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?

OP, you have done it again, where did I say you asked for an apology?

"Oh by the way, I don't need to apologise or admit anything -"

When you said that @Coronateachingagain . Less than an hour ago

[quote bellinisurge]@clary , that's not really an answer is it. They fit 9 subjects in the timetable. I worked that out fur myself, thanks. What I wanted to know was how they allocate enough hours to 9 other subjects.
[/quote]
And that's not bloody rude?! Get over yourself OP.

I think that's what they call "double standards "

Any you're right, of course.@clary , I was rude and I apologise.

Move on, eh
Just can't think where the sghter gets her entitled attitude from that she is above the rules for everyone
Don't move schools and inflict yourselves on another institution.

Many secondary schools put up their GCSE options and the hours spend on different topic areas for KS3 and KS4 on their websites. It might help to look around ones in your local area to see what's typical. Where I am it can look like kids have a lot of options as some schools have topics pupils can pick from, but real choice is generally only 1-2 here.

My Y9 DD is currently frustrated as she only gets 1 real option for her 9.5 GCSEs. She does get to choose between history and geography - neither her or any of her peers seem to view that as a real choice - then the real one. She gets to rate her top 4 picks in order and then see which one she gets. I don't entirely get the system as I wasn't raised with it and I can see why she and many others are frustrated with it, though we've mainly focused on which topics she can cover outside of class (like drama & food tech) and the merits of some others (like Level 1/2 BTEC Health and Social Care vs doing both humanity options). They don't have Citizenship GCSE, which surprised me as they're big on the topic, it looks to be mostly included in PSCHE, assemblies, and such.

@Rightleftupdown , it was a joke at myself. Jesus.
@BiBabbles , thanks . That's helpful. I'm trying to find comments from people explaining how the system is in their area and what the impact is on their kids.

@bellinisurge,

It would be incredibly useful if you said what you actually wanted from this thread for your daughter. Saying you want ‘opinions’ is implying, to many of us, that you want your daughter to have an option of a bespoke time table, which obviously gets people’s backs up.

Are you considering moving schools? Or your daughter’s options within her existing school! Or what?

What would you do if people did not have a high opinion of citizenship GCSE?

What do I want?
To know whether it's a compulsory GCSE in all schools. If not, how do other schools fit in 9 subjects AND tbe compulsory citizenship stuff. Has anyone ever challenged it?. With what outcome.

Which apparently means I'm an entitled whiner and I shouldn't ask questions. Particularly on a parenting forum.

Luckily, plenty of posters have been helpful and I will use what they have said as I consider whether and to what extent I challenge it.

I said in my original post that I wanted suggestions. Unfortunately, some charmers have interpret that as "opinions ".

@bellinisurge,

But what do you want to know FOR? It does not seem to be idle curiosity.

There are so many different models of schools with so many different priorities. The current trend is actually for fewer GCSEs and more ‘enrichment’.

But, you can fit in more GCSEs with fewer (or no) study periods, which just means a long evening of homework. In addition, you can have longer or shorter days and longer and shorter lunches.

Ultimately, though, a gcse requires a certain amount of hours spent to do well in it but this does also vary by child, especially in subjects like maths, which can take minimal work for some (who just ‘get it’) and hours of painstaking toil for others, who attempt to ‘learn’ it like a humanities subject.

It is such a complex and multilayered question.

And, as for ‘challenging it’, it will be a total non starter. Virtually all state schools cover the natural curriculum. Over and above that, they are free to teach (within reasonable bounds) what they see fit. On what grounds could it be ‘challenged’?

Because. My. Daughter. Is. Choosing. Her. Options.

And. I . Want. To. Understand. More.

But.you.have.no.choice.about.Citizenship

If you say it's pointless to challenge and that it's too complex (and why it's complex) that is useful to help me decide as I said already whether and to what extent I challenge it.

Frodunt - maybe you can find another opportunity to be rude about a specific child. That seems to be your speciality. And then you can do another non-apology

Big semantic difference OP, you seem to keep interpreting things people say in a way they are not. I was just saying that I had not apologised, contrary to your assumption I had.

Frodunt - maybe you can find another opportunity to be rude about a specific child. That seems to be your speciality. And then you can do another non-apology

I wasn't rude about your child. I said her gcse choices as they stand are not those of an academic child, and they aren't. As your only argument for her not cracking on with Citizenship is that she's so academically able, her current choices, some of which are academically weak, is worth pointing out. Or are you one of those mothers who can't handle the concept that perhaps your dd isn't as academic as you think she is?

If you say it's pointless to challenge and that it's too complex (and why it's complex) that is useful to help me decide as I said already whether and to what extent I challenge it

How can anyone know that! They don't know your school. Why not contact the school on Monday and ask if there's any way she could drop it? If they say no it matters not a jot if you understand it or not and you can move on.

@Coronateachingagain ,
you said you didn't have to apologise.
I said I didn't ask you.
You said you didn't think I'd asked you.
So why tell me you didn't have to apologise in the first place.
If you didn't mistakenly think I'd asked you.

Frodunt, a snide comment about whether my child is actually academic because of her GCSE preferences is an insult directed at my child.
Despicable

I'm one of those mothers that doesn't like snide comments by randoms about their children.

@bellinisurge

Frodunt, a snide comment about whether my child is actually academic because of her GCSE preferences is an insult directed at my child. Despicable

Then why are you encouraging her to do non academic subjects if her options are limited!

I'm not encouraging her. I'm not dictating to her what she chooses. I'm supporting her.
You seem to have hangups about other subjects.