Wanting my child to do less than 11 GCSEs - what are our options?

[toomanygcses]

Hallo, my child is in year 9 and at a state school where if you do triple science you take 11 GCSEs. And there's an additional maths qualification they do as well in top set.

This seems really unecessary to me. I live in a heavy private/grammar area and these schools get kids to do 8-10 presumably because they've realised kids do better without being totally swamped with loads of different subjects you don't even need....noone needs 11 GCSEs.

I'd like my child to do less. As far as I can see I have little leeway with this & the school are unlikely to be keen as they are a good student.

I believe my only parental right might be to withdraw them from RS sometime in year 9. And then presumably they won't sit RS GCSE which is "compulsory" at their school.

Is this right? Any other ideas? And how to go about withdrawing from RS (I don't believe I need to give a reason?) and when it might be sensible to do it?. Do I need to get it in writing they won't put them in for the GCSE or is that overkill?

Many thanks!

Why though? My dd did 13 all at a star bar 3 which she got at a. She could have taken 14 if she had done pe gcse but she hated pe

I don't know the mechanics, but I think you're absolutely right. My DD is doing 11, started at 12 but dropped the additional maths by asking to go down a set. It is honestly too much.

Was that in the last six or so years tho? Presumably not since you mention letter grades. GCSEs have changed with new specs coming in between 2017 and 2019, with no controlled assessment and almost everything on the final exams. A lot of schools have scaled down the number taken as there is barely anything you can get in the bag in advance (for example until 2018 sitting, if you took my subject, MFL, 60% of the grade was done in advance – as far ahead as you like and certainly later year 10/early yr 11; now it is all on exams in April/May/June).

So it's very unusual to take more than 10 tbh. In 2024 only 1.8% of those sitting GCSEs took 11 or more.

@toomanygcses I agree 11 is unnecessary. If one is RS, I would ask the school what happens if you withdraw your child – do they still take the GCSE (presumably not). What do they do in RE lessons?

Does the add maths make it 12? That cannot be compulsory surely.

If the 11 includes compulsory RE, then dropping that will give them six core subjects and four options – what my DD and DS2 took. DS2 took all his under the newer spec and it was fine. I would ask the school.

Thanks for the advice. The maths is Additional Maths (OCR FSMQ). I think they might want to do maths for A-level so might be wise not to bunk that one.

Which makes me even less keen on the 11 GCSEs!

A language is not required. No need to take one.

'Fewer'. Not 'less'. It's 'Fewer'.

Why 13 though?

How did they fit so many into the curriculum? Were they all taken at the end of year 11 or sat over a few years? Were they taken before the GCSE reforms when the content was increased?

And why did you post? Was it for bragging rights?

Ah well at least you know I didn't get AI to write my post!

Remarkably I got an A* in English language 😂

It is at this school. As far as I can see as a parent we can't really pick and choose if the school says they have to do it. But hopefully this thread will offer me clarity.

Assuming RE is one (it maybe half btw - it’s quite easy!) and she does triple, what are the other four? What of those would you want her to drop? If she’s decent at Maths presumably she’d also want to do triple science.

My understanding that the reason some schools do RS is because it’s compulsory anyway in all schools in the same way assembly/pe/life skills is - and then apparently the extra bit to get a gcse in it is tiny so they might as well. That’s what I heard anyway.

RS is full GCSE As I say I don't object to it as a subject it's just the only one I thought we might be able to withdraw from.

2 x English 3 x science 1 x maths 1 x language and 1 x humanity (& that additional maths thing)

They don't really want to do any creative subjects. So then RS and something like computer science & economics? Just for the sake of it though really.

They could also do a BTEC instead of one or two of them but get the impression that wouldn't be encouraged either but I might be wrong on that.

I think you are right but it's still extra clas work and then revision and exams coming all at the same time isn't it. Just seems unecessary with so many other subjects.

