Am I right to be angry ??

[Sometimesoon]

My 14 year old chose his GCSE options earlier in the year , because he is in the higher pathway he has to follow the Ebac system , so he gets to choose 2 subject of his choice ( he chose Music and Graphics) . We heard last week he didn’t get Graphics . This is a child who predicted to get 7/8 , has shown consistently good marks in the subject , has a genuine interest in design , has done his work shadowing in the design sector and achieved a good attitude to learning grade from his teachers . This counts for NOTHING . He had been given art instead and we have been told basically, suck it up . His friends who are predicted a 4/5 have got Graphics ( but in a lower pathway ) we have been told everyone's choice goes in the computer and 95% of the pupils will get all their choices. This seems so bloody unfair . He works hard ,achieves good results and now had his career path screwed. Meeting the deputy head ( after chasing for a week) on Monday. Anyone else had this ? Anyone know what the legal requirements are as far as the school is concerned , Class numbers etc ? . Just want to get my ducks lined up before the meeting . Thank you .

I understand you're understandably upset but is "his career path screwed"?
My DH works extensively and very successfully in the design sector he has neither an art or graphic design qualification and I doubt many if any he works with have a GCSE in graphic design. He would say being able to draw/sketch well (and use a computer now a days) is a very useful skill. In fact he frequently complain about many of the designers (many of whom are pretty famous names) inability too draw.

Is this Graphic Design or Graphics communications GCSE?
My dd took A level Graphic communication and they prefer you not to have taken the GCSE but to have done Art. The entry requirement for this A level is a grade 6+ at her former sixth form in any Art or DT GCSE subject. Art is seen as the best preparation as it covers all the different skills needed. So personally it may be a bit over dramatic to say this has ruined his future career prospects as most schools don't even offer this subject at GCSE.
It may be possible to take Art GCSE and specialise in a more Graphics type area for his portfolio.
Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear.
Art and design may be seen as more appropriate to dcs on a higher pathway who are creative types.
At this stage (GCSE options) you need to make choices that keep dcs future choices as wide as possible and for that reason Art may be a better option.

Schools do not and should not allocate subjects by ability. A child who is predicted a 4 has just as much right to a place on a graphics course as a child who is predicted an 8.

Its just the reality that schools cannot timetable students all their choices, they do their best and 95% is pretty good. His career path is NOT screwed and he this will in no way hinder his chances of doing 'graphics' post GCSE.

By all means speak to the school but you will probably just have to accept this.

Which art gcse is it? The one that DD is taking, you can choose to specialise in graphic communication.

What they all said. ^^.

It is disappointing, and rubbish you've only just been told, but it won't impact A level courses or prevent him from doing anything as a career.

You are more likely to get somewhere with pleading his interest than with spouting legal requirements. It is up to the school how many pupils they think they can reasonably fit into any class.

Also, maybe find out how much 'graphicy' work he can pull into Art GCSE.

Art is better. It’s more varied and can be tailored to interests. It certainly won’t stop him doing anything and, in fact, keeps more doors open. No employer will demand Graphics GCSE. Art can be great prep for that career so encourage him. It’s also very useful if he needs a portfolio for university.

You are overdramatising this. Many schools only offer Art GCSE. He can probably include elements of graphics in his portfolio but not taking Graphics GCSE as an exam will not be significant in the longer term.

His career path is not even vaguely screwed. He just didn’t get his ‘preference’. As posters have said, a lot of schools don’t even offer Graphics at gcse.
Art is better as he will learn a broader range of skills. He can specialise later.

I agree, he will be fine in terms of career, no future employer will demand graphics GCSE, as many schools don't even offer it. Why not look at what he wants to do post-16 and see what's needed for that? If his A level choices require graphics GCSE (which seems very unlikely to me) then that may be an argument for you to put forward.

There is no legal requirements for the school to give your son his preferences - most schools I know ask for a number of choices, I recall ds2 listed four for two slots. Was art one of these? I would say as others suggest, that art may well be better in terms of range of possibilities.

