Option restrictions at GCSE

[HoneywithLemon]

My DDs are currently in yrs 7 and 8 at a very good (state) school. A friend of mine has a daughter in yr 9 at the school and we were both surprised to find kids have to take a DT subject at GCSE. The school is a specialist in arts and performing arts and has an incredible music department...I wondered how commonplace this type of restriction on options (outside the core subjects, which include RE at this school) is?

The only compulsory subjects in my DD's school are Eng Lang, Eng Lit (unless they struggle with Eng Lang, in which case all their Eng lessons are Eng Lang), Maths and Science. The only thing is they have to choose two options (which they are guaranteed to get) from box A and the choices are humanities, languages and computer science. A friend of DDs has argued her case to list another subject in this box and school have agreed.

RE is only listed in Box B, from which they make their choices but aren't guaranteed them.

DD's school told us they do like to encourage them to do languages, humanities or one of each, but the other three options are totally their own choice, ie they could choose all the art subjects, or if they've chosen two languages in Box A, they can still do two humanities in Box B.

DD's school had the core (Eng/Eng/Maths/Sci/Sci) and then four options. They were supposed to pick one out of each of the blocks of language / humanity / arts / tech. So they encouraged them to do the EBacc long before it was a thing.
However, DD managed to talk them round to letting her do a language and three humanities so there might yet be flexibility in your case if you argue it convincingly.

at dd's school English lit & lang, maths, science (double) are compulsory then they chose one option from each of 5 blocks (triple science is only offered in one block which is slightly limiting) to give 9 + a BTEC or 10 GCSEs. They don't make RE a compulsory GCSE thankfully but they have PSHE, PE & RE on top of the exam subjects. I was quite surprised that they didn't make a MFL option compulsory (they offer French/German/Spanish but lots of dd's friends aren't doing any).

At the beginning of the year they asked them all to chose what options they'd ideally like to do & worked the block options around that - it seems to have worked well.

What counts as a 'DT' subject?

Is it just Food Tech, Resistant materials, Textiles, Art?

Or also ICT, Computer science, Drama, Music, Dance, Photography, Product Design?

The first would be quite restrictive (especially for an child with dyspraxia), the extended list much less so.

Most schools have some kind of restriction on free choice, and you should also remember that options being offered now might not be the same as yours get offered next year.

My DC's have compulsory Eng Lit & language, Maths, Science, RE, Citizenship and ICT, plus they must take a language and a humanity. Inner - city state comp.

Oh and they are supposed to take a Performing Arts option, but DD has dropped Drama and they let DS take two humanities instead!

Other subjects that would be classified as DT are Graphics and Systems & Control (which is a form of Electronics).

Many schools do arrange GCSE subjects in blocks with similar subjects in each block and the pupils have to select one subject from each block. Schools need to do this for timetabling purposes. Sometimes there may be 4 blocks and the pupils will choose 3 subjects and the one from the 4th block as a reserve iykwim.
In KS4 pupils are supposed to have the option (entitlement) to take at least one creative subject at GCSE to give a balanced set of options.
It isn't clear where performing Arts will fit in this type of system but it may be possible that these are included in this block too. There is also a subject called Music Technology BTW.

We have it relatively easy.

DS must do Maths, Core Science, English Language and English Literature.

He can then chose 4 optional subjects, however one of those options must be one from History, Geography, French, German or Computer Science. Everything else is free choice, and there is alot to choose from.

ds currently in Y8 would like to do both art and music and I hope he will be able to. Someone on the daily politics prog today mentioned that this can be difficult (in some schools?), but I don't think it will be at ds's school, and I think it would be a shame if it were as a creative child might well enjoy both and they're quite different really?
He likes sciences and maths too so will be doing full spectrum of those.
Slightly less strong on humanities I think which involve discursive ramblings and musings! But actually getting to quite like geography
So his third choice of 3 will be between geography and drama
If he doesn't "do" drama as such I hope he'll still go for being in one of their excellent school productions - I think he'd enjoy that and get a lot out of it - and performing holds no fear for him!

Pretty normal.
Even if there isn't a "Specialism" which all dc have to take, it's still usually a limited option that you have choice from, as has to fit with the sta the school have, the timetabling, the numbers wanting to take subjects, etc.,etc.

Interesting to see how the Attainment/Progress 8 measure is beginning to affect options. From 2016 schools will be measured on 8 GSCEs, including English and maths, both double weighted (if English lang and lit taken.) Then three from science, computer science, languages and humanities, (EBacc bucket or basket) then three others of almost any choice including some BTecs, DT, Art, Drama, Business Studies, RE or some more EBacc from the final bucket.

This will replace the 5 A* to C incl Eng and Maths previously used.

I'm concerned that it will encourage schools to force all DC to take more academic EBacc subjects even if they aren't appropriate for all DC.

Eg my school has dropped science BTec for the bottom set in favour of GCSE double science even if the DC are predicted F or G as the science BTec isn't included in the EBacc bucket, only the 'other' bucket. Is this in the DC's benefit? Previously the bottom set enjoyed the BTec course, understood it's relevancy to their own lives and came away with at least a 'pass' in a course designed for their learning style.

My DDs have compulsory English Lang & Lit, Maths and at least Science, plus RE which they do as a full GCSE because they have to study it anyway. Then they have option blocks. However, if you have a DC who is doing Triple Science, that eats up two of their options. It's hard to do the triple and still have room for an art or DT subject if you also have an interest in the humanities - DD1 had to choose between doing History and Geography or abandoning Geography in favour of Drama - she went for the Geography because she loves it, but has joined the drama clob.

