Page 13 | Tell me about Citizenship GCSE. Which is apparently compulsory at my DD's school. She doesn't want to do it.

bellinisurge · 2021-01-28T10:44:03+00:00

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?

Original poster

bellinisurge · 30/01/2021 21:43

"So only english language, Citizenship, business studies and dt gcses? This is not sounding like the cv of an academic child."

Well, aren't you nice?

OP posts:

MrsAvocet · 30/01/2021 21:51

3 separate sciences are compulsory for GCSE at my children's state school Ginfordinner apart from for the lowest set who do double science. It's not that unusual is it? I can only think of one school in our area that offers solely double science.

Original poster

bellinisurge · 30/01/2021 21:54

I have reported your revolting post . Enough of this nasty shit.

OP posts:

Frodont · 30/01/2021 22:04

I'm sorry if you think I was being nasty.

I was trying to point out that there are other things your dd could give up so she has room to take the academic subjects you said she should be taking rather than Citizenship. The fact is, if she does the gcses she wants, plus one single English gcse, which I am presuming is English Language, these are not academic choices. This is why some schools let able pupils down - by not steering them down an academic route at gcse level. Her choices at gcse and a single English gcse will hold her back more than Citizenship Gcse!

Frodont · 30/01/2021 22:05

@MrsAvocet

3 separate sciences are compulsory for GCSE at my children's state school Ginfordinner apart from for the lowest set who do double science. It's not that unusual is it? I can only think of one school in our area that offers solely double science.

Triple science is normal, three separate science gcses aren't (here anyway)

Original poster

bellinisurge · 30/01/2021 22:09

Apology not accepted. A personal sneery attack on my daughter is out of order. I'll leave the thread to you and your queen bee mates.
I will, of course, check whether English is one or two GSCEs. In the meantime, I hope nobody is as horrible to your child.

OP posts:

Frodont · 30/01/2021 22:18

I think you are totally over reacting and have been a bit off throughout. I hope your dd ends up enjoying Citizenship!

Original poster

bellinisurge · 30/01/2021 22:21

Telling someone " I'm sorry if you feel whatever " is the opposite of an apology. Which you probably know already. Look at the first response to my thread to see what horrible crap has permeated this thread.

OP posts:

Ginfordinner · 30/01/2021 22:22

I think a couple of posters have misunderstood me about triple science. DD took triple science, but they are listed on her GCSE certificate as three standalone sciences - biology, chemistry and physics. She took her GCSEs in 2016. Do they not list them as separate sciences now @MrsAvocet and @Frodont?

Frodont · 30/01/2021 22:25

@Ginfordinner

I think a couple of posters have misunderstood me about triple science. DD took triple science, but they are listed on her GCSE certificate as three standalone sciences - biology, chemistry and physics. She took her GCSEs in 2016. Do they not list them as separate sciences now *@MrsAvocet and @Frodont*?

Yes, they list them as separate sciences, and they've studied three full seperate sciences but you can't just take two full sciences iyswim. Eg when I was at school I only took Physics and Chemistry, not biology. Not many schools do that now, its either triple - Physics, biology and chem gcses or double - 2 x science grades.

Frodont · 30/01/2021 22:27

Double science has two number grades for 2 x general science gcses.

2021vision · 30/01/2021 22:33

Having had a DC go through GCSEs I think it's wrong for a school to do this. I can understand English (which is 2 - language and literature) and maths but, sorry to sound snobby, this sounds like a mickey mouse GCSE. As for being an easy 'A', that says it all really! The workload for GCSEs is huge so making a child do something they are not interested in isn't very motivating. If she wants to do science at 'A' level it's better to do the triple.

Unfortunately if the school are adamant every child has to do it what can you really do?

woodlands01 · 30/01/2021 22:38

All schools have peculiarities in their options. RE or some version of it is very common in most school not just faith schools. Some insist on a language some don't. Some restrict through option 'bands'. It is very unlikely you will get anywhere if you suggest changes! I'd not worry about it really - if my child didn't want to do it I'd tell them to keep their head down and do the minimum! Maybe I'm a bad parent (and secondary teacher). 😀

Ginfordinner · 30/01/2021 22:54

Yes, they list them as separate sciences, and they've studied three full seperate sciences but you can't just take two full sciences iyswim. Eg when I was at school I only took Physics and Chemistry, not biology. Not many schools do that now, its either triple - Physics, biology and chem gcses or double - 2 x science grades.

