5 GCSEs

[Thegoddelusion]

When I was a governor at a local comp, I asked the head why youngsters were expected to do 9-10 GCSEs, when 5 good GCSEs were all that FE colleges required - and all that universities ever asked about.

Surely, I argued, students could concentrate on these 5, and spend the rest of their time studying subjects they enjoyed without having to sit an exam.

Fundamentally, he agreed with me, but said it's all about the league tables.

Pretty sad state of affairs, I reckon, but I understood.

Fast forward to today, when I have a GD just about to start year 10. She's a bright child - her ambition ATM is to be a surgeon.

AIBU to advise her to concentrate on the 5 GCSEs she needs, and 'coast' through the rest - telling her that the most important thing about her education is that she should enjoy it?

She will struggle to get into 6th form with only 5 GCSEs.

Round here you need at least 8 A*-C equivalent with the best 6th forms asking for st least 5 B & 3C

Wankers I Am in Scotland but have not had children do the Nats. I didn't realise the implementation wasn't going well. I just recall the premise being explained to me a while back. Actually my DD went to a private school and did about a squillion GCSE's!

My eldest has just sat his blue and younger son doing them this year. In theory it won't matter too much as the are both intending to do Highers, but if they weren't, they'd be competing with kids who've done 8 over 2 years and kids who've done 6 over one year while they've done 7 over one year. It's madness. The kids who only do 5 or 6 have effectively chosen their Highers in 3rd year or are faced with crashing them in subjects they haven't done.

Anyway results in August so I guess we will see :)

Despite our local college having a "5 GCSEs at C or above" benchmark for some vocational courses, my nephew couldn't get on any of the courses he wanted, simply because there were so many other applicants with more and better grades. He'd been led up the garden path to think all he needed were 5 Cs, so he just did enough to get them. Deliberately doing less work just because you've been led to believe you'll get "enough" is bonkers these days. Every kid needs to work hard to get as many qualifications as they can at as high a grade as they can - out in the real world, it's all about competition. Higher education and employers have the pick - why would they take on someone with the "minimum" entry requirement when they have loads of applicants with better?

YWBveryU to give her such appalling advice. Have you looked in to how difficult it is to get into medicine ?

Still think children should enjoy their education, though!

And sitting an exam at the end of the course means they won't enjoy school?

Your post is absolutely nonsensical. I'm amazed anyone would advise their child to just coast through done of their GCSEs, especially if their child is bright enough to be considering medicine.

Do you honestly think coasting children enjoy their education more than those who are working hard and seeing the benefits in their grades?

Thdats the homesxhooling philosophy isnt it? To do a few ypu enjoy well rather than cramming lots in a year?!

Kids have been "enjoying" school since the age of 4/5 right through to year 9 in secondary school, throughout which time, there's lots of scope for fun activities and relatively little pressure on the academic side of things.

By the time it comes to years 10 onwards, I think it's time that the "fun" side of things is put to one side and that they do concentrate on what's required for maximum options and flexibility for their adult life, i.e. getting the best exam results possible. Most schools still do "fun" things alongside, in the way of after-school clubs, etc.

I think if your dd was boarderline c/d grade you would have a point, but if she is capable of 10 A* ad doesn't get them then colleges will not be impressed.

Maybe the answer is for my GS's family to move to

Easy around here to get into 6th form with only 5 GCSEs (BBBCC typically the min grades needed). But medical school would require 8 GCSE at A/A* standard.

I love that Finland clip. I have younger children and was told the other night how my 7 year old would get detention if they didn't do homework....

Medical school by many accounts, is hard work. It can be assumed that medical schools will be looking for the capacity for sustained effort. Coasting through GCSEs won't help.

There is huge competition for medical school places. They all have different priorities, some wanting good aptitude test scores, others good AS scores (this will change), some place a lot of emphasis on personal statement (volunteering, leadership etc) and others filter partly by GCSE. GCSE heavy schools include Birmingham, Nottingham and Cardiff. DD failed to get an interview at Nottingham because she ONLY has 7 A*s at GCSE. She needed 8.

I would look up entrance requirements for selected medical schools. Or The Student Room has a table. You don't need to take more than 8/9 GCSEs but ideally most will be trad academic subjects. You really should try to get top grades in maths, English and science as this keeps options open. Basically the point about applying to medical school is that the competition is huge, so you need to be as informed as you can, and then tick as many boxes as well as you can.

As for fun, if you don't enjoy being engaged in education, don't opt for a five year degree!

You wouldn't have a chance of getting into uni with only 5 GCSEs for a competitive course like medicine. But I suspect it is enough for some subjects if you have the decent A levels. Unis are more interested in A levels after all, and if you applied after you got your grades they wouldn't care about your GCSEs, they only use those as a guide to what you can achieve in your A levels and beyond. I did much better in my A levels than I did in my GCSEs.

But I agree with your wider point that it is silly doing lots of subjects and stressing yourself out. I did 8 GCSEs in my grammar school. That seemed to be at the lower end of average - and a lot of schools were doing 11/12 until recently. That just seems over the top to me. Better to get As in 8 subjects than Bs and Cs in lots.

OP, unless I am very much mistaken they would not get away with concentrating on passing 5 subjects in Finland. The Finnish system may be laidback in the early stages but as far as I can understand is anything but laidback when it comes to secondary. If you have chosen academic school as opposed to vocational (as you would have to if going to university) you are stuck with a fairly large set of core subjects (including compulsory MFL), plus the chance to take some extras: you do not get the option our children do of choosing their favourite/best 3 or 4 subjects for A-levels. Finnish children may have a very free life at 6: by the time they get to 16 they are expected to buckle down.

Anyway, I don't think there is any evidence that a bright child who is coasting will have a happier educational experience than a bright child who is working hard and stretching themselves.

Many thanks for all your considered responses - and for all the info.

Taking 9-10 GCSEs is about keeping your options - even if they have a particular career path in mind, you can't guarantee they won't change their mind or get the grades they need.

Mov1ngOn, you asked about home educated kids. You're right that many of them do fewer exams than schoolchildren do, and that this approach can work well.

But they start by taking advice on what qualifications are realistically needed for the career they want. Would-be surgeons do indeed take a ton of IGCSEs and aim for excellent results. There are a few careers like this where there really is no reasonable alternative path.

The artists, carpenters, businesspeople, journalists and caterers have options. Surgeons don't.

This is the entrance requirements for Liverpool for medicine a minimum of nine GCSEs with a total of 15 points (A*\A-2 B-1) with English in addition to Maths and Science. The sheer volume of learning in medical courses is huge so they are looking for individuals who show capacity to cope with this by a broad number of GCSEs.
I just plucked Liverpool out of the air, but I am certain that the requirements will be similar everywhere.
She needs to be aware that if she wants to a surgeon GCSEs are just the start of a relentless slog of study and exams that she might finish when she is in her thirties.

It's important to follow a broad and balanced curriculum.

A bright child would be thoroughly bored with only 5 GCSEs.