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?

Bellini. You may have to face the fact your dd cannot drop Citizenship. In that case, if she wants to do triple science as you say, she'd be fine to drop business studies as it's the least academic of her choices. I'm not sure why this is so difficult for you to understand.

Might want to take the school name out?

Thanks @Ginfordinner .

Who said I hadn't accepted a challenge may fail, Frodunt. You are spinning that little story in your head

Ok you aren't making sense. Do you often get this angry with randoms on the internet?

Do you often insult the children of randoms on the internet?

Insult her how? By suggesting business studies and dt aren't academic choices?

I started the thread to get information on this compulsory GSCE . Useful people posted.
Other less useful people posted .
I absorbed the useful information.
The less useful and often horrible posts pissed me off and I called out posters who persisted in it.

You insulted her by saying she wasn't academic because she doesn't conform to your idea of an academic child.

According to you, it seems an academic child can't be academically strong and still want to do more technical subjects.
Then you assumed I was ordering her to do various subjects.
Really got some odd ideas playing out here.

Well she has to because it's mandatory. I also had this at secondary and honestly it's so easy.

We watched films (The Green Mile, Escape from Sobibor). We did presentations on the Royal Family, Recycling, environment, ethics.

It was laughably easy. Most of us got A*.

Thanks @CorianderBee . That's helpful.

No worries, it's really not RE. It's about society, some of how parliament works, some about how to be a good member of society etc. Might have to present to some year 7s at some point but not much else.

That poor, poor school. Would love to see how this pans out when the OPs DD gets into the workplace.

More snide unhelpfulnrss. Always unwelcome

What's the matter with people today?

I don't see why this straightforward quotation has got people all riled up. No-one wants their kid's important exam choices restricted by pointless options. It was a fair question. Several of us (including teachers like me who have taken no offence whatsoever) have reassured OP that it will be an extra rather than an instead of, and take very little timetable space. That's all that was needed.

Seriously, people seem to have lost their minds.

Quotation? Question. Thanks autocorrect.

Thanks again @saraclara

I have been looking at DD's old school's website and they have introduced a new GCSE called Belief and Ethics. It sounds really interesting and covers studying Christianity and one other religion, medical, environmental and animal ethics, peace and conflict, marriage and family, same sex relationships, crime and punishment. This takes up 6 hours per fortnight.

They devote 9 hours per fortnight to maths, 9 hours per fortnight to English (lang and lit, not sure how that is divided up) and 8 hours a week for those taking triple science. I think all the optional subjects devote 6 hours per fortnight, but I'm not sure.

I hope this gives you some guidance @bellinisurge

Thanks @Ginfordinner . Very useful. I'm speaking to the form tutor this week for Parents Evening. She's very good and if she isn't in a position to tell me more about options stuff, she will direct me to the right person.

@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

And yet you appear to have no problem insulting those whose kids are taking Citizenship GCSE by insisting on banging on about how it's 'worthless', 'easy' and a 'waste of time', despite several posters trying to clarify the content and value of the subject.

Double standards much?!

The bottom line is, if it is a compulsory option at your daughter's school you are unlikely to convince them to change the entire structure of their GCSE programme to suit your child, but I wish you the very best of luck trying.

If it’s taught imaginatively and well by someone who is genuinely interested and knowledgeable she’ll probably benefit greatly and possibly enjoy it. If it’s palmed off to teachers who are not particularly interested and aren’t given time or resources to prepare properly, it could be a frustrating waste of time.

Ironic comment @MintyCedric , given how sniffy other posters were about my daughter's other preferences of business studies and Textiles.
I personally think it's a very interesting subject because of my work but she doesn't.

@bellinisurge I don't particularly agree with those comments either tbh.

I took Business Studies...loved it, got an A.

Supported DD in taking Music GCSE (also on target for an A) even though it has precisely sweet FA to do with any future education or career options.

I think there's a lot to be said to letting them freewheel a bit, tbh, because so long as they have the essentials at a good level, a GCSE is a GCSE.

I get that having limited options is a monumental pain in the arse, we've been there, but unfortunately it is what it is.

That's the thing, @borntobequiet . I have been very clear to her that you shouldn't make options decisions based on teachers. However the one she thinks she'll end up with is her current PSHE teacher who doesn't inspire her. I've met him and despite my usual "the teacher is always right" approach, I privately didn't think he was that inspiring either.