How many gcse is the norm at your dc school?

[Starfishyellow]

our dc school used to do 7 but now it looks like it will be reduced to do a minimum of 5 and they constantly have staff changes or temporary teachers so I think it’s due to this.

11 in DD school. They start their options in year 9, dropping ones they are not taking so they have extra time for GCSE. subject have chosen

DC school do 9-10

English Lit/Lang (2)
Maths
Either combined science (2)
Or triple science (3)
4 subjects of their choice
RE is compulsory (which i slightly object to) and can be done as a full GCSE , or a 1 year course.

As I understand it, 9 is a popular number because most Universities look at the best 8 grades obtained and doing 9 gives you a bit of leeway if you've got a weak subject or have a bad day in an exam but isn't an overwhelming workload. Since the demise of AS levels, GCSEs are the only public exam results most prospective students in England will have when they apply for University, so I guess those results give admissions tutors an idea of whether their predicted A level results are realistic or not.

Doesn’t Michaela School do this? Just focus on drilling them to get 8-9s in Maths, English and Double Science?

Seems horribly restrictive but obviously some parents like it.

Yes, I think they just do science x2, English x2, maths, French and either history, geography or art. I guess it’s one way of ensuring good results, having that much more time in a week to teach each one! Much prefer our school where they can choose textiles, photography, food tech, sociology, citizenship etc etc

Same with my two, they both did 11 GCSEs - English x2, Welsh x2, Maths x2, Science x2 and three subjects of choice and the Welsh bac.

I have a child in Yr11 and one in Yr10. Comprehensive school. Both top set kids.
Yr11 is doing 10 (was doing 9 but has just been put in for Further Maths).
Yr10 is doing 8 - they decided to reduce the numbers of GCSEs from now on.

I'd prefer 9 to be honest. Gives a good breadth of subject.

8-10

@Starfishyellow I was thinking more about this. You say 5 is a minimum – tbh I have worked with YP for whom 5 GCSEs, with perhaps no Eng lit (so so hard for some) and more time to focus on F level maths and science, a blitz on trying to get a 4 in Eng lang (also so challenging for some) and perhaps one other option – history or food tech or DT or art or whatever they like – would be an excellent idea.

I have to say I don't know a school that would permit this as AFAIK all students basically have to take Eng lit and it’s not on not to offer any option choices tbh. But it might be of benefit to some (a very few).

But you say 5 is the minimum – so how many will most students without major SEN take? that's the key question surely.

To those saying why do more than 5 – well to give some breadth of study, to give options outside the compulsories for post-16 study (history, geography, MFL, RS, CS) and yunno, just bc many DC ca manage 7 or 8 GCSEs perfectly well.

Breadth of knowledge. Joy of learning. Exam grades aren't the only things that matter.

My ds took three separate science's, two maths two English. He wants to be an engineer so Design Tech as well.

Then a MFL - I think everyone should at least understand the structure of a language so they can go back and learn it later if they want. And geography - if he wants to build windfarms and hydroelectric plants he'll need to understand rivers and rock strata.

It meant he had a good mix to choose from for a'level, and he enjoyed the variety.

5 or 7 seems very low to me unless they are less academic doing some vocationals alongside. My daughter's school (in Wales) does 11 plus the wbq. I think some lower sets may drop one or 2 (eg only do English not English lit or do some vocational awards instead of some options / the compulsory Welsh), and top set science do 12 as they do triple science in the double science time slot! That is unusually high though I think as it's quite an academic (state) school on the whole and also they start them in y9.it does seem a lot for my daughter in year 11!

I did 10 and same school in the past and schools I've worked in mostly do 10 or 11.

I would worry about 5 or even 7, unless they really need the time to focus more for reasons such as having missed a chunk of school etc, as it narrows their curriculum very early. It also doesn't leave them any room not to be good at some as most sixth form / college courses are likely to ask for 5 or 6.

At DDs school there was -
eng lit
eng lang
maths
science - single, double or triple
tech
4 options
So 9 - 11 also if children were fluent in another language (Spanish, French, German) they would often sit that GCSE but not take the class

Basic 9. Option to make it 10/11 with triple science and / or further maths dependent on ability.

10

Norm is 8.
9 if you do triple science (taught in the timetable space of double science)
Exceptional mathematicians do Further Maths too.
Pupils that are struggling might drop one or 2.

7 is not much - the basics are maths, English language, English literature, biology, chemistry and physics. So that’s six already. To get a broad education it‘s good to be able to add a language, history and/or geography, maybe something like art, music or drama, or computer science.

Most schools seem to do 8/9.

I remember being very put out as to why friends from other school did so few, when I had to do 13 at my VERY pushy state school! These days, I'm glad that perhaps there's a bit less pressure to do so many!

9-10 usually. Is it a SEN school ?

DS 1 - local grammer school (9 or 10 if top set)

DS2 - SEN (7 GCSE or equivilant) and thats lowest set. He is a school refuser so probably wont sit any but that is lowest

11 altogether ; 1 in year 10 the other 10 in year 11

9 for students with combined science
10 for students with separate sciences
Plus top set maths have the option of adding on statistics gcse in y10, and / or further maths in y11 - so up to 12 for the mathsy types.

Mine have done a total of 12 over two sessions:
-1 early (MFL in native language)
-11 in the usual year including triple science, one humanity, one non-native MFL and 2 of creative/PE/CS/RS

that's in two different London day private schools.

The most common profile would be triple science but no FM so 10 GCSEs would be the common number.
Lots of native MFL as well, but not sure of the actual %

12-14 but it is a VERY selective state grammar. 2-3 are taken in years 9 and 10 and the remaining 10-11 in year 11.

@Boohoo76 wow 14! Is there a benefit to this? Especially them doing the exams in different years.

For my DS, it has given him the opportunity to continue studying a very wide range of subjects for as long as possible. For example, he has taken PE and Art as well as a full range of academic subjects. Taking three early means he is going into the rest of his GCSE exams this year with three good GCSEs under his belt (all 9 for him and his friends all have 8’s or 9’s).