AIBU poor GCSE options?

[hornetgirl]

Short story, I invested a lot of time and emotional energy on trying to get DS into a good school. He passed 11+ in a neighboring borough but we didn't get a place as we were too far away. He didn't get into the very super selective grammar in our borough.

Eventually we got offered our 6th choice for secondary school. It is a previously failing school but now an improving academy. I have decided to run with it as we have no other options and have focused on the positives, which there are many (sports/ close to home etc).

I thought I as doing well until I was browsing the website today and realised that the year 8 GCSE options are really poor. There is no option for triple science offered at all! They do not require a modern foreign language as compulsory and the children only get three options for GCSE above the compulsory ones (one of which is PE) . So basically I ended up stuck in doom again.

This time last year I was hoping for at least a school where he could get 10/11 good GCSEs, now he is stuck in a school where he can only do a max of 9 and is extremely limited in his options. He is quite into his science, will he face trouble later in life with A levels and University if he only can choose double science?

So fed up with this whole sodding business :-(

[PonderingProsecco]

Hi op,
School my ds going to sounds similar to yours. I did seek reasurance about science and have been reassured. Also told they are flexible with curriculum and what happens in year 8 now may not be same for next year 8s...
PE also compulsory and RE also.
Max 10 GCSEs possible.
Also offers BTECs etc.
Seems rounded curriculum overall and my wobbles have been dewobbled!

[11112222]

re double/triple science -
my ds goes to a high performing public school and they only offer double science. They say that the boys have lessons in all 3 sciences, and then take two general science exam papers. They have assured me it does not affect any of the sciences at A level, and indeed have many boys taking science and medicine at top universities. (they take a core of 6 inc french, plus 4 options)
Maybe question your school to make sure your ds will be able to chose any of the sciences at A level.
Good luck.

[goodbyestranger]

IMHO referring to subjects as 'proper' is very narrow minded. I think I'm correct in saying that roguedad's child is not in a state school and therefore roguedad is in the income bracket/ has the luxury of being able 'not to go near' particular schools. I'm not actually sure whether roguedad could take the rough and tumble of state schools....

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

I actually think it is a pretty good idea to do 9 (DS1 did 13 a few years ago, a few of them in year 10, which were probably slightly less good than they could have been).

Double science, a MFL and a humanity gives loads of options for A levels. I'm pretty sure that at DD's excellent sixth form college you were allowed to do History and Geography at A level without having done the GCSE, provided you had decent results in similar GCSE subjects.

[almapudden]

It sounds like a school where the cohort is largely low-achieving. I would worry about sending my child somewhere that didn't offer triple science or the option to take more than one language to GCSE (having been to such a school myself). My main concern would be that a culture of minimal aspiration would turn my child off learning; no matter how much you 'top up' outside of school, I think it's really damaging for pupils to spend time in an environment where they're always the outlier for showing a desire to learn.

Do you have any alternatives?

[almapudden]

Also meant to ask, have you looked at the proportion of low, middle and high attainers?

On the DoE website you should be able to find those figures, along with average GCSE grade for each group, percentage of each group gaining EBACC etc.

If the high attainers are coming out with an average grade of A, high numbers taking an MFL, etc then the school is doing a good job. If the average grade for high achievers is a B and hardly any take an MFL, then I'd avoid like the plague.

[clarrrp]

My school - a very good selective grammar school that only took A students after 11+ - offered both double and triple and we only did 9 subjects - 10 if you took the optional ad maths or drama - which were studied in your own time.

In terms of choice we only had 2 choices in addition to the core modules, science and a compulsory foreign language.

We also weren't allowed to take a subject for A level unless we scored a B or higher in it in GCSE and if you wanted to do a science A level then you had to have done triple award. That was our schools policy anyway.

[11112222]

I think you'll be ok with the double science award as oppose to the triple.
When he gets to 6th form, you should have more choice as to where he goes to study. Am I correct in thinking that there are no catchment areas for 6th form?

[11112222]

OP, what year is your ds currently in?

[sendsummer]

I know of at least one well known boys 'independent school with very good results for science A levels that only does double award science GCSE in order to free up slots for other subject choices. What matters is how well the separate sciences are taught and whether the top sets do more than the double award syllabus so they don't have too much to catch up for A level.
Probably obvious and has already been said but if students stay for sixth form check the number of students doing A level science subjects and their grades. That will give you an idea of how good the science teaching is and whether the transition is managed successfully. However I understand that physics can be the Achilles' heel since most schools have problems recruiting good physics teachers. Schools may value science but need to make pragmatic decisions in how to best utilise teaching time.

