Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

How many GCSEs?

64 replies

3littlebeans · 07/03/2023 13:10

So my daughter's grammar school has 10 GCSEs as the norm.

How many do schools usually do? Is it better to get say 8 or 9 good grades than 10? Or will 10 with a few lower grades be okay? I like the idea of breadth but with content heavy GCSEs just wondering what people's experiences are.

For example another local school does 9 and often 2 of those are BTecs or similar so less focus on end results (I think) which makes getting "8s and 9s" easier.

This is all pretty hypothetical as she's doing 10 but presumably dropping to 9 wouldn't be the end of the world if necessary (other than timetabling).

OP posts:
3WildOnes · 07/03/2023 15:21

9 is the minimum at my child's school. 10 if they are taking triple science. 11 if they are also taking further maths. 12 if also taking statistics.

massistar · 07/03/2023 15:22

12 at our Welsh comp which includes mandatory Welsh and Welsh Bacc skills challenge certificate.

Hersetta427 · 07/03/2023 15:23

DD's school do 10 if taking triple and 9 if taking combined science.

Goinghome20 · 07/03/2023 15:30

DS is doing 10 at his state comp.
They do Ebacc.

He is doing triple Science. Predicted 7s and 8s. He doesnt want to aim for 9s. he would rather get good passes in all his subjects.

HighRopes · 07/03/2023 15:32

Required to do:
English lit
English lang
Maths
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
MFL

Then four options, some of which are school assessed courses rather than GCSEs (eg drama, history of art, creative technologies) and can be anything from four more languages to history, RE, geography etc.

And most of them do Add Maths.

So 11-12 GCSE equivalents. It’s an academically selective school.

Breadcrumbsforall · 07/03/2023 16:14

I looked it up some time ago and think that the average number of GCSEs passed in 2022 for 16 year olds was something like 7.75 per student. FWIW, my DC did 10 last year.

Mumsafan · 07/03/2023 16:24

DD doing 10 incl triple science and further maths.

The year below her are only doing 9 as school have decided it works out a better average to sell the school if they only do 8/ 9.

Seems to be all sorts of manipulation going on as regards this - including bottom set English this year not taking Literature, and next year's English will be iGCSE for all sets, music, food tech and something else all dropped and engineering added in. Glad we're moving for 6th form (sorry about the moan)

cptartapp · 07/03/2023 16:35

Both DC did nine (which was the maximim) at an outstanding state comp, including triple science. Both got great results and both got five offers from RG unis. One is there now and one goes September. Can't see what doing more than that would have achieved really.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 07/03/2023 16:40

Dodgeitornot · 07/03/2023 15:18

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves That's really interesting. It sounds like your daughter is clever and found secondary school a breeze. People always hit a ceiling though and this is often in sixth form for the clever kids. Up until that point they never really had to study so they don't know how.
When I tutored dyslexic children, a lot of them found A Levels much more manageable than GCSEs and many only took 7 of them but spent a lot of time learning how to revise, apply knowledge and remember. That serves you well in A Levels as a lot of it is a significant amount of content, but in 3 subjects, so you're not jumping from topic to topic like you do in GCSEs. People often choose A Levels that kind of go with each other too, so there's some overlap in knowledge.

Yes, she is very bright and found the GCSE content pretty easy - she was definitely able to coast through with minimal effort and still get top grades. A-levels have definitely required more work!

Interesting how different kids struggle at different points in the journey. I can definitely see why some kids would find it easier not to have to juggle quite so many subjects.

Dodgeitornot · 07/03/2023 16:53

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves It is. Lots of very academic kids thrive off pressure and a high workload. Its difficult to see A Levels as that when you're not doing 11 subjects but 3 or 4. There's no constant bouncing around. Spending 3hrs on Biology doesn't really feel quite as fulfilling as finishing homework in 5 different subjects in 3hrs.
If your daughter wants to go into Medicine, this is a great lesson for her to learn now, so in a way it's great she found the transition quite difficult s I'm sure it meant she had to really look into study habits and stamina.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 07/03/2023 16:55

DD's school do 10 as standard including 1 taken in Y10, but will facilitate you doing as many as you want (sometimes have children doing 16 or 18 subjects).

DD has severe dyslexia so she is taking 8 GCSEs plus a BTEC

TwilightSilhouette · 07/03/2023 16:59

State school. 11 GCSEs plus another in her own time, so 12 in total.
The extra 12th one was started in Year 11 and will be taken in year 12 (first year of A levels).

