Tell me about Citizenship GCSE. Which is apparently compulsory at my DD's school. She doesn't want to do it.

[bellinisurge]

As it says in the subject, Citizenship GCSE has now been deemed compulsory at my DD's school. She would prefer to do Triple Science but doesn't want to lose a free space in her GSCE options to do it. She deliberately didn't go to a faith school (despite being in a feeder primary) to avoid having RE GCSE forced on her.
Any suggestions?

Dd3 is only doing 8 and will be fine for A level and uni. School are happy with this.

Fair enough @Batmanandbobbin . That's helpful and interesting. If she has to do it and we can't get the school to change its position, I will back it as a compulsory subject. None of what I am saying on here is what I am saying to my dd. I'm telling her how interesting it might be, how easy she might find it because of what DH and I do and can help: I did that recently on some stuff she had to do.
But I'm concerned about her options being narrowed.

It would be interesting to see what the time allowance is for all subjects at your school bellini
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if it is a metric boosting manoeuvre on the part of the school.
If I recall rightly 2 of the key KS4 metrics that are used for league tables are "% pupils gaining 5 GCSEs af A-C" and "%pupils gaining 5 GCSEs at A-C including maths and english". Well it will be at 9-4 or 9-5 now I presume, but basically the same.
So if the school makes citizenship GCSE compulsory it effectively pulls the time that must legally be spent on that subject back into the time that is being spent on GCSE subjects. Then, the rest of the week only has to be divided between 8 GCSE subjects instead of 9, allowing more time for other subjects - probably maths and english. Even if they devote a bit more time to citizenship than the legal minimum, it still leaves more time for maths and english. So from the schools perspective, if pupils typically get a better grade in citizenship than other subjects AND do better in maths and english then it's a win-win situation.
Actually, if they are doing it for tgat reason, it is probably not just a cynical move to boost performance figures because obviously it does benefit the pupils to pass more GCSEs and to get better grades in english and maths. But the unintended consequence is to reduce choice for more able pupils who would probably be fine with a bit less time on maths and english whikst taking another "full" option. But I suppose any school will try to organise their curriculum in the way that gets the best results for the most pupils.
It used to be standard at our school for the vast majority to take 10 GCSEs but it's been reduced to 9 now, with maths, english lang english lit, science x3, history or geography and a MFL all compulsory for the majority, only leaving one completely free choice. The time released from the 10th GCSE had been shared out between the others, predominantly maths and english, to allow for the increased demands of the new syllabi. I guess it's just a different approach to the same problem.

MrsAvocet thanks, that crystallises my suspicions too. Able students' needs getting pushed to one side for the greater good.

I haven't read the full thread, sorry if this has been mentioned. But I noticed someone touched on the subject of group coursework, we've found this to be a nightmare all the way up the school. DD was interested in taking Global Perspectives, but the group aspect put her off, her friend did take it and is having a nightmare, she is the only one pulling her weight yet will have to accept a lower grade.

Our school do the compulsory ½ GCSE in RE, they have to teach RE in KS4, so they might as well get a qualification out of it.
She is taking 12.5 GCSEs, her school take some in the Oct/Nov sitting at the beginning of yr11.

able student's wants not needs.

Unlike the whole GCSE system which pushes lesser able students needs aside for the wants of Michael Gove.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/420406-uptake-of-gcse-subjects-2016.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjv_Jmv48PuAhUGiFwKHVR2BecQFjABegQIBRAF&usg=AOvVaw1yWCRgS5Bi-euV3VLVZsMV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/420406-uptake-of-gcse-subjects-2016.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjv_Jmv48PuAhUGiFwKHVR2BecQFjABegQIBRAF&usg=AOvVaw1yWCRgS5Bi-euV3VLVZsMV

Research into options, looks like 9 is most common but mean is 8.6.

Performance measures are now mostly progress 8 based, so have led to a broader curriculum in some cases where students were getting only 5 GCSEs. (remember the early 2000s anyone?!).

No student, able or otherwise, needs more than 8 GCSEs.

@TeenPlusTwenties , I can't fix the world but I can speak up for my daughter.

I don't think you really understand what you're speaking up for though. The school won't change options this year, nor can it not teach citizenship.

Sigh. Again. I'm not against citizenship classes. Not sure how many more times I need to say this. I am not in favour of it being a compulsory GCSE.

MrsAvocet 's analysis makes sense to the situation. The school is about to become an academy, bringing in 3 other local poorer performing schools. Gaming the figures sounds about right.

It would really annoy me too OP.

I don't understand why we force options on children that they are not going to engage with.

I home educate one of my children and having completely free choice over GCSE subjects that he's taking is a massive bonus!

I think you should make your views known to the school. If enough parents do the same, they might change their minds. But other than that, there isn't much else you can do.

So if you don't object to the classes, she will be in them anyway, what's the harm in getting a GCSE from it? You cannot replace the time with another option, because she has to be in citizenship classes.

www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/citizenship/gcse/citizenship-studies-8100/subject-content/life-in-modern-britain

My son did this last year, Citizenship GCSE is not ‘lifeskills’ , if anything I would describe it as a politics course. He did drugs, sex, etc etc ib PHSE.
I actually went to his class to deliver a session on the modern civil service. The group was engaged, socially aware, asked intelligent questions - amazed at what the civil service actually is.

I’ve been able to have great conversations with my son about voting, party politcs, UK’s role on the world stage, the EU, what the national/devolved govts are responsible for, what a local authority is responsible for, the role of the media, British values, what it means to be a citizen.
When he gets to vote for the first next year, I think he will be in a position to make informed choices.
I thought it was an excellent course.

I think that MrsAvocet has identified what might be happening - they will have more time on Maths and English at the school to bump up those stats and will bump up the good grades stats. In effect, they will be doing 8 GSCEs and get one bonus one to exploit the time they have to spend on citizenship. If my dd wasn't academically able, I would count that as a win win. But she is.

@Ted27 , totally get it's importance as a general subject. It's my area of work

If she's that academically able then why is she doing business studies and dt!

Because she is interested in those subjects too [academic child also wanting to go technical subject shocker]

Business studies is just as waste of a subject as Citizenship. If uni's only look at your top 8, then having English x 2, maths, triple science, a language, history is more impressive than english x 2, double science,.maths, business studies, citenzship and dt!

Now who are being sniffy about subjects 😂

I don't know why you are being so arsey! If your dd is too academic to do Citizenship then her gcse choices aren't the best. If she's business studies and dt standard then I'm not sure why you are bothered about Citizenship. Good luck with it.

titchy is a well respected poster, no need to be rude to her.

Hahah respected by whom? Been on here over 17 years never heard of her! And so what if I had! Was still a twaty response!

Gotta love love a good handmaiden, arselicking poster!!

If your dd is too academic to do Citizenship then her gcse choices aren't the best.

This

although too academic for citizenship isn't a thing

I was surprised when dd chose her options how little choice there was. We are in wales and she had to do English language and literature, maths, numeracy, double science (and used an option to triple it), RE, PE and Welsh as compulsory gcses. Along with Welsh Bacc (which is very like general studies). She could only choose 3 things, of which 2 she wanted to do were in the same block and she could only pick one.
And re isn't down because it is a faith school. It's just compulsory!

I've known friends move their dc so they have a different choice of options at a different school.

Oh and by the way of my kid had to do a mandatory citizenship or RE GCSE she'd be going to another school. Fuck that! What a waste of a GCSE! Especially as posters say it's an "easy" GCSE!

Blimey mumnset is a fucking nightmare at the moment!