My dd is in year 9 and it came as rather a shock to me to discover just how restricted her "options" are. In effect, she will be taking 11 gcses and she really only had a choice about two of those subjects. The school insists on english, english, maths, a modern language, a humanities subject (history or geography), RE, citizenship and either double or triple science for the EBAC cohort. Her options turned out to be Art and Latin.

I am tremendously bothered that she could not take another arts subject (maybe drama) at her school, instead of Citizenship or RE.

I know that my teaching friends in the arts subjects are basically worried about their jobs!

It's interesting seeing how different schools do it. DS1's school had triple science using up an option; DD's squashes triple science into the space for double, but only for the top set. I'm not sure which is better, really.

Dd1's school said that on top of maths, English, science, that they had to do an MFL, a humanity (hist, geog, RD), and a tech (food, textiles, product design, ICT), and then they had two free choices.

Dd2's school added RS to the compulsory core, and recommended a language. DS's school also have compulsory RS and a compulsory language and humanity.

Options will be restricted, mostly due to timetabling restrictions, but also now due to the league table demands to gain progress 8 as mentioned above.

EllenJanesthickerknickers Science BTEC changed last year and is no longer fit for lower ability pupils. It now includes content taught in the higher tier of additional and triple science just to get a pass grade. They also have to sit an exam worth 25% of the grade which contains the same higher level GCSE content. If they don't pass they then have to have 2 coursework units at Merit standard, which is not easy. IME Lots of schools are abandoning the new BTEC as now more fit for adult learners who can do the intensive research and make sense of the convoluted assessments.

I think it varies so much both from school to school, and over time.
I was in the second cohort to take GCSEs, back in 1989! So picked my options in 87. My school only allowed 8 GCSE options, although some of the very bright girls were allowed to take a 9th. (Not me!)
We HAD to pick: English (lang), Maths, a language, a science and a humanity. The other 3 were free rein. So I did English, Maths, French, German, English Lit, Geography, History and Biology.
Fast forward to DS1 picking his options 2 years ago: his school pick 12 options! Which really doesn't give much scope for dropping anything. Their compulsory subjects were English Lang, English Lit, Maths, ICT, a language, and they could only choose EITHER all three sciences, or dual award Science - I'd have hated that as I was awful at science subjects and only did Biology as I absolutely had to pick one - he went for the 3 individual. Students choosing this option then had to pick any 4 other subjects, those going for dual award science could choose any 5 others. There were no "boxes" or subject groups like we had to pick from; any combination was allowed - within the constraints of timetabling, of course. He also takes a 13th subject (Greek) but learns this after school so it's not one of his timetabled classes. His subject list reads: English Lang, English Lit, Maths, ICT, French, History, Geography, Business Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Latin and Greek!

Last year a DT subject was compulsory at DSs school. This year, with progress 8, it's no longer compulsory.

So by next year when your Dd has to choose their school could have totally changed their mind.

The Attainment/Progress 8 measure sounds pretty similar to current system, actually. If I understand what pp wrote, it will require Eng+Math & 3 fairly academic subjects, & 3+ other items which can be BTECs. Most schools still have 9-10+ options timetabled, so only 5 academic subjects is pretty minimal. It's not like kids are required to pass all those, too, in order to get a certificate in the rest (that's the system I had, very challenging for some kids).

Our schools don't seem to offer BTEC generic science so I guess some schools will have more change than others.

Yeh, they do sooo many now don't they cagsd?
I only did 8 (O levels) and passed 7 - but I still got to a good Uni after A levels
dd has her GCSE's this spring/summer and I think she's doing 11 possibly extra ICT I'm not sure?

dd's school only timetable 9 GCSEs (10 if you do further maths) + a BTEC for everyone.

dd's GCSE options are all academic (maths/2 English/3 science/2 humanities & a MFL) & the BTEC creative (production arts) but I'm freaking out slightly at all the schools doing 11/12/13 GCSEs.

My dd's cousins are doing more but they start in year 9 & do them over 3 years. At dd's they timetable 6 hours a week for triple sci - I've heard of schools trying to do it in far fewer hours & have real difficulty covering the curriculum though maybe in grammar schools there is less of a problem due to the narrower range of ability?

gah ... pressed send to soon - back in the day (I'm 40) I also did 9 - pretty much the same choices as dd, that was in a grammar school. My SIL at the non-grammar (I guess it was a secondary modern?) did 7.

Long thread! Thanks for all of the contributions!

Someone asked what counts as DT at our school? Graphics, Textiles, Electronics, Resistant Materials, food Technology. That's it.

MFL not compulsory. Not sure about Humanities. I think DDs core subjects will be Maths, English 1 and 2, RE, Science Triple (she's in the top set and I think will automatically do the triple I believe) and the DT subject of her choosing. Leaves only two options, and I would imagine she will choose French for one, leaving her only one more free choice.

I don't have the full details (she's in y8 so options are looming but the school hasn't provided any info public ally on how things are done re options), and things may well change for next year.

Well, it's not too bad a range of DT subjects. DS1 would have gone for graphics or electronics, and DD for Food Tech out of that lot, but I pity any poor teacher who had to coerce ham-fisted DS2 into doing any of them.

Which if any does she favour?