Choosing options in year 8 and starting GCSE's in Year 9

[ICantFindAFreeNickName2]

My local high school has just announced that Year 8 pupils, will be choosing their options in the new year and starting their GCSE subjects when they start Year 9 in September.
This means they have one year less of doing the KS3 work and then spend 3 years doing the GCSE work.
Does anyone have any experience of this or have any views about whether its a good or bad idea.

[ICantFindAFreeNickName2]

Thanks for all the replies. Can I just stress that the school is moving to 3 years, to enable them to teach the children the subjects in the depth required not so that they can take the exams early. Plus the school are actively encouraging everyone to take the ebacc subjects but they can still choose from an additional two subjects which includes various Art, Drama, Music etc as well as more traditional subjects.

[dodobookends]

Lower/middle/upper round here, so they finish KS3 at the end of Y8 and move to upper at start of Y9.

I think the way dd's school organised things was pretty good. For the first term and a half they did maths/eng/sciences plus several weeks of taster lessons in as many other subjects they could cram into the timetable, to help them decide on their options. They then started working on their GCSE's after Y9 Feb half term.

[mummytime]

Plenty of people at the Comp get As and A, more than would have got into the girls school at 11.

The main reason the comp has gone to a 3 year GCSE is because it has to get everyone or nearly everyone through at least 5 GCSEs at the right grades. (Even though it is comprehensive and takes pupils with a wide range of abilities and economic/family backgrounds.) And that it has to sit GCSEs, with all the government interference rather than have the freedom to do iGCSEs.

[balletgirlmum]

I do however think IT could be a good idea for core subjects such as maths to start gcse in year 9 for their very highest ability students with a view to perhaps entering them early then doing AS in year 11.

[balletgirlmum]

I don't like the idea.

Dd goes To a school where they iften have new children arrive or leave at the end of year 9 so it wouldn't work there. However they are thinking of starting science gcse half way through year 9 just for the top ability candidates so they can start offering triple science.

At ds's school they get to make some choices for year 9 eg they can choose whether to take up a second language & they can choose which 2/3 creative subjects to study in year 9.

[MrsUltra]

I think its a good idea as I see so many schools where Y9s piss about in the subjects they have no interest in as they know they will dropping them a the end of the year. As long as there is sensible choice structure, it works well. My own Dc go to a very academic school, and one of their GCSE choices has to be in either DT, Art, Music or Drama.

[pointythings]

If schools are doing 3 year GCSEs to get pupils to do more by making them sit exams early then that is bad practice . However that is certainly not what my DDs' school is doing. They just want more solid teaching and preparation time.

[mimbleandlittlemy]

My DS is doing this - picked GCSEs last year and started in Y9 this year. It has meant that he was able to drop the subjects that he hated and didn't always behave well in and concentrate on the subjects he enjoys, or that he knows he has to do (he has to do Eng Lit/Lang + Maths + RE). At his school they also have the option to sit a GCSE in Y9 and Y10 so he will do one in May, another next year then 10 the following year and for him that's been a good and stimulating challenge and has made him knuckle down a bit.

I know that particularly with Maths, the school felt the level of extra content in the new GCSE made 3 years important rather than trying to cram it in in 2.

[Marmitelover55]

*breadth!

[Marmitelover55]

I meant to add: so slightly more bread the than the independent school.

[Marmitelover55]

My DD is in year 9 at a state school. We have an options evening in January plus various other option related events after that. She will be doing 10 GCSEs - maths, 2 English, 3 science, at least one of geography/history, at least one language plus 2 other options (she is considering drama and photography with ict as reserve). I think they have already started the GCSE maths and science courses, but not sure about the others. Music, drama and art are all popular options at her school and she is currently performing in the school play and will be playing in the chamber orchestra at the carol concert.

I work at an academic independent school at it is very similar, although the students there do 9 GCSEs rather than 10.

[Anotherusername1]

I meant they may not know in year 9.

[Anotherusername1]

Like everything I think it probably works for some kids and not for others. I would have been delighted to get rid of the subjects I didn't like a year early. But other kids probably don't know what they want to do yet. But then they may not know in year 8 either.

My son's school chooses options in year 9 and does two year GCSE courses, although I think the higher sets for science etc start their GCSE courses in the summer term of year 9.

Colyton grammar in Devon is the other way round. The kids do GCSEs in year 10 and then has 3 year A level courses. I don't know if that is going to change with the new GCSE courses being more difficult.

