slightly confused, pretty cross, and in need of a moan about OPTIONS, plus advice too please.

[psychomum5]

DD2 and DH are at options evening together. I would normally go, but as I am still very ill and unable to talk well, it is better for them to go.

DD2 is trying to work out her options for GCSE's. She has had a book over the half term, and we have looked lots to work out what she might like to take. She isn;t sure at the moment what she want to do after school, so wanted to take what interested her so she had an open path to still give her time IYGWIM.

anyway.....

she originally liked the look of - hair and beauty (a double option), dance and photography. Her school only gives them chance to take four options as english language, english lit, Maths, RS, PE, IT, and two others (sorry, cannot remember the others) are required subjects.

Well, yesterday she came home from school confused and upset. It seems that they are all put into pathways at her school (we knew this from DD1, but DD1 already knew what she wanted to do, and all her subjects fitted with her pathway so didn;t have issues......altho I did have a teeny rant about it at the time).

anyway......DD2 has been put into pathway 2, but the hair and beauty option is only on offer for pathways 3 and 4, which means she is not allowed to take them.

oh, and photography is only available if she also take art, and she doesn;t want to do art as she is not inclined for drawing.

plus, she is also dyslexic, so wanted to take options which were more 'hands on' so to speak....ie, not as academic.....as she finds it all difficult, and seeing as she has no choice on 8 options, she wanted her four choosable options to be ones she was going to enjoy and not fret over (IYGWIM).

The problem now is that in pathway two, there are no options she likes the look at.

oh, and it also seems that the pathways are set as....

pathway 1 = girls who are going to get grades A* - B in GCSE
pathway 2 = girls who are likely to get above C grade for GCSE
pathway 3 & 4 = girls likely to be below C grade for GCSE.

Now, in my mind, this is kind of cruel, and it is discriminating against all the girls. Hair and beauty is only offered to girls in pathway 3 & 4, which kind of suggests that only the 'dimmer girls' (for want of a word........how do I phrase it otherwise) are allowed to take it.

the girls who are likely to be the brighter ones are therefore assumed to be uninterested in hair and beauty (which really isn;t true).

Oh, and not being funny, but most women I know who are beauticians and/or hairdressers are either self employed or run their own business......surely that requires a decent knowledge of maths and accounting and budgeting.....and yet, this school seems to imply that it is only worthy of the 'dimmer' girls.

My DD2 wants to do courses that give her a choice of careers......she is only 14 (well, 14 tomorrow in fact), and she has no idea yet where she wants to be in 10yrs time. I think she is being very sensible.......she is trying to opt for GCSEs that interest her (obviously if they interest her she will do better in them as she will enjoy the subject), and the three options she was aiming for gave her three very different possible careers, but ones which she had the chance to enjoy.

Now tho.....she is stuck. She could choose the same as DD1 (dance, drama, textiles and catering).......all options still that are more practical, but she doesn;t want to copy her, nor is she the same girl.....she is very different with (altho the same love of dancing) different skills and interests.

sorry for the length........

can anyone make sense of what I am trying to say, and can anyone advise so when they get back, if they are still confused, we have something to think about before thursday when she has to fill out her forms.

TIA

Is she having a pathway interview. DS is chosing his at the moment and he has even few choices.He has to chose a technology because he got his place on aptitude for technology and then only has two choices left.

We have options evening on thursday and then we have a pathway interview on 18th which is with the headmaster

DS would also like to do photography but it is only offered at a twilight and it may not even go ahead.

That's a stupid system! I agree that 14 year olds should be encouraged to take options they will enjoy. Also, a young person with dyslexia should be encouraged to do things they can excel at, far too many end up with low self esteem due to their learning difficulties

The system is really quite discrimatory, isn't it. You are right that hair/beauty needs a bright brain, not only for business but they will be learning about the science and formation of skin/hair too.

I have no advice other to go into school and request an interview and see if they will put her into the 3/4 group

Re the Photograpgy & Art. DS didn't choose Art, his main reason was he is terrible at drawing. The teacher tried to persuade him saying you could do Art GCSE with no drawing - just choose graphic design/photography/other Art forms!

I have no idea how true this is. DS enjoyed parts of Art, but has seen how tough it is and so chose subjects he generally did better in.

