GCSEs - how many?

[Strix]

Is there a set standard for how many they take? I want DD to be challenged but not overwhelmed. I think our count is ten but she's a bit disappointed that there aren't enough spaces on our form asking what additional ones she can do privately.

She's not chosen anything soft. So I'd be concerned the grades will suffer if she takes on too much.

The new GCSEs are harder than the old ones, so schools will be offering fewer. Ten should be plenty.

our school say 9
universities look at your best 8

Is she sitting the iGCSEs and are they also being reformed? If not and she is studying those rather than the tougher new GCSEs then perhaps she could cope with 11?

It's 9-11 at DD's school. 9-10 on timetable, plus a max of one extra after school at extra cost. And the extra one gets finished during Y10. I don't think more than that is sensible, even for kids like DD who love all their subjects and don't know what to drop. I've been reminding her that she can still keep up some of the subjects (,arty ones especially) as hobbies. Learning is lifelong. She doesn't have to take a GCSE in them.

Dd (yr 11) us taking 10 Inc triple science. Nine if only double. Ten is plenty. No point killing yourself. And if yr dd is in yr 9 then she is doing the new ones which are harder.

Yy to doing some subjects as hobbies out of school eg drama, music, art

At ds's school everyone takes 9

At ds's selective independent school most take 9 with the option of a 10th extra curricular one.

Compulsory 11

Dc school take 9 or 10 , although I think dd may end up with 12 having taken a couple early.

11 compulsory at dd's plus an extra language put on after school for a few kids.. so some will do 12

DD2 did 12 with a couple early but the A levels are more important and don't take the soft option.

Quite honestly there is no point in doing more than 10. Universities aren't interested in more than that. It is better to get 10 really good grades than 12 mediocre ones.

10

You're quite right Iam, they want good grades for the degree that is being applied for. I think the schools push to make them seem better.

What Iamastonishedg says .... the experience so far with our children applying for university is that you will have abetter chance getting on most courses (including medicine) with 9 brilliant grades, than 12 good grades.

If she needs to be challenged, what extra curricular activity could she do that would enhance her personal statement ... in that way she will add to her chances of getting her desired place, and even when job by hunting later ... plus, she can cut back the extra curricular if she needs more time for her studies.

She is at a state school, so not iGCSEs. She has selected triple science and then we choose one from rack of three blocks and those are Spanish, History, and Computer Science. She initially wanted to also take Geography but there aren't enough spaces on the form.

She would prefer to drop Spanish and put PE in its place, but we decided it was better to take one language to be in line with ebac.

Her strongest subject by a mile is maths. So we have enquired about whether Further Maths is an option. That would make 11.

As far as I know the school doesn't allow taking any exams early. So they would all be in Year 11.

Incidentally I am not British, so this GCSE thing is all new to me.

"She is at a state school, so not iGCSEs"

DD is at state school and took iGCSE maths. Why further maths? The new format GCSEs are tougher, and apparently the new maths one is particularly tough. Quality not quantity.

Because she really wants. And I never say no to a kid who wants to study maths, and more maths.

Further Maths is because she really wants to. And I would never discourage a child who wants to do more maths.

9 is pretty standard. Better to have 9 great ones than 11 less good.

Also especialy needed when state schools do new harder gcses and independent schools are doing the (easier) iGCSEs & still have coursework. (Taught both for English and the iGCSE is much easier). It's not a level playing field for state students.

I understood that iGCSE maths was harder than GCSE. Only the top set did iGCSE maths last year. It is the only iGCSE her school did.

Consensus I'd heard was that they're easier. Certainly English is as state schools used to enter their C/D borderline students in for it because speaking and listening counts and the questions were mlre straightforward. Now the iGCSE allows coursework whereas it's 100% closed book for state school studenys

I've got children in both systems.

On the whole from what I've seen of their work & syllabi I would say igcse is harder than the old style GCSE's but the content of the new science GCSE is now much harder & more on a par with igcse.

1 taken in year 10 and then 10 in year 11.