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Secondary education

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Original poster

Y9 options. How many GCSE's will your child end up with?

45 replies

AwkwardAnnie · 23/04/2021 20:57

That's it basically... How many GCSE's will your child end up with if they're choosing their options now?

Long version:
We've just received the option booklet for GCSE's
DD has core subjects of Maths, English (2 GCSE's) Science (2 GCSE's), a language.
For her options she has to choose either History or Geography, then one other subject.
So she'll end up with 8 GCSE's.

Previous years students have done around 11.

On one hand I think it makes sense to slim down the curriculum after the past year. But looking to the future I'm concerned that she'll be on the back foot when up against other people who have more GCSE's. Putting down 8 on a CV almost makes it look like she's failed some. Even I've got 9 GCSE's and it's 30 years since I was choosing my options.

To confuse matters more DD says some students will be doing 11... But I need to check that with school.

OP posts:
mumofthree22 · 23/04/2021 21:08

My son is in year 9 and will be doing English, eng lit, science x 3, maths, further maths, computer science , modern Languages x 2 history so 11 in total.
From my understanding only the current year 10 will have a reduced curriculum due to the pandemic and the current year 9 will be taught the full curriculum same as pre covid.
Can your DD maybe take separate sciences ? Could she take an extra Gcse out of school?

ImpatientAnn · 23/04/2021 21:09

Schools are now judged on the best 8 GCSEs that a student gets so it is “normal” for them to now focus on getting students the best 8 grades they can rather than as many as possible.

Quality is better than quantity - 8 good passes are better than 11 mediocre passes.

CatarinaJ · 23/04/2021 21:10

10 if she gets picked for triple Science, 9 if not.

dalrympy · 23/04/2021 21:15

9 but with further maths it'll be 10

English Lang
English lit
Maths
History
3x science
RE
Art

That's at a selective girls private school.

I did 11 at my crappy comp

Porcupineintherough · 23/04/2021 21:24

8 thank goodness. Leaves plenty of time for extra curricular stuff (and hanging about with friends).

thisnthat · 23/04/2021 21:41

7 Compulsory subjects are English, English Lit, Maths, Triple Science (scaling down to double at end of year 10 if recommended) and Religion and Philosophy. Then three choices but heavily steered toward a language and a humanity (Spanish and History in DS’s case) plus one extra (Comp science for DS). So 10 in total or 9 if only double science recommended.

SpanishFancy · 23/04/2021 21:44

10, or technically 9.5 as RS is a half-course. They get 4 totally free options choices which seems as rare as hens teeth.

notnowbernadette · 23/04/2021 21:54

I have 8 GCSEs and I've never been asked why I didn't take more. I am educated to masters level and can shore you it's not an issue.

clary · 23/04/2021 21:54

Eight is a low number IMO but not unheard of. A very highly rated school near me has been offering eight for years (at least the last 3 years) unless students are chosen to do triple science in which case they do 9.

My DC did 10 including triple science, so in effect only one more option than your dd (is there a possibility for her to do triple or is she not bothered?).

I do think it's not a good idea to do loads and loads as the exam load is very heavy (DS2 did all the new GCSEs and some weeks he had 10 exams) but a set-up like your DD's leaves them with only one choice out of another humanity, another language, drama, food tech, art, music, computing, DT, graphics, dance, PE, media, RE, H&SC, textiles - it does seem a shame that so many creatives are being so so squeezed.

Original poster
AwkwardAnnie · 23/04/2021 21:59

@ImpatientAnn Quality is better than quantity - 8 good passes are better than 11 mediocre passes.
Yes, this is what I'm trying to think, and what I've told her. But equally I know that for most of my career people have only cared what my degree was in, what my experience is, how many GCSE's I got and whether Maths and English were included.
No one ever cared what my GCSE'S were, or the grades I got and no one cared about my A-level's once I'd got into uni (and even they didn't care that much because I did dreadfully except for in General Studies. They went off my GCSE'S)

It seems it's not the only school doing 8, but most are doing quite a few more.

OP posts:
Saisong · 23/04/2021 22:02

The core is 8 i.e. the 5 compulsory (maths, 2 x english, 2 x science) and 3 free choice. A language is strongly advised for the Bacc, but not compulsory.

