Anyone else's dcs doing 12 GCSEs?

[irises]

I'd blithely assumed that DS would be doing 9 or 10 GCSEs, but got the option booklet yesterday and he has to take 12 options, only one of which can be a soft option like dance/drama/art/tech.

He's not the hardest working person in the world and I'm worried that he won't be able to cope with the work (it's a grammar).

Any reassurance/experience gratefully received!

The school must want their pupils to keep their noses down.
DS1 (leading independent day school) and DS2 ("outstanding" local comprehensive) both took 10 and would not have been permitted to take any more at their schools.

That's what I would have thought, Lilymaid. Surely it's better to get 10 good solid GCSEs than 12 not so good ones.

There's never any consultation, just "this is what is going to happen". Sigh.

I think that my DD could do 11? max, 2 english,maths,3 sciences, critical thinking/ethics, and 4 options. She goes to a good comp. They had a freeish choice over options though so could do art and drama and textiles for example.

tbh i guess that is Grammar for you,but what if they personally choose to focus on 10? IE if it doesn't look like they are going to get a good pass, i assume the school would not enter them for the exam

MY DS is doing his at the moment (academic independent ). They have 5 compulsory and then a few to select from options but limit was 10.And the choices were up to the pupils as long as the teachers accepted them.
If they were more able than that then they do some GCSE's early and start things like Further maths at AS and A level.
Extra GCSE's just seems like extra work for little value tbh. And I am wondering why they offer their pupils no choice ? Very odd. Don'tthey trust them?

Is he doing them all in yr11? Any of those half or short courses?
Ds1 is at high performing grammar and is doing 14.5
But 3 of those are this yr - yr10
Maths stats
Chinese
IThis are all academic. Don't assume ART soft option. Workload is massive.

10 is normal at dc's independent school. PE is optional 11th which some do. A few do extras if they feel like putting extra work in themselves - e.g. bi-lingual children often do their other language separately from options & ds plans to take extra science papers to take double science to triple (but not sure that is really worth doing tbh).

I'd have though most grammar school children would be able to cope with 12, but probably only need 10.

That sounds a lot

What irises said - better have 9 or 10 really good ones that 12 not so good

My DCs grammar school does 10, although some pupils take extra ones, most only do 10. Quality v quantity I think.

DS is at a good selective grammar. 10 GCSEs as standard, he's doing an extra "1/2" GCSE in PE. 12 seems like a lot as standard, tho can understand 12 as optional.

DD did 11 full GCSE's plus the ICT half course (mandatory for anyone not taking the DIDA GCSE)

Most did 10 GCSE's unless taking triple science which gave you the extra.

My DS' school (selective independent) and my school (non-selective independent) both do 10 GCSEs. If they have the capacity to do more, they are more likely to opt to do an AS level rather than adding on GCSEs. Perhaps an exception would be if someone had a fluent foreign language, where they could basically just turn up for the exam and not need any lessons.

At my DD's comp she will do Yr9-11 English,Lit, Maths,Triple Science if she stays in the top set, RE -full GSCE, Short course in ICT and PE and one of her options. In yr9 - Statistics if in the top Maths set, Media or Film studies and one of her options. Yr10 one of her options. All options are done in a year with the same amount of teaching time if they were to do them over two years so I've been told when I queried the merits of a 13 year old doing 3 GSCE's in a year. If she's chosen to do both Geog and History GSCE she can sit some kind of Humanities GSCE as well. I suspect she's going to be very busy age 13 to 16!

My DS is also at a grammar school and has just selected his options (12 gcses). They could only choose four, but weren't restricted in their choice.
But didn't you know this before you put him in for the 11+?

Gosh. I'm shocked that it's normal to take 12 GCSEs.

I took 12 GCSEs, but in 1988 and, then, only by request.

I took:
Eng Lit
Eng Lang
Maths
History
Geography
French
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
RE
Computer studies
General studies (literally taken in lunch breaks!!)

DS is taking what amounts to 12 but I don't think it counts, 3 of the subjects apparently are "double awards" which each count as 2 gcses, seems odd to me (combined science, ict and leisure and tourism) and then he does 2 short courses, each counts as half gcse each.

The times they are a-changing...

my dd at leading indep school is only allowed 10 max, no more permitted.

My Ds is at grammar school.The maximum they are allowed to do is 10 (or 11 if you choose to do Latin after school)

I think my ds is taing more than 12 with the double awards.....hes also done 2 alan tests that equate to a half gcse each as well...its a lot of pressure i think,

I think that the dreaded League Tables could be a factor here.
(Glad you think Technology's a soft option )

Will someone please explain to me why they are collecting these ridiculous GCSEs. I've never heard of 1/2 a GCSE.I'm all for learning cooking and how to book a holiday or run a hotel, but why do you need to do an exam in it?
Also at independent schools you have to pay for the exams yourself, I reckon this is why they stick to 9/10 - I'm not forking out money for a GCSE in bloody travel and tourism.

the costs are included in our fees, but then everything is paid for in indep sector.

thankfully dd school doesn't do league tables, sat or any of that crap

At our place now lots of courses are 'worth' 2 GCSEs or even more.

The more 'academic', respected, and traditional the course, the fewer GCSEs it seems to be worth
History, French, or German are only worth 1 each.
But the new Media Studies course is worth 2
COPE (Certificate of Personal Effectiveness) is worth 2 and is virtually impossible to fail
...?!

We get a separate bill for examination fees - in advance.