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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

Have any Year 9s heard with their option choices

32 replies

Lottie4 · 05/05/2015 10:13

I know it must take a lot of consideration and timetable scheduling, but just wondered if any Year 9s have heard with their option choices. DC is having doubts over a couple of her choices, so getting a bit tense over it.

Someone has told me the school get quite a few go back and want to change their options and they have a two weeks in which to change subjects in Year 10 if they have doubts then. If this is the case it might not be the end of the world, but good to get it sorted.

OP posts:

Report

Whyjustwhy · 07/05/2015 13:10

Are they taking English in Y10 in case the new qualification in Y11 is a disaster waiting to happen ahem, unpredictable

Flugdrachen · 07/05/2015 09:40

dd's put in their option choices in February (they devised the blocks after asking them at Christmas what they ideally like to do), it was all finalised by Easter. Pretty much everyone got what they wanted - 9 or 10 GCSEs + a BTEC, further maths or EPQ.

The triple science groups have started GCSE work already. They take English Language in year 10, everything else is in year 11.

TheFirstOfHerName · 07/05/2015 07:42

DS2 ended up choosing the same subjects as I chose in 1987!

TheFirstOfHerName · 07/05/2015 07:41

DS2 has also had to choose options in Y8. He felt a bit uneasy about this as some of the specifications for the GCSEs in 2018 aren't available yet, so for many of the subjects, he doesn't know exactly what the course will involve (which exam board, how much coursework if any).

Hakluyt · 07/05/2015 07:30

Ours chose in year 8 and are well under way with the courses now in year 9! Daft in general, I think but the right choice for the particular school.

AuntieStella · 07/05/2015 07:26

We got ours back confirmed really quickly. We had to send in choices just after half term last term, and had confirmation before the end of term.

They had to do 6 subjects, then choose the remaining three from blocks and they seem to be able to cope with whatever numbers want the subjects. There's also further maths added on for some, plus extra language for the brilliant linguists (but as that's not my DC I don't quite know how that works).

They use same/similar blocks every year, and start talking to you about it way back at end year 8 (which is when you choose main MFL) so you know what's on offer, and what works together and what doesn't. And who to harass see if a preferred combination is impossible.

Eastpoint · 07/05/2015 06:49

Compulsory Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths, Three Sciences & ML1. Free choice for the next 4 - dd is taking an additional ML, history, geography & a creative. At DS's school a creative is compulsory for breadth, they also do 11.

VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 06:43

We heard two days ago. Dd hasn't got all her choices and is not happy. Trying to sort it out and under pressure from the school for an answer like yesterday!

Whyjustwhy · 06/05/2015 17:50

24balloons we're waiting for options evening too, I was beginning to think it was just us!
I'm hoping the school might reduce the number to 10, but I think it's unlikely

24balloons · 06/05/2015 17:31

We haven't even had the options evening yet but have had a booklet detailing available subjects. Also only 2 options because of compulsory language, RE, & humanity as well as Maths, Eng, Sci etc
In previous years they did 11 GCSEs but this year they are dropping to 10 in order to fit in extra Maths & English lessons to meet the demands of the new GCSEs!

motherwithheadache · 06/05/2015 17:20

10 subjects here. Still waiting to hear.

Whyjustwhy · 06/05/2015 17:12

Interesting to hear how many GCSEs are being taken.
DD is in top groups at a well regarded comp, & although we've yet to have it confirmed, I have assumed she will do 11 GCSEs like her brothers before her. But I like the idea of concentrating on 9 instead.

SomewhereIBelong · 06/05/2015 10:46

DD has started English, Art and double Science, will be starting Maths after half term

Eng lit/lang Maths/double science compulsory

Choices - art, music, German, geog. so 9 here.

Madmog · 06/05/2015 10:24

My DD will do 10-11 GCSEs - Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths, Triple or Double Science and give options - she had to choose six in order of preference and will get five.

Her school guarantees the first two choices so know she has geography and French. Her next choice is music and Head of Department decides who does music - factors taken into account - effort, present instrument grade and attendance at lunchtime clubs/out of school concerts - we (and her teacher) think she's guaranteed a place and we know her instrument teacher has emailed Head of Year literally with a reference for DD. So here we only have the last two choices to worry about, and DD has an argument why she really needs to do both.

janethefirst · 05/05/2015 23:07

Also, my DD's compulsory subjects are; Maths, English, Triple Science, RE and either ICT or Computing. They highly recommend you take a language too.

janethefirst · 05/05/2015 23:05

DD got all her choices- we're guessing. All the girls that haven't got there choices have been called in for meetings (such as DD's best friend who didn't get her second choice and is very upset!) just glad she didn't have to rethink what she was taking as it was hard enough the first time to get her to finalise!

ragged · 05/05/2015 22:07

Last yr @ DS's school, the kids who didn't get at least 3/4 of options were called in first for a week or so, for careful counselling what to choose instead. Then there was a freeforall week for the rest of cohort in case they had last minute desires to swap around. I thought all that was fair enough.

Wanttobemagistrate · 05/05/2015 21:52

Ours haven't heard yet. We had to give in the choices in February I think.

poisonedbypen · 05/05/2015 21:51

I don't think we have confirmation it just happens - presumably we hear if they can't do their options but I don't know anyone who that's ever happened to.

Cafeconleche · 05/05/2015 21:47

Ours heard at Easter and have started the core subjects already, the rest after half term. With all the new changes to the GCSEs, our (state) school wanted to give them a head start and have time to iron out any problems. DS got all his first choices, as did almost all the 200+ year 9s.

member · 05/05/2015 21:45

Not yet, choices have been in since March but they have had exams in some subjects since then. As they have an interim report due out next week, I should imagine it won't be long.

TheFallenMadonna · 05/05/2015 21:44

That's 4 options, with one of them being double language.

I'm not convinced about him doing 11. I'd have been happier with 10...

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TheFallenMadonna · 05/05/2015 21:42

DS is all sorted. He is doing 11 - an extra language before school. Standard is 9 or 10 depending on whether they do two or three sciences. The extra science gcse is not one of the options.

MaryhadalittleDamn · 05/05/2015 21:40

Yes, choices were confirmed in writing before the Easter break.

ragged · 05/05/2015 21:37

DD is yr8 & has 6 options. They go to new timetable soon after half term, so I think we'll hear soon.

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