Ebacc - should I transfer my child's school?

[SatisfiedPigeon]

My daughter is in Year 9 and almost halfway through her first GCSE year .The school hasn't allowed her to do Ebacc . When her class were picking subjects , it was around June . She only had 2 choices for subjects she fancied as its procedure to make the process work . So she picked IT and Economics as she'd love to be a stock broker in future.Then she had pick Ebacc subjects . You normally have to do a Modern Language (eg, French and Spanish) and a Humanity to pick from either History or Geography . So she had picked Geography and Spanish. You have to obviously have English, Mathematics and Science as they are compulsory . So she had the 4 subjects for the process and the compulsory ones . She gave in the form and 2 weeks after they showed her the timetable for year 9 with the subjects . I was utterly shocked with what I saw on that paper . They had clearly scraped off all of my child's choices . They gave her Btec IT when she wanted normal IT . Then they gave her Music instead of Economics. Then instead of Spanish they gave her DT. So Geography was the only one which we wanted on that timetable as they completely went against us . I started to wonder about the requirements for these subjects and didn't see anything wrong . She had been in Set 1 for all of her subjects and highly achieving in everything . No bad behaviour , rarely gets in detentions or exclusions but they still took her off. So I called her HOYs and they were not helpful whatsoever about this matter .They had said "As you know we have to take off some people off these subjects as we need shorter classes exactly at this stage of the GCSE. And if we don't think they have potential for the subjects we take them off ". I argued back and told them how my child is in set 1 . Then the woman on the phone was very defensive and knew I was right . So she said "well if you want to know more talk to these individuals heads of departments as we don't know anything about why they get removed " . No where near helpful as they the heads of year . It was the last week to summer . So I was hoping on calling them after . So after the summer break , they had been saying "Your child is not eligible for the GCSE" through emails . So I started to ask some parents and they had a few issues . From their responses they had noticed that a school had a shortage of teachers . So I was not happy why they're not upfront to tell parents the real issue . So I went into the school and had a talk with the head of Year . And they started saying it was too late to change to cover up their secret . I was asking for the requirements and they started talking about how it's not even affected . And gave me some paper about the future of Ebacc . It was absolute shit , I wish I had never taken to my child to my school if I knew they'd mess her up like this . So I just told my daughter to see how it's like and she's calling the work boring . She even finds it easy most of the time . So I'm not even sure what I should do . The schools not ready to say where they messed up and admit . I'm thinking of transferring schools to satisfy my child's learning . They can't mess up her dream of stock broker . Should I transfer her to a different school? As long as they can give her the Ebacc it should be fine right ?

I wouldn’t get too hung up on the Ebacc, it is largely meaningless for the children themselves, and doesn’t necessarily mean anything other than they have a particular combination of GCSEs.

However it does sound like the allocation of subjects is a mess and it is or that she got so few of her choices seemingly without a reasonable explanation.

A lot of schools still choose options in Y9 and only start the GCSE courses in Y10, so Now may be a reasonable time to move, as there’s still chance to catch up. Moving part way through Y10 or Y11 would be more difficult.

The combination of subjects she has at the moment isn’t necessarily a bad one, and it’s rare to need specific GCSEs even for particular A Levels (outside the core English, Maths and Sciences), let alone further study after that, so there’s no reason her current selection should stop her following any particular career path.

What does your daughter think about moving?

A few initial points.

Forget ebac - it’s a pointless group of subjects & many leading schools don’t make their students choose it.

GCSE IT no longer exists. Computer Science does which is a very maths/science/coding qualification. Not all schools have teachers who are able to teach this subject. It’s very very hard.

Most schools ask students to choose subjects plus a reserve then use those choices to timetable option blocks. No one is guaranteed anything. What you have to decide is what is non negotiable for you.

Ds for example decided that music was non negotiable. If he wasn’t allowed to choose that he would change schools.

Dd felt the same about music & RS. She would have changed school, other subjects were negotiable.

I do think it’s quite poor for a student who wants to study a language not to be allowed to unless they are very weak in that area (at dd’s School dyslexic children are encouraged to do extra literacy instead)

Economics is a subject not many schools offer so I wouldn’t make any drastic changes over that one. However being allcoated music is a strange one. Was that’s reserve choice. Music is a hard subject you have to have a good knowledge of theory for composition & be a competent performer.

