Lit
Double Science
Dance or Drama

OPTION 1
French, Geography or History

OPTION 2 - 2 further subjects from
Art, Business Studies, Drama, Food & Nutrition, French, Geography, History, ICT, Music, RS

Non examined
PHSE

2 x English
Maths
Half course RE taken in Y10
Science (either double or triple depending on set)
1 MFL

Then a choice of 3 options from the usual subjects - extra MFL, humanities, arts subjects, DT, computer studies

Compulsory IGCSE so all at the end of 2 years
Eng Lang
Eng Lit
Maths
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Geography
History
German

2 options from French, Spanish, Business, ICT, Art, Music

Supposedly our county has the worst GCSE results in England. I can't tell if MN comparisons are all wrong as often are, but from this thread seems like our schools do less forced streaming ("only top sets can do triple" type thing). And pathways and so on. I like that because it's a much less elitist approach, but odds are that Ofsted will pressure the county's schools to change their ways. :(