Y9 options with ebacc changes

[OhXmasT]

Do people think the gcse options are likely to change in schools for current y9 kids.
As ebacc is being scrapped
As our choices are usually geo/history as compulsory and a MFL so only 2 actual choices unfortunately.
Mine would do the lang anyway but would very likely prefer something other than geo or history plus as doesnt like either its one less potential alevel choice too…

I think it really depends on the school tbh. Ebacc obvs was only ever significant as a measure of school performance, so I guess many may drop insistence on it. Actually IME a lot of schools have eased back on it as it bit them in the bum (I’ve said this before but in DS2's year (2019 GCSEs) a lot of his cohort were so dischuffed at being made to study MFL that they almost on purpose did badly – a lot of grade 2s and 3s among other grades of 5/6+).

I am on the whole in favour of a rounded choice at GCSE and keeping a range of options open. OTOH that need not be history/French/music/CS; it could equally well be RS/drama/sociology/business – which would give a good range, inc practical subject and essay subjects, but not actually tick the Ebacc box.

What would your DC prefer to choose?

It isn't enforced at DDs school. There are 3 "options" of which one has to be from a short list (history, geography, French, Spanish and computer science... maybe something else) and two from the long list which includes those plus a range of vocational and "traditional" options".

I believe the rationale was a 5or6 in PE is better than a 3 in French.

Yes i think a lot of kids arent that good at MFL and some dyslexics dont want to take them.
Ours does seem unusually restrictive in having effectively one fewer choice by having geo/history.
mine likes
CS
art
RE
german

which i think are all as valid as geo/history.
For some kids PE or cookery will give good results and maybe a healthier lifestyle longer term.

DD's school have never insisted on Ebacc but like a PP you have to choose one of a language/geo/history/triple science and then 2 from a "long list" (which includes vocational options). However students are strongly discouraged from certain combinations that would be too heavy practical workload. It works well for them and their results have been better than another school in town that insists on students sitting ebacc subjects they have no interest in.

RE is equally as good as Geog or History, imo, for a humanities option. I think your list of options look really good and well rounded.

Yes I agree @OhXmasT those options – RS - art - German - CS – are perfectly well rounded and in fact include a humanity and a language, plus a practical subject and science. Happy days. I have never understood why RS was not included on the Ebacc list.

In many schools, timetabling constraints mean that there are likely to be about four timetabling blocks, with a limited choice in each, and many subjects only appearing in one block (they'll only put it in two blocks if it's likely they'd get enough takers in each block to make a good size class). In practice, some schools may continue with a history/geography block, although probably more of them will add another subject or two to the languages block.

Larger school - more possibility of offering a subject in more than one block, and generally more flexible choices.
Small school - I taught in one where they didn't determine the timetabling blocks until after options were chosen, to try and satisfy as many people's choices as possible. They also got people to put their options in preference order, so if they only had a few takers for music, they would make a real effort to run it if they'd all put it first, but not if they'd all put it last. That sort of tailoring is only really viable in a small school, though.

I think it will depend on the school. DS2 is doing his GCSEs this year and they weren't forced to do a language even with Ebacc being a thing. Whereas DS1 was forced to do a language (at a different school) 3 years ago as they were obsessed with Ebacc even though he was predicted and received a 2 so really it was a waste of time for everybody involved.