[LuluJakey1]

Roguedad- there has not been a 3rd year and a 4th year for about 20+ years now. What are 13 proper subjects? You have no idea about school curriculums and examination specifications, nor what universities accept- at least not on the evidence of your post.

[11112222]

rougedad is talking about an independent school. Not a state school.

OP - so what GCSE's would he / might do?
What does your ds think of the quality of teaching?

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Don't forget that a kid's education isn't just about the subjects they study at school. My son did science A levels but read for pleasure the books that other kids were studying for English lit. My daughter did Arty subjects and English but adores natural history documentaries.

[AJMHastings]

IMHO referring to subjects as 'proper' is very narrow minded.

I did this quoting rogue dad. I - should have " " ed.

[surreygoldfish]

Lulu - slightly unfair on rogue dad my DC's school also refer to first to fifth form. Absolutely no need to do more than 9 subjects.....can't comment on the whole 2 or 3 science bit - DC have to do 3 and theregore only have 3 'choice' subjects.

[LuluJakey1]

Doesn't invalidate the comment about his lack of understanding of the current curriculum, university views on courses etc.

His comment is snobbery and that's all it is.

[hornetgirl]

It's all very well for people to say "avoid like the plague" but he has no other options! He is finishing year 6 now, we can't afford private, we got our 6th choice for state.

You have all been very reassuring re: double science and 9 GCSE's. I have to suck it up.

[BertrandRussell]

It's not a matter of "sucking it up"

It's absolutely fine!!!!!!!!

My dd went to a ludicrously high achieving grammar. They had to get special permission to do more than 9 GCSEs........

[BertrandRussell]

And it was only one bonkers person who said the "avoid like the plague" thing.

[teacherwith2kids]

DCs' very highly performing comp only does double.

I compared its A-level science results with another localish school, similar cohort, does do triple.

The A-level science results were essentially identical.

the only issue that can arise is if your DC transfers from an 'only double' to a 'usually triple for those likely to go on to A-level science' school for A-level and does science.

Double science to A-level in a school that expects A-level scientists to have double = no problem at all.

Triple where expectation is triple = fine too (and in comparable schools, very similar results at A-level)

Double where majority of those doing A-level will have triple = tricky, especially at the beginning of Yr 12, as there is a gap to fill.

Double only works well for my DCs, because it gives them 5 genuine options - they do 2x English, 1xMaths, 2x Science + 5 options (DS does 2 languages, 2 humanities and Music as a practical subject, DD will probably end up doing 2x Art & Design-based GCSEs, a language, a humanity and one other.)

[SnookieSnooks]

Sorry to hear about your frustrations OP. A lot of it sounds incredibly familiar... I"m pretty sure you live very near me and I'm pretty sure I know what school you're talking about - especially because you say that it used to be a sports academy and it changed hands. There are other fantastic comprehensives in the area, where you can definitely do triple science and languages are compulsory for high achievers. I know this because my Y9 DD is very bright and doing very well indeed. She is constantly send on trips to universities, represents the school at maths competitions etc.

Are you totally sure that triple science is not possible? Maybe you should have a chat with the head of year. I find teachers are incredibly approachable as long as you are approach them calmly.

[RalphSteadmansEye]

Ds is at an independent school - he's doing 8. The range is from 8-10 GCSEs. It's fine. They know what they are doing and students don't have any problem going from double science to A level or from 8/9 GCSEs (via 3 - not 5! - A levels) to a place at a good university.

[sendsummer]

You have all been very reassuring re: double science and 9 GCSE's. I have to suck it up.
Most posters have been reassuring because we all know very good schools state and independent that do the things that you are worried abou. Those per se are not signs of a poorer education for your DS, in fact schools that push DCs to do more GCSEs even now would be the ones that worry me.
However we can't reassure you about the most important factor - the quality of teaching in your DS's new school - since we don't know and I suspect that you don't either either though you appear to fear the worse. You may be pleasantly surprised at least some of the time. Selective schools certainly don't have a monopoly on good teachers.

[Muffintopmum]

Maybe slightly off topic but you don't even need triple science at GCSE to do medicine or veterinary science.

[teacherwith2kids]

No, muffintop - nor to study science at Cambridge (I checked explicitly)