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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

National expectations subjects for gcse

13 replies

elliejjtiny · 09/12/2024 19:37

Ds3 is in year 9 and starting to consider his options for GCSE. He has to do maths, English and combined science. Then he has to pick at least one national expectations subject, so computer science, history, geography, French and spanish. I'm thinking triple science might be an option too. Then he can pick 2 subjects from the rest of the list.

Ds3 has suspected adhd and autism but the waiting list to be assessed is long and realistically he's going to be in year 11 before he is diagnosed with anything.

He has picked 2 practical options that will be great for him. However he is struggling with the national expectations subject. He is leaning towards history but his history teacher said he is going to need a lot of support to do the exams. Which I don't know if he would get (we tried to get it for ds2 who has asd but he didn't qualify). All the national expectations subjects would be the same issue. Would he be allowed to take another option instead of is it a legal requirement that he does a national expectations subject.

I am really worried about this as I had undiagnosed dyslexia when I was his age and I got no support at school. I barely scraped 4 gcse's and 2 a levels. Then I was diagnosed at 20 and got a 2:1 in my degree with support. So I know first hand the difference support makes and I don't want what happened to me happen to ds3.

OP posts:

Longhotsummers · 09/12/2024 19:43

My DS was newly diagnosed at that age. He took geography and art as his options, and had great teachers for both. He got respectable marks for both but art, which is his passion, was a nightmare in terms of organising himself and keeping his portfolio “pretty”.
We concluded around May that he should abandon French, as he just couldn’t get it so he did the exam but didn’t pass. This didn’t affect his place at sixth form or anything since, so you could reduce the number of subjects.
I would think computer science might be a good option as no essay writing.

Whatever he chooses, make sure you get every access arrangement he is entitled to NOW eg extra time so that he can practice in real time way before the exams.

SnowyIcySnow · 09/12/2024 19:57

Never heard of a national expectation subject, but have a current Y11 with SEN, and a Y9 doing options right now.

I'd say look at an exam paper for the subjects he is considering. DS was very tempted by history until he saw that the papers are basically a series of essays. Whereas Geography has nothing more than (I think) 9 marks. And the sciences have 6 mark maximum long answers.

Conp sci is generally thought of as tough. But it suits some kids. So don't exclude on "hard" and "easy" subjects. Look at what plays to your child's interests and strengths.

TickingAlongNicely · 09/12/2024 20:00

Its more likely to be a timetable issue for the school. Its not compulsory that they do those subjects.

There is the Ebac which is English, maths, science, history or geography, and a foreign language. But again,not compulsory

MerylSqueak · 09/12/2024 20:05

I wouldn't advise History. My Dd sat it this year and needed a lot of support. It was about twice as much work as her other options ( music and food tech).

newmum1976 · 09/12/2024 20:16

I’d go triple science, especially if he has the option of doing foundation papers. He’ll have to do all the subjects anyway, even for combined.

LikeABat · 09/12/2024 20:25

Also not sure what a national expectations subject is but assume it to be an ebacc subject to fill the 3 ebacc slots that make up attainment 8/ progress 8 measures. It is not compulsory as in the government don't insist on it but schools can make their own rules. It can be better to spend extra time on maths and English which are double weighted and only fill two slots but with better marks. If triple science is an option that fulfils the school requirements then maybe do that.

froggybiby · 09/12/2024 20:27

MerylSqueak · 09/12/2024 20:05

I wouldn't advise History. My Dd sat it this year and needed a lot of support. It was about twice as much work as her other options ( music and food tech).

History is a lot of writing...DD has chosen this as one of her options and now has started to regret it, she is in year 11 now, and just had her mocks...I started suspecting she had ADHD over the summer, and -since she has started to see a counsellor for her anxiety- she has come up which things that took place in primary school which seem to confirm my thinking. Anyway, in one of the mocks, she could not complete the test (she did not have time to do a 16 marker); she wrote as much as she could but her hand was hurting.

Original poster

elliejjtiny · 09/12/2024 20:33

Thank you. He loves history as a subject and the horrible histories tv show. The history teacher is very enthusiastic which is good for ds3. I find he does best in subjects he enjoys but I am worried about the essay questions.

He has decided definitely drama and he isn't sure between art and photography.

OP posts:

Tiredalwaystired · 09/12/2024 21:01

History is a brilliant subject but there is LOADS of content.

Original poster

elliejjtiny · 09/12/2024 22:15

I thought computer science would be good but ds3 said he would die of boredom if he had to do that.

OP posts:

SunsetGirl · 10/12/2024 21:42

I'll put my data manger hat on here - they are asking him to take one of these subjects so that he counts for all eight subjects in Progress 8 and Attainment 8. Without the correct set of subjects (as below), the school gets penalised on these progress measures.

(English x2, Maths x2 as is double weighted, Two science GCSEs, one 'EBACC Bucket' subject (which is what the OP refers to here as National Expected), one 'Open Bucket' subject.)

We do make exceptions at our school for students who will otherwise fail - but then again, we have a rather soft heart and are open to taking some progress measures hits for good outcomes for the students.

BrightYellowTrain · 10/12/2024 22:53

Some schools make EBACC subjects mandatory for some or all of their pupils but it isn’t a legal requirement. Have you spoken to the SENCO? Sometimes schools make exceptions for DC with SEN.

In case it would sway the decision, is DS aware art contains writing? I don’t know if photography is the same.

Progress 8 contains 3 open buckets, not 1. See the explanation here.

Octavia64 · 10/12/2024 22:57

It's not a legal requirement no.

Depending on his attainment level some schools are more open to doing alternative subjects than others.

Triple science is generally aimed at high attainers as is the new computer science.

French or Spanish could be a possibility if he has any kind of ability.

The sheer amount of content in history plus the requirement to write essays can be a problem.

Art and photography can be very successful GCSEs for students like your son - there is writing but it is coursework and built up over a period of time.

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