Ah yes, I knew that. I wasn't sure how doube science was shown on the certificate as DD took triple science. My friend's DC went to a private school where they don't do double and triple science, but just single science options, so a pupil can do just biology and phyysics, for example.

Her DS had applied for a place at a 6th form college and wanted to study biology A level. He wasn't allowed to as he hadn't studied any chemistry since year 9, so he stayed on at his school for 6th form.

Frodont · 30/01/2021 22:57

Double science is shown as two grades - so dd got 8:8, apparently you can get 8:7 which means you got 7.5 for each one. I don't really understand it myself tbh. And just to make matters worse, double science is called Trilogy. I mean, why would you do that?!

MrsAvocet · 30/01/2021 23:02

Sorry Ginfordinner I think I've confused matters! What Frodont describes is what is compulsory at our school. I'd just never considered it as "triple science" as the 3 subjects are timetabled and staffed completely separately, right through the school. The options booklet lists compulsory subjects as maths, english language, english literature, biology, chemistry and physics. I've never seen any reference to triple science in any communication from school - they use the terms "separate sciences " and "double science" so I was thinking that "triple" must be something different, but obviously it isn't! Sorry for causing confusion....I'll get my coat....

Frodont · 30/01/2021 23:03

@NovemberR

If you are interested in knowing what's involved in GCSE Citizenship I imagine checking the school website will give you the exam board they use. You can then download the spec from there which will allow you to see what is covered and required.

My DS is at a school where Business Studies was compulsory. They didn't want to do that, either. Nor the French he was forced to take.

It is what it is.

A few different posters linked to info about GCSE Citizenship but the OP didn't acknowledge them, so not sure what she wanted from this thread.

Ginfordinner · 30/01/2021 23:17

I'd just never considered it as "triple science" as the 3 subjects are timetabled and staffed completely separately, right through the school.

It's OK @MrsAvocet . It's so easy to be at cross purposes ona an internet forum. DD's science lessons were timetabled as biology, chemistry and physics, and I think the double science students lessons were as well. They just covered less course content, and had time for another option.

Frodont · 30/01/2021 23:19

Dd did double science but still have physics, biology and chemistry as seperate timetabled lessons

Frodont · 30/01/2021 23:19

*had

TeenPlusTwenties · 31/01/2021 07:47

Thinking about this more this morning (to save me worrying about my own much larger issues), I do find it surprising/highly unlikely that the English is really only 1 GCSE.

The reason is, the rest of the options include a compulsory History/Geography and a compulsory MFL. That strikes me somewhat as a school that is trying to get very good EBacc / Progress8 figures. However iirc those can only be obtained if the pupil is also entered for both English language & English Literature.

I am struggling to co-join (not the right word but I can't think of it) in my mind a school that on the one hand is academic enough to mandate Spanish for all, but on the other hand so unacademic it is somehow only offering 1 English GCSE.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 31/01/2021 08:23

Teen you are right, English is double weighted in prog8 but only if students sit lit and lang at the same time. Then the highest of the two grades is double weighted and the "other" grade forms part of the 'other' basket in prog 8. So it does seem unlikely that a school gaming figures wouldn't sit both. (Not that I think the school is gaming figures, to me they're offering a broad curriculum to all).

FelicityPike · 31/01/2021 08:47

I can’t believe you are STILL whining about the first response to your thread!!
You really need to get over it!!

Original poster

bellinisurge · 31/01/2021 09:15

It was the "that [gobshite] is a respected poster so don't criticise them for being a gobshite" follow up plus the "you dare to be unhappy about other people being rude to you" that kept appearing in the thread.
Perhaps you missed that.

OP posts:

Frodont · 31/01/2021 09:21

@bellinisurge

It was the "that [gobshite] is a respected poster so don't criticise them for being a gobshite" follow up plus the "you dare to be unhappy about other people being rude to you" that kept appearing in the thread. Perhaps you missed that.

I don't think anyone apart from you has called people gobshites, Queen Bees and nasty.