One year GCSE option

[Lalila789]

We may be heading back to the Uk very soon and looking at schools which offer a one year GCSE option as school year is Y11 . Has anyone been through this. Any advice welcome.

All of the schools around where I live do 1 year GCSEs. I've heard of ones that do them over 2 years but never no knowledge of how they work, but it should be easy for you to find one that you like.

Sorry should have stated we are looking at independent schools

I don't know where @Gumbo lives but I am in England and I have never come across a school, state or private, that typically offers GCSEs over one year. There is just so much content to learn.

Some schools I know offer the odd one (music I have come across, or sometimes maths if FM is to be taken in year 11) in year 10, but the bulk are sat in year 11 after two years+ study.

@Lalila789 I doubt if you will find a school that offers a one-year GCSE course to a cohort; you might find a private school that will let your DC join in year 11 but I doubt it tbh. So much work will have been done already. And year 11 in reality is only eight months anyway as GCSEs start in early May.

I would think your best option is to seek a place in year 10. AFAIK that s much more likely in a private school. Whereabouts will you be living?

What educational system ate you in now? If a British international school, you might be ok just starting Y11.
If a different system, I'd look at going into Y10.
1 year GCSEs are typically retakes, or an occasional subject in a school generally doing 2 year gcse's.

Watch out for places that do 3 year gcses - and avoid.

We’ve gone through this- state secondary though not independent.
My eldest did gcse art in year 10 (loves art but hated the gcse as the volume of work became all consuming in one year). She got a 9 but says she is glad she did it in year 10 as it would have been too much in one year when doing more intense studying for other exams at the same time in year 1. Her friend who has done it in year 11 went on to regret it. Then she has just done religious studies and philosophy in year 11- loved this as it was completely different and the content wasn’t too intense.

Yeh @Tippytotty78 that's the kind of thing I was referencing - I know someone whose DD took music in year 10 for example, to get it out of the way. I think what the OP wants tho is a school that will cover the whole GCSE syllabus for a range of qualifications in one year - and that's not something that exists AFAIK.

Well done to your DD btw - 9 in art is amazing.

That’s interesting. Why are you so against the three year GCSE please? My daughter’s high school took options that began in year nine and it allowed them to get deeper into the subjects. She’s just taken her GCSEs with all 8 and 9 predictions so I’m interested why you think it can’t work?

or do you just mean the OP should avoid?

None of our local state or private schools offer 1 year GCSES, sixth forms do as retakes but English Lang and Maths only. Private schools will take private candidates for exams if you home educate if that's an option for you. Also some schools may be reluctant to take on new pupils into year 11

For the OP, joining for the last year of a course designed to be taught over 3 years will be really hard work.

Personally, I think it narrows the curriculum too soon. Making decisions in Y8 is too early - even if it's only soft options at that point. My kids would have dropped everything arts based (and, indeed have for GCSE), and that's too soon to exclude music, art, drama, DT etc.

Look for schools with an international cohort. I believe it’s not that uncommon (DH teaches in an independent school) for schools to allow entry at Y11 with a view to getting language etc up to scratch for A-levels in the UK. Does cause an almighty headache with timetabling etc but that’s on the school!

I agree with @DoublePeonies fwiw - my former school introduced this and it had the effect of many students dropping subjects they only had just over a year's experience of (such as MFL). Also th way it works in some schools, with DT and music on rotation, someone may have done one term of a subject by Feb of year 8 and then have to decide whether to continue or not.

I believe Ofsted is not keen on this way forward either. Also agree it would not be great for the OP.

https://www.abbeycambridge.co.uk/admissions/september-start-courses/
This place does it so I'm sure there will be others. I have no knowledge or experience of the school so have no idea if it's any good.

This one too:
https://www.kingsely.org/international-programmes/senior/year-11-one-year-igcse-programme/
You want to look for private sixth forms or private schools with a substantial international intake, as these courses tend to be aimed at those coming in from overseas getting ready for A-levels.

This place also offers a one year GCSE course. I’m not attached to it in any way so it’s not a recommendation as such.
www.ealingindependentcollege.com/admissions-gcse-courses