Also as new start rightly points out, it would be to the greatest degree unfair if options were allocated based on ability. I don't see why a more able child should get priority over their choices tbh, so I wouldn't mention that in your meeting with the dep head.

Unfortunately sometimes due to class sizes it’s not possible for everybody to get their first subject choices. It’s a shame but if it’s done by a computer it’s just random luck and not unfair at all.

What would be unfair is your suggestion that students with higher predicted grades should be given priority and all the others should be at the bottom of the pile when it comes to getting their subjects. That would be hugely discriminatory on lower achieving students (who are more likely to have SEN or be from low-income families or looked after children etc).

Sorry your son is in the 5% who didn’t get their subject choices but I’m afraid that’s just the luck of the draw. It’s not unreasonable to be disappointed but unreasonable to expect them to kick a lower achieving student out of the class to make room for your precious son. If he’s a high achiever I’m sure he will do fine in whatever subject he follows anyway.

I have to say that I took both Art GCSE and Graphic Design GCSE and both are totally different. What he may want from Graphics, he won't get from doing Art. That being said, if he decides in two years time he still wants to do that then college is the next best option. They will however, require an art form of qualification.

I'm surprised they are only allowed 2 subjects. I had 3 as well as all the compulsory ones.

This will not be down to future predictions for marks but to timetabling. Your DS is in a higher pathway, therefore they want him in the higher sets. That may have meant allocating him to Graphics would have been incompatible with putting him where he belongs academically. It happens, timetabling is complex.

My DD2 desperately wanted to move from one parallel cohort to the other in Yr9 bcause she was the only one in her friendship group assigned to that cohort - and she was finding it socially very hard going. The school were willing to make the move, but at the cost of moving her down sets in the sciences and maths. She had the choice, she made the choice to stay where she was (and ended up settling very well by the start of Yr 10, but Yr 9 was a tough year).

I agree that your DS will more than likely be able to pick up his subject at A level with a good Art GCSE and a portfolio focused on the graphic design side of things.

Why is your son more important than a child who is predicted grades 4/5?

No FE depends on a graphics gcse because most schools don't offer it.

I hear what you’re saying but DS wants to do product design . He can’t do A level GD without gcse graphic design . DS isn’t sporty , doesn’t like sciences , but graphics was the one subject he really excelled in . My husband is a product designer and worked for 25 years in the design sector . DS has been brought up with it in his life , it will affect him long term , no gcse , no a level , no place at uni doing Product Design .

DS is absolutely not more important than a 3/4 but is it not in the interest of my child who had worked hard in the subject to give him the opportunity over someone who has proved they aren’t going to put the work in to the subject already ? The school is failing my child .

Our school don't offer graphic design at gcse but at least 3 went on to do the a-level at college. College requirement was an art subject

He can’t do A level GD without gcse graphic design

Who says this? It sounds extremely dubious and I’d be very surprised if it were actually true.

When we spoke the teachers about DS options we were told “ if you want your art to hang in a gallery, take art , if you want to design the gallery , take graphics “

He can’t do A level GD without gcse graphic design

Says who? I find this very unlikely considering most schools don't offer graphics gcse.

The deputy head , in charge of assigning place.

The timetable isn't scheduled according to predicted grades, it's scheduled according to subject. You need to find out which of the other subjects graphic design clashes with on the timetable and try to work around that. If, for example, it clashes with the higher pathway maths, would you consider putting him in the lower group? If not then they can't change a timetable to suit one person

The deputy head , in charge of assigning place.

At school (11-16) or for A Levels?

Then you need to get confirmation from the school that not having graphic design GCSE but having art won’t affect his ability to take A-level.

Once you have that in writing, everything will be fine.

How do you know that the students predicted a 4/5 have proved they aren't going to work in the subject? Grade 4-5 could show really hard work from them, if they are lower ability. My ds has SEN and worked really hard to get his C grades in maths and food tech, I'd have been very annoyed if a higher achieving child had been prioritised for food tech over him if that were the reason.

Are you sure about the a level in graphics op? Who's told you that?