GCSE IT no longer exists. Computer Science does which is a very maths/science/coding qualification.
Some schools have replaced ICT with an Edexcel Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) Digital Applications qualification.

OP The EBacc is a pointless statistical measure invented by Gove. It means nothing for the students in terms of future prospects.

The Ebacc is purely a group of 8 subjects that schools use as a measure for their own statistics.

The Ebac is not a stand alone qualification for your child to use to pursue a particular route.

From this point of view you dont need to be worried about your child not doing the Ebacc.

However, you should be concerned that your dc cannot study any subjects that would enable her to achieve her future career aspirations. I would be looking at other schools to see what they have on offer but you should understand that a move of school will not necessarily provide all the subjects your dc wants to study and she may end up with subjects that have space for her. Most schools still start gcses in year 10 and students choose options around now. My dd school closed their option choices on 9th March so if you do want to change schools you need to get sorted very quickly.

Lots of schools are dropping the Ebacc as it's not accessible to many kids and means nothing.

If your dd is still in year 9 it might be worth seeing if there is a local school with places available for her if they run a 2 year course for have which will be able to accommodate her option choices. You are right to be mystified why she has been bumped off sèemingly more academic choices if she is set 1.

However as regards economics you don't even need economics a level to do an economics degree just maths so I'd not worry too much about that.

To me it sounds awful and I would definifely check if there are better schools nearby. The EBacc is not a random assortment of subjects but focuses on core subjects that are most suitable for more academic children in preparation for A-Levels and university applications. And the whole process of changing most of her choices without communication sounds awful, too. I would not want to leave the education of my child to this school. It will have big implications for her A-level and then university trajectory. You canjust put her into random subjects she hasn't chosen based on where there happens to be teacher availability.

Monger - the OP says her daughter has been iffeeed the Btec in IT, not a “proper” gcse so it sounds like the school has replaced the Gcse with this qualification. It is a Level 2 GCSE equivalent but some 6th forms will not accept them for some academic courses.

Music- what instrument does she play and at what level?

I would be hacked off with that too. I think anyone would be unhappy with their child not getting to do subjects they really wanted to do. I too wondered how able your dd is at music, i would have thought it's a subject you need to actively want to do. At dd's school you take a test to see if you are suited to gcse computer science. Do they do that at your school?

My daughter chooses gcse this year and the school sound like they will really work with you if for some reason they can't give your child their first choice subjects. I think it's about the attitude of the HoY.

It is really odd that they have given her music when she didn't choose it. I would have hated to study music ad I am really not able in that area.

Well the school have dealt with it in a rather crap way. However her combination of subjects is fine and won't restrict her A level choices at all. IT and Economics GCSE, and the EBacc wouldn't have put her onto that particular career path anyway.

Maths is the way forward if that's the sort of career she wants - Maths degree, Maths and FM A level.

This treatment is appalling! Taking the poster at face value, she is being pushed around and patronised to boot. I would not want to deal with a school like this.
Do you have viable alternatives, OP?

On the face of it sounding horrible, but choices are just preferences really they are not guaranteed. If the school doesn't have the teachers or space in a subject then they cant afford to run it. Its a catch 22.

If your going to change schools now is the time, just weigh up how important the subjects are verses the disruption of moving school. Remember there is no guarantee you will get the subjects she wants at any other school.

What would worry me was doing music if your not good at that subject. Wouldn't be worried to much about the rest.

I imagine the school said up front that all DC might not get all their GCSE choices. But it seems odd that your DD's choices have been changed so much, and also that she wasn't given advice up front from subject teachers if she's really deemed not strong enough to sit the subjects she chose. Plus how did they pick what subjects she was moved to? Music, for example is a really odd subject to randomnly pick as the child would need to be playing an instrument to take it. Did she pick 2nd choice options? Are you sure none of this was genuinely explained in advance.

As others have said, eBacc is entirely meaningless, so the issue is more around whether she is happy with the subjects she has been given. To note, that you really don't need economics and IT to be a stockbroker if that is her dream - a good qualification in maths would be better. if she's very unhappy I'd agree to look at schools where they start GCSE in Y10.