Then they have an additional select few subjects (German, Dance, Astronomy, Computing maybe one other I think) that they can study as an 'extra' outside of core school hours. This means one 2 hour taught class a week after school and lots of reliance on self-study - all are encouraged to consider it, but is not at all compulsory.

Then after Y10 the able science students can be invited to take triple science.

So the answer is 8, 9 or 10 depending!

Lougle · 23/04/2021 22:06

8 or 9 here.
core RE (no GCSE) core PE (no GCSE unless chosen as an option)
Then:
English language and literature, maths, (3 GCSEs)
Then: science - trilogy or separate (2 or 3 GCSEs)
Then 3 option GCSEs, one of which must be either French, Spanish, Geography or History.

lljkk · 23/04/2021 22:06

DC just chose at end of yr8.
Should end up with 10 or 11

jamimmi · 23/04/2021 22:06

Mine does 3 yr GCSE'S yes I know that's currently not popular but the chose options at end of year 8. Providing she stays in top science set she will do 9 plus a BTEC in dance possibly 10 if further maths is added which is a distinct possibility. We actually pushed her away from gcse art to dance to reduce the pressure on her. Son did the same and the pressure was immense. I would say 8_9 with the new gcse is best especially if they are content heavy history/ geography for example.

jamimmi · 23/04/2021 22:07

Should have added normal local state comp in average area, so real mix of abilities.

User27aw · 23/04/2021 22:10

My ds is doing 10 plus further maths

Original poster
AwkwardAnnie · 23/04/2021 22:13

@mumofthree22 she'd have 9 GCSE'S if she did triple science, but she doesn't like science and it's not her strongest subject. School will decide if she'll be doing triple science or combined science on the basis of her y9 assessments. She's bright, but I think her lack of enthusiasm for science means she'll be on the combined course.

I'm not even sure where she could do extra GCSE's if she wanted. We don't live in the kind of affluent area where people do extra courses. We though she'd have 3 choices. She really wants to do History and Food & Nutrician but she'd hoped to do Music too. I've told her I'll pay for her to continue her music lessons privately outside of school as her 1:1 lessons with school have stopped because of COVID. But maybe a GCSE through the music school is an option.

OP posts:
Clymene · 23/04/2021 22:15

9 or 10 but probably 9 (double or triple science).

clary · 23/04/2021 22:17

If she loves music and plays to a good standard out of school, then music GCSE is less vital. If she could get to Grade 6/7 by the end of year 11 then she would be at a good enough level to do music A level if she wanted (as I understand it). So keeping up the extra curricular might be a way round that.

MyDcAreMarvel · 23/04/2021 22:21

Five is plenty so eight is a good middle option. Eldest dd took only five GCSE’s and is in her final year at Durham.

Crocidura · 23/04/2021 23:20

Our DC's school do loads - they start their courses in Y9 and do some exams in Y10. I think it's a way of keeping the curriculum as wide as possible up to the end of Y11. DD in Y10 is doing 9 compulsory, then they pick 4 options, plus Welsh Bacc, plus top two maths sets do additional maths. So that's 15 Shock
She is doing triple science and some people do double. If she was in set 4 for maths and science for example, she would be doing a total of 13.
Trouble is this year the Y10s haven't done the usual exams so I'm not sure what will happen. It's way too many to do in one sitting so I wonder whether they will be able to drop subjects or at least opt out of taking some of the exams next year.

lanthanum · 23/04/2021 23:48

Don't worry about music GCSE. Our local sixth form college will take them for A-level if they've got grade 5 theory and grade 5 on an instrument/voice, so it probably doesn't even rule it out for A-level. Lots of music teachers are teaching online even if they're not offering face-to-face again yet. (Our county music service was rather slower to organise it than the private teachers, but still managed it.)

She can no doubt enjoy cooking outside school too...

Hersetta427 · 24/04/2021 00:16

10 for DD as she will definitely be in the triple science steam as she is in the top 2 pupils in the top set.

Hersetta427 · 24/04/2021 00:18

Stream!

Crocidura · 24/04/2021 06:17

Agree with PP, not having music GCSE shouldn't close any doors - I did A level music and then a degree without doing the GCSE.