I agree, Beauticians etc do often run their own businesses,and the stereotypes are really sad.

And so we reach another milestone together! Remember in the good old days when it was only the local nightclub we had to worry about!

I'm not quite there yet. The Option booklet comes home on Monday and Open Evening is on Thursday. I have no doubt that I will be having a similar rant next week. So just helpful vibes to you atm, I'll be back to sob in a corner with you next week!

thankyou for your replies.

well, they are back....slightly less confused and kind'of knowing what options she might choose, but not in any way sure still.

the other required subjects BTW are science and applied science.

she has spoken to the careers lady....apparently there is a hairdressing course that is new this year, being offered by the local college, and you can be any pathway to opt for that....they actually go to college for one day a week for the duration, and leave with an almost guaranteed job apparently....as part of the course she has to do work experience in a hairdressers, one that the college finds for them, and it is a 50 day work experience different to the type of work experienced offered normally in yr10/11 (she also gets to do the normal work experience offered too). This course has been trialed in another school in the county, and from the success there they are offering it at more.....and at the other school all the girls that took the course were offered proper jobs at the hairdressers that took them for work experience. It is not set in stone that you have to take the job, but it it a fabulous option, and one that seems possible to suit DD2. (it takes up two option choices aswell, like the hair and beauty one did, so she seems like she might be sorted......).

they also spoke to the art teacher about the fact that she wanted to take photography, but was unsure about the art side.......the art teacher actually said that DD2 needs more confidence in herself as she is actually a competent (sp?) drawer when she applies herself....(DD2 apparently blushed and grinned at that), but if she really wants to, she can make the majority of her coursework photography based anyway.......so, another box ticked.

and dance.......tis a given, she wants to take it, it is possible to take it, and she loves it and is good at it, another box ticked.

now we just need to hope that they fit when she fills in the form on thursday, as it all depends on whether the choices all work into timetables etc.

I am still very bemused and confused tho as to why hair and beauty are only on offer for pathway 3&4, and yet a full hairdressing course is open to all.

If her options look like not fitting, we will be making an appointment to see the head of year and careers adviser to see if maybe her pathway can change, or her options adjusted/tweeked a little.

I hate all this tho.......13/14 is far too young for choosing your life path!!

x-posts with milli and maureen.

re-the art......I am hoping the art teacher is right. I have no idea on how hard it is, I hope not too stressful. DD2 is not good with stress (well, at the moment at least......might change as she grows).

maureen, oh those days of the clubbing......the stress all seemed so simple back then didn;t it.

I will rock with you next week, have no fear.....by next week I will be an expert on all this.

two down, only three more to go.....

seems I have finally got the good reason for not having a large family!!

And one of the few bonuses to only ending up with an only! I never have to revisit milestones with subsequent lo's!

I think by "hard" I meant "a hell of a lot of coursework"and the exams are longer than your average English Essay paper timing!

I am glad she has found a selection that suit - it is sooo stressful. (DS's big dilemma was Geography vs Economics. They also had a compulsory language which is not always the best choice for everyone).

Oh, and Happy Birthday to your DD.

Seething myself tonight, the "options" booklet in the loosest sense of the word came home for DS2. He has ONE choice. Yes, ONE. All the usual core subjects and he has to take either French or German as he is in one of the highest ability classes. The language has to be put down as one of his "choices". The other "choice" is from a range of diplomas - it looks like he will go for the IT diploma, then there's technology subjects, drama, none of which he is remotely interested in.

DS1, who was not in such a high stream, had four "choices" 2 years ago, which we thought was limiting enough, and he did not have a compulsory language.

Seems to me then that the brighter they are, the less "choice" they are allowed. We have spent the last 2 or 3 years telling our boys that the better you do at school, the more choices it gives you. Whoops - we seem to be pulling in a different direction to the school then!!

The deputy head at assembly has apparently told them not to compare with older brothers or sisters, as things are very different this year. No shit sherlock! Unless I am being totally thick, the number of lessons/hours of teaching do not add up if he chooses a non-diploma subject. This is going to take some discussion with the School to say the least, and the final form has to be in by a week on Friday, with the one and only Consultation evening being a week today.

