Is it normal to start GCSEs in year 9?

[mumblechum]

My ds is yr 8 at grammar.

They start doing GCSEs in year 9,but I think they only do a few.

Is this normal? I thought it was supposed to be yrs 10 and 11?

Is it to spread the work out?

It depends what you mean by 'doing' GCSEs. It's not usual to take the exams themselves in Yr 9 but some schools may start the syllabuses for some subjects in Yr 9 - perhaps for early entry in Yr 10, perhaps just to make sure the students are really familiar with the material before Yr 11. It would be worth enquiring about what your school does exactly and why.

Here, they pick their options in year 9, is that what you mean?

My friends' daughter is year 8 and is doing her French GCSE next year, only because her mother is French and they speak it at home.

I know some of my classmates took their maths GCSE in year 9 (they were doing the higher stage though which is why it was done earlier)

they start the modular sciences at easter in year 9

Not sure, obv. need to find out from school properly. I know they fill their options forms out in Feb of year 8 though.

When I taught we used to start the GCSE syllabus after the SATS in year 9. This can be a really dead time when some students who are dropping a subject the next year can really play up. One way to get round this is to start the year 10 timetable then, gives an extra half term to complete the course and kids are keen about starting something new.

hiya
my dd took statistics, core science and english language in yr 9, the actual exmas, the coursework, the whole kit and caboodle. It's horrible to be honest. I think the additional pressure with everything else that is going on in their lives is too much. Good luck

If you mean starting the GCSE course, then my son's school does that in Year 9 too.

Yup, so does ours.

I have the fact that they don't get a break between GCSEs and A'Levels now, what with the AS thingies in the middle. Mind you, I guess it keeps them working rather than cramming in the last month before the A'levels. Perhaps that's one of the reasons the results always seem to be so much better these days

At the school where I teach we start GCSE coursework in Year 9. We aim to get the students to A*/A/B in coursework as that will take the pressure off some for the exams. Its not unusual and is a good way of targetting potential low achievers earlier.

There is a national pilot strategy for beginning KS4 in year 9.

The purpose is to do GCSEs in 3 years, in order to spread out and deepen the work.

I think it is a growing trend, some schools let them do short courses in year 9 pr they start their gcse course after the SATS in core subjects.

It's a growing trend round here get students to take GCSEs in yr9 especially subjects like ICT.

Now, apart from trying to top the A-C percentage tables and the A/A tables, the schools are now boasting how many yr9 and yr10 pupils have passed AND how many of them gained A/As

At DS's grammar school they do SATS in year 8, start GCSEs in year 9, complete short courses and Maths in year 10, then remaining GCSEs and resits in year 11.