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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

GCSE

17 replies

Charliecat72 · 20/09/2018 08:55

Just a bit of advice really - can my daughter's school legally force her to drop a GCSE in order to concentrate on teaching the core subjects? In year 10, each child has already dropped one subject and sat another GCSE early. Now they are telling children who are performing below their predicted grade they will have to drop yet another subject. Can they do this?

OP posts:

Walkingdeadfangirl · 20/09/2018 09:34

As long as she is still doing 8 subjects then its probably for the best.

Astronotus · 20/09/2018 10:17

OP, they can change her schedule to effectively cause her to drop one. Sounds like you had better request a meeting with a teacher.

How many is she currently taking?

OddBoots · 20/09/2018 10:23

Yes they can but it would be good practice to do it with consultation with the student and the parents. If students aren't managing their workload it makes sense to reduce it rather than have every subject suffer.

Original poster

Charliecat72 · 20/09/2018 11:33

She has not actually been told she'll be one of those children but she is getting a bit stressed about the possibility and also seeing her friends upset. In her 15 year old mind she feels she's already 'lost' two subjects; Computer Studies (told to drop it in year 10) and Art (which she was forced to take a year early and failed). I am a pragmatist and understand schools are striving for the best results for the pupils in the core subjects but I'm also no fool and know they're very interested in their standings in the league tables also. I just don't see the point in giving children options decisions to make in year 8 and 9; getting them excited about a 'broad and varied' curriculum if the school then just takes them away at a later date to concentrate on the core subjects. I'd really have loved my daughter to develop a love of learning to last her whole life.....but instead she's just stressed, bored and hating it all. These kids will never get their school days/childhoods back and the grown-ups are screwing it up big time.Big woop woop to the policy makers in our schools and the government - NOT!

OP posts:

TeenTimesTwo · 20/09/2018 11:57

I think it depends on predicted grades.

Personally I would far rather my DD came out with 6 at 4+ including maths, English and Science than 9 at 3+ where English and maths were the 3s.

So, being forced to drop an option predicted a 5 but English and maths expect a 6+, would not be acceptable. But dropping an option predicted a 4 in order to spend time boosting maths and English up to a 4 would be fine by me.

Original poster

Charliecat72 · 20/09/2018 12:27

I can see the logic of what you're saying, TeenTimesTwo. I suppose apart from the fact the kids are getting mucked around and being forced to drop subjects they genuinely enjoy I'd just like to see some emphasis put back onto the joy of learning as opposed to the results driven education factory schools have become. And there's plenty of out of work degree holders to testify that fabulous results don't necessarily guarantee a sparkling future. Rant over. Thank you all for your help and wisdom - much appreciated.

OP posts:

TeenTimesTwo · 20/09/2018 14:43

What you need for level 3 courses tends to be 5 GCSE at grade 4+ including English and Maths. So I would want a school to pull out all the stops to help a child achieve that if it is within their grasp.
But they shouldn't be making someone drop a subject just because their result will pull down the stats.
Any dropping of subjects needs to be in the child's interest, not the school's

lalaloopyhead · 20/09/2018 14:49

I agree, children shouldn't be forced to drop a subject (particularly if they enjoy it) just to keep up the averages come results day.

If the child is failing miserably then surely the question has to be why?

There is way too much pressure on the kids to perform, and not necessarily for their own interests.

noblegiraffe · 20/09/2018 16:09

Making kids sit GCSE early is terrible. What grade triggers a forced drop? Below a 4? How many will she still be taking?

Ofsted wouldn’t be too impressed about an exceptionally narrow curriculum or early entry.

YeOldeTrout · 20/09/2018 19:19

I wish DS could drop French(!!)

Doing GCSEs early (yr9, yr10) I'm fine with. The no hoper non-core subjects, please no. Should ditch.

It's not clear to me that OP's DD does love this subject she's being advised to drop.

clary · 20/09/2018 22:18

How many subjects does she still do op? Eight and may have to drop another? Ok I guess. Or seven and may drop one? Not ok really imo.

Apart from anything else it is really limiting for A-level choices.

That's awful that she did badly in a yr 10 exam - what did she get? What was her target/predicted? Just shows what a bad idea doing GCSEs early is :( I'm surprised schools still do it actually as it means grades don't count?

Original poster

Charliecat72 · 21/09/2018 10:12

My daughter is presently doing maths, English, geography, Spanish, drama and science - the school won't decide whether the children are being put in for double or triple science until they see their mock grades. Obviously the cleverest have already been told they'll be doing triple and the poorest that they won't - however, my daughter sits in the middle so doesn't know yet. So I can't really say how many GCSEs she's taking. Obviously she's already sat art which she failed (3).
I obviously want her to do as well as she can but just not to the deteriment of her mental health - this is such a small period of time in the grand scheme of her life and she'll never get it back. She's got plenty of time to feel the full force of life's stresses when she is an actual adult. IMO school needs to be about so much more - and surely children being allowed to take at least a couple of subjects they enjoy isn't too much to ask?

OP posts:

clary · 21/09/2018 13:35

OK so she's doing 8 or maybe 9, so if she drops one, 7 or maybe 8. Hmm plenty of schools only do 8/9 to start with anyway. 10/11 feels ambitious to me.

Please don't say she failed art - she got a 3 which is still a grade worth getting and celebrating. Shame she didn't have another year to work on it but still not a fail.

Original poster

Charliecat72 · 21/09/2018 18:46

I'm not saying 'fail' to down play her efforts - she worked bliddy hard.....4 times a week after school for two full terms. She has been told in the new 9-1 grading system a 3 is a fail, Clary x

OP posts:

TeenTimesTwo · 21/09/2018 19:31

Going from possible triple science to double science isn't really dropping a subject though. A 66 in double would be 'better' than say 555 in triple.

Original poster

Charliecat72 · 21/09/2018 20:06

I don't really understand the new system tbh but surely 'double' is still one GCSE less than 'triple'.
Anyhow, thanks for all your advice and comments folks....It's going to be an interesting year!

OP posts:

clary · 21/09/2018 21:09

I guess I am defensive about GCSE "fails" - Ds1 has eight GCSEs but six of them are lower than a C (he did them three years ago). He still has grades and puts them on his CV.

I wouldn't talk to your dd about failing ( you may well not be!) and it's a shame schools do. Especially when it's prob their fault for entering her early :(

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