Schools are rated on how many pupils meet the "ebac" criteria which requires gcses in maths, english lang&lit, at least double science or preferably 3 separate, one or other of history or geography, and a modern language - that covers 8 just with that so any hope of creative or technical subjects needs to be in addition to those 8, and schools are also legally required to teach RE and it's not unusual for schools with faith-based entry criteria to achieve that by entering all pupils for RE GCSE. So it would be very easy to reach 11 in a school that wants to achieve a good ebac score and also offer more than just the vanilla core subjects

Which subject(s) would your DS like to drop @toomanygcses?

Part of the issue will be that the school needs every pupil to have a full timetable or they have to provide space and supervision for "free periods" and that may not be feasible. Could you tell him to "quiet quit" on the subject he wants to drop, and just stop bothering?

Agree he should persevere with the higher maths though.

Talk to the school. The problem will be what to do with your kid when everyone else is doing French or whatever you want them to drop. What would you suggest? They’ll need supervising. By who?

If your objection is just the quantity, the schools response will be ‘ok we’ll put them in science set 2 so they’ll do double instead of triple’. So 10 in total.

Would that be acceptable?

If it isn’t that would suggest it’s not just the quantity you’re objecting to, it’s French (or History or whatever it you’d prefer they drop).

Absolutely YANBU I don’t understand why schools force kids to many more than 5! 5 great grades one English and 1 maths would be plenty anything else is a bonus

Also my DD did triple award biology no physics and no chemistry and not one language! Did her no harm at all

They don't really want to do any creative subjects. So then RS and something like computer science & economics? Just for the sake of it though really.

Gosh tho @toomanygcses just for the sake of it? My more able DC really struggled to pick which ones to drop and so did a lot of their peers. Both had at least 2 more subjects they would happily have done (I mean not as well as what they took but instead). Is your DC not interested in drama, DT, business, food, media, another MFL, art, another humanity, music, PE? It's a shame if an academic child (I infer) is not inspired to continue with any subjects.

I think the double science suggestion is one idea; otherwise yes speak to school about not taking RE. Then they will have 10 which is fine.

@Crispynoodle the reason schools ask YP to take more than 5 GCSEs is erm well to get a rounded education? Five GCSEs would be 2 x English, maths, 2 x science. Lots of YP want to take a humanity, or an MFL, or a creative subject – to GCSE and even to A level.

I did 11 myself and the local schools all tend to do that many unless kids aren’t academically able to do them. If it concerns you I’d speak to the school and see what they say.

She did triple biology – so three GCSEs in biology? When and where was this? think covering all three sciences even if at a lower-content level of double is excellent. I didn't take physics beyond KS3 and I feel it still. Double science would have been great for me.

Nothing wrong with not taking MFL if you are not keen IMHO (and I speak as an MFL specialist).

@Besidemyselfwithworry all the local schools do 11 GCSEs? do they though? Fewer than 2% of 16yos take 11 GCSEs (though those figures tbf don't take into account private schools offering IGCSEs).

Thanks for the thoughts. People are saying "speak to the school" but I suspect the school will say no because my child is capable of doing 11 GCSEs (although I expect it might impact their grades in each one), which presumably they want them to do that as that's what they suggest.

So far as I know I don't have much choice, apart from RS as I can withdraw them. Would be really helpful if someone could solidify or share an experience on that. Thank you!

Child loves science and maths, that's their thing. So I definitely want them to have the opportunity to do triple science.

They wouldn't zone out of one subject, not that kind of kid they will give their all to whatever they are doing (and probably get very stressed about it).

Also doesn't seem beneficial to get all 7-9s (which they may well do) and then a 4/5. Id rather them just not do that subject.

But thanks for the suggestion I have considered it.

Re supervision - child will be 15. Hopefully they can go to the library or the student services block or whatever it's called. Extremely well behaved child I wouldn't have concerns about this and I'd be surprised if the school does.

It's one reason I was wondering when to withdraw them from RS though as I don't want to inconvenience the school more.than I need to.

Pedantry is discourteous.