TwilightSilhouette · 07/03/2023 17:01

*Non selective state school.

crazycrofter · 07/03/2023 17:49

My ds went to a grammar school where they did 11 subjects (and the top Maths set did Further Maths too) - but a third of the year did double instead of triple science, making it 10 GCSEs. My ds has ADHD and had got quite behind in year 10 due to lockdowns, so we requested that in addition to only doing double science, could he drop his two lowest grade subjects, which the school agreed to. He did this early in year 11 and it definitely paid off for him. Some of his friends who were similar ability to him got the same range of higher grades, plus a couple of 5s and I think his results look better by comparison. He wasn't the only boy to drop a subject or two, so at his school the number of GSCEs taken ranged from 8 to 12.

My dd went to a private school where 10 was standard, 11 with further Maths for those who chose it, and some did Astronomy as an extra subject in lunchtimes. She was struggling with Latin in year 10 and was allowed to drop it early in year 11 too, so ended up with 9. Other girls ended up with 8 or 7 GCSEs. It doesn't seem to have affected anyone's progression.

Dd did 9 and coped with A Levels fine (got 2 As and an A*) - to be honest, I think she worked less in sixth form than did for her GCSEs. Ds is currently in year 12 having done 8 GCSEs and is also coping fine and doing very little visible work! So I'm not sure it matters how many GCSEs you do...

Saturdayafternoonnap · 07/03/2023 17:57

My dcs went to/are at different schools. DS1 took 9 as standard at his school. DS2 is taking 10, again as standard. Both schools took the points from the best 8 for 6th form.

minisnowballs · 07/03/2023 18:13

DD, in Year 11, will end up with ten and a half (RE short course, triple science, and then the usual options etc). DD2 currently on course for 11.5 and a BTEC with one after school. They are at non-selective state. Both pretty academic and not predicted anything below a 7. However, DD2 considering a move to a specialist music school (so independent), where she'll take only 8 for more music focus. Having looked into it, I don't think it will disadvantage her...

Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 07/03/2023 19:40

DD at non-selective state. Her school has top sets doing triple science in same timetable as combined science so typically 10 GCSEs vs 9 if doing combined. She’s doing Btec creative media as one of her options so would have done 9 GCSEs and I Btec. But top set maths also now doing GCSE further maths so she’ll end up with 10 GCSEs and 1 Btec. Should achieve 8s/9s and distinction * for all.

JussathoB · 07/03/2023 19:43

I think it might be 10 because it’s a grammar school? High achieving, wanting to give students wide range?

Original poster
3littlebeans · 07/03/2023 19:44

You'd think- but quite a few posters are talking about doing 11 in comps. Seems a real variety.

OP posts:
Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 07/03/2023 19:50

Good non-selective state schools (outside of grammar areas) also have high-achieving students who benefit from, and are capable of, doing a wide range of GCSEs, so ending up with 10 or 11 GCSEs.

Original poster
3littlebeans · 07/03/2023 20:00

Oh absolutely comps have high flyers - hence comments about "top sets" doing 3 sciences etc from people.

But surprised me how many here were doing more GCSEs than the grammar

OP posts:
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 07/03/2023 22:07

I think the trend in many schools is going back towards "more breadth", rather than narrowing the curriculum. This is often a good option for those with a wide range of interests who can then study e.g. An art, a DT, PE and a humanity (or whatever choice they want to make) at GCSE.

Just because grammars do things in a certain way, doesn't mean it's necessarily the best choice for everyone.

A state school is unlikely to let her drop to 9, unless it would be something like triple science to science, leaving no timetable gaps.

Original poster
3littlebeans · 07/03/2023 22:19

Oh I'm not particularly after her dropping one and I know they'd manage it with library study etc.

Was more curious as to the number. Seems plenty do 8/9 and also lots do 10/11!

OP posts:
Fellsidefeather · 07/03/2023 23:09

Our grammar school has changed to making 11 the normal number (it was previously 10). Kids in the top set of maths (they are maths-whizzes as other sets get 7-9 grades at GCSE) also do further maths, meaning they do 12.

Hamofthesea · 08/03/2023 06:46

My daughter’s grammar does 10 but we are desperate for her to drop one. She has ADHD and was only recently diagnosed so has found the GCSEs years very hard. She’s overwhelmed by the amount of content that she has to learn. The school aren’t listening though and it is very frustrating!