Lack of GSCE options - what to do?

[drenwick]

Hi everyone. I am new to all this and I only have the one 14 year old so this is the one any only time I'll have to deal with this.. Help please.

It turns out that an essential GSCE subject (Computing) is not on offer at all at my sons school for the year 9 students.
The reason - because the teacher has been off sick since September and the school cannot replace him until he resigns. The seems totally unacceptable to me. That a single sick teacher can essentially shape the courses on offer and also impact the learning of the existing year 10 and 11 students and that the school cannot offer a replacement is crazy and of course disturbing.

I am being neive here?

Computing is a cornerstone and my son has been looking forward to taking up the subject. I don't know now how he will get any computing qualification to take forward post Secondary School. There is nothing available that offers any computing science education on offer at all for him.

Perhaps he can study it himself (we talked about this) but how will he be able to sit an actual test?

I am so disappointed for him.

Any help / comments would be helpful.

I don't think computing is a cornerstone.
Yes studying it at school is helpful if you are that way inclined, but you could go on to do A level / BTEC in computing without a GCSE.

If you think it is essential, is there an alternate school your DS could move to?

School could get a long term supply teacher in, but that will cost them money (and might be hard to find) which is maybe why they aren't bothering.

Is there an A-level or BTEC course which has Computer Science GCSE as an essential requirement? Most places ask for a good grade in GCSE Maths in order to do Computer Science A-level, but they don't usually ask for Computer Science GCSE.

I don't know now how he will get any computing qualification to take forward post Secondary School.

If he wants to do a degree in Computer Science, then Computing A-level is not usually required.

Btw, I'm not anti- Computer Science GCSE. Two of my children are doing the course and enjoying it. I'm just trying to make the point that a student would not be disadvantaged by not having access to it.

There's at least one company that offers computer science lessons/self study courses to home educated kids, maybe that might be an option if he's keen to get the qualification?
This is company belonging to the lady who helped my daughter self study hers: www.learntec.co.uk/

(Obviously it'll cost you and you'll have to find an exam centre for him to sit the exam but might be less hassle than moving schools!)

What other GCSEs is he doing? And I think TheSecond has a good point upthread. I am not sure Computing ( GCSE) is essential if you are talking about post secondary school - do well in maths and other subjects. ( happy to be contradicted)

You do not need computer science A level to do computer science at university and you do not need GCSE computer science to do an Al level in it.

Maths is the cornerstone for computer science.

see entrance requirements here:
www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/computer-science

I work in IT. You do not need any sort of Computer Science qualification to do this.

Back in the day (before internet), my brother taught himself assembler and wrote his own computer games. So I'd imagine it's even easier now there are online materials available these days. If your DC is really interested in computing and wants to take it further then showing an interest outside of what is done in school is a great selling point.

& further a friend of DS is applying for post university jobs in computing - she is doing Maths not Computer Science and seems to be doing OK

You do realise that computer science is a shortage subject? They probably can't find supply.

Should you really be complaining about the working conditions that lead to a dedicated professional having no option but to be declared unfit for work?

So to answer your question , if your son's school cannot offer Computing Science as a subject where teachers are somewhat few and far between according to pp s , if he is genuinely interested in a career in computing ( which covers a number of things ) - concentrate on his maths. DH recruits people for IT / computer related jobs - I am pretty sure Computing GCSE is not one of the things he looks for primarily. That may not be the answer you want, and others have given you some ideas about how to study it outside school - but I would say - Maths

No, maths is the cornerstone!

It doesn't sound like the ideal situation, but a good maths mark will be the critical bit.

If there's only one computer science teacher, how many students does it affect? Maybe the school can do the course in one year in year 11 instead. Hopefully they have a plan, although saying "until he resigns" is not very professional of them. He could have a terminal illness or something for all anyone really knows.

@drenwick we were nearly in this situation because our school struggled to recruit a cs teacher. They're like gold dust. And the ones with a degree in computer science are even rarer - many have converted from other subjects to help fill the gap.

However if your son can't do it don't despair. There are lots of out of school coding clubs (some of them free) and self learning options that will keep his interest alive, probably more so than the GCSE which has a reputation for being a little dull. He doesn't need the GCSE to do A level.