[SheGotAllDaMoves]

yeolde I think it does matter what certain schools do.

The gap between what some schools are offering ( in both sectors) versus the rest is growing and growing.

This has massive implications for social mobility moving forward.

[SheGotAllDaMoves]

Too early to begin specialisation. And without good quality, consistent advice in all schools, will simply close lots of doors for some pupils ( without them realising).

There is also no reason why many pupils ( especially the most able) need three years! It will be a recipe for boredom.

[Devilishpyjamas]

So in ds3's case we have state school, 10 GCSE's, grammar, three year GCSE & allowing drama and music to be taken as options.

I think we have to be careful with assumptions about what state schools versus private schools allow. Depends on the individual schools.

[Devilishpyjamas]

Lots of schools are switching to this locally.

Ds2's school has - he is in year 9 & is delighted to have dropped the subjects he didn't like. He's pulled his socks up a little as well with the whole GCSE thing. (He is doing drama and music though, so no issues with creatives in this house).

He's in the local grammar & they've also dropped the number of GCSE's (from 11 to 10) to take account of the new format GCSE's.

Our first choice school for ds3 also does 3 year GCSE's

[YeOldeTrout]

If DD discovers boys in a big way then she might finally chuck school as too stressful and then her early GCSE results could be her only good ones. Why have an educational system that is obsessed with assuming that absolutely everyone will be at their peak performance of April-June of Yr11.

What high achieving independent school does 3 year GCSEs? (Top 100).

Who cares? Honestly. That's like 0.3% of all kids who get to go there and most of them have very privileged backgrounds, many were selected for academic prowness to even get in. Those aren't normal backgrounds or normal kids with normal prospects. Their experience demonstrates nothing useful at all for most other people.

[Millymollymama]

I totally agree about that, pointy. However I thought the Government were not encouraging 3 year GCSEs and I haven't done my homework on Ofsted's views. However, ofsted are all about progress as well as outcomes and I thought they also disliked huge numbers of GCSEs with ones taken early resulting in lower grades than could have been obtained with, say, 10 over a 2 year course. Schools too often do what is best for them and not the pupils.

[pointythings]

Millymollymama I think lots of state schools now do the 3-year GCSE course because they are under so much damn scrutiny from the state that they need to cover their backs. Because they could be taken over by a bunch of carpet salesmen if they don't perform. And then there's the endless political meddling - changes rushed through, no proper field testing or preparation - it is any wonder schools want as much time as possible to manage whatever is going to be thrown at them next? I don't blame them for a second. Private schools are much more cushioned against all this stuff.

[Millymollymama]

But 9 or 10 GCSEs at the high grades of A* /A are far more desirable than 12 with a load of Bs that could have been As with fewer subjects or not taken early. Facilities do not equal high achievement. What high achieving independent school does 3 year GCSEs? (Top 100).

[mummytime]

Umm the local very high achieving private girls school only sit 9 GCSEs, the local Comp does 10-11. Both schools do productions. The girls school has a swimming pool but otherwise it's arguable which has the better sports facilities.
The comp is going to 3 year GCSE to keep the breadth of GCSEs open, the alternative would have been reduce to 9-10 like the girls school.

[YeOldeTrout]

hmmm.... a load of MMM's assumptions don't fit our experience at all of 3 yr KS4 stage!

I actually went to a creative & performing arts specialist school, but did almost none at all (completely unsuited to them).

[Millymollymama]

I have a feeling three year GCSEs are mostly done in state schools. Academic independent schools pride themselves on the breadth of education available and not narrowing down what is on offer. It is possible to do the eBac and arts subjects if you do 10 plus subjects. DD1 did Drama and DD2 did Drama and Art. DD1 would happily have done music as well but she was forced to do ICT. Sadly, lots of schools have decided to sideline arts subjects and no longer see school productions and concerts as being a major part of school life for younger pupils so the pupils lack the necessary skills and maturity to take these subjects further. Ditto art, textiles, photography etc. Drama is a brilliant GCSE to go with English and is perfectly academic at A level to go with English A level. All children should have an arts based GCSE for a rounded portfolio of subjects.

[Seeline]

My DS is Y9 and most of his subjects seem to be following the GSCE courses, although he doesn't pick his options until after Christmas, and only drops subjects in Y10.