Rant over from livid mummyflood! xx

You mention that 13/14 is too young to be choosing a pathway in life. So doesn't it make more sense for your dd to do the qualifications she is capable of, which are seen as being harder to achieve by employers and colleges, and then she has a much wider range of options when she is 16 or 18?

She can still choose hairdressing or beauty when she is 16 or 18. But if she fancies physiotherapy, say, then she might really struggle to pick up a science at that stage if she has exams in beauty.

Do you see what I mean?

rant away mummyflood.......I agree with your anger completely.

I have a very strong feeling that the schools are all about statistics (are we surprised, league tables anyone), and so insist the the brightest studests take the harder subjects to ensure that they are the ones getting the better grades, and they then encourage the less able studests to do the 'easier' subjects, ensuring they get to do exams they are likely to get higher marks in as opposed to lower grades in the harder subjects, )even if they wanted to try the harder ones and so didn;t mind the lower grades).

It is a very cynical ploy to get them looking better, as it pretty much guarantees a 100% pass rate with all students, never mind that none of the students actually get to do what they want......

We now have a new problem.

DD1 has stuck her five eggs worth in......apparently as she is now about to take her GSCEs, she is expert in them (more so even than the school...., altho maybe she is), and has told DD2 that she is in no way to take art, as it is hideously hard, and she would be better taking leisure and tourism...(don;t ask where she has plucked that idea from, it is just in the options book and she reckons it would be fun....

so, back at square one, DD2 stuck again, DH and I banging heads on wall in frustration!!

why can;t they just do as they do in the US and take an exam in every subject at 18, and then decide what they might like to do....you know, when they are nearly adults, as opposed to now, when they are only just growing out of childhood!

Mummyflood: Have they made Geography & History compulsory? (trying to identify the other 2 set subjects here).

pointy, science and applied science are two of her core subjects anyway......she has no choice but to take them.

I want her to do subjects she wants, as then she will apply herself and thrive in them.

If she is coerced into a subject she doesn;t want to do, then she won;t be happy, which will effect her grades anyway surely??

I know when I took my GSCEs, my aunt and uncle told me I had no choice but to take the exams they chose for me......one being business studies, which I HATED. I failed it on purpose, as I had no interest, and I knew I would never use it for anything I wanted to become (which was a nursery nurse).

The subjects I did have some iota of control over, child developement and biology, I passed with good grades, and of course english and maths were core, which I also passed, which were the ones needed for my course I aimed for at college.

I was lucky tho......I did know where I was heading at 14......I had known exactly my life course in fact since I declared it at the age of eight, and the only thing I got wrong was the amount of children I would have......I said three, got five.

anyway, I digress......

I always thought the point of options was to opt for what YOU wanted, not get told!!

Milli - no. Set subjects are;
english lang & lit
maths
science( don't know what combination etc as the booklet details 3 options, but doesn't say whether school or student decides which one)
r.e.
psche
p.e.
French or German

If there is any similarity to what DS1 did, the R.E. exam is sat in Yr10 and the P.E. at core is half a GCSE.

I don't believe the school can legally do this, unless a public school.

I suggest contacting the principal and chatting about your daughter's needs. They are bound to change things if you make a point - it is their duty to your daughters education.

Mummyflood: My DD & DS (diff schools - both State) had the same core compulsory subjects of:
Maths, Eng Lang, Eng Lit, RE & 3x sciences. That is 7 exams and then DD choose ANY 4 more (total free choice subject to timetable availability) & DS had to choose 1 language + 3 others from blocks of choices - so they both take 11 subjects.

Can't believe they make PE a comp. GCSE, or IT. Both mine had to do these, but not to GCSE level!

I would complain.

Sorry - just saw PE was a half GCSE, but does that mean they are not doing so many exams?

DD1 had to choose today. after having to do a language and a technology (because the school is 'specialist' language and tech status??) she had 2 choices to make.

she wanted to do art and drama but that would have meant dropping both history and geography which i wasn't keen on as i think they are both fairly 'core' subjects.

in the end she flipped a coin (!?!) and chose geography and art.

she said herself she's too young to make this sort of decision.

Milli - (with apologies to Psychomum for hijack) - sounds like your DD had the same choices as DS1, and your DS had what we expected DS2 to have!

Unfortunately DH is considerably more laid back than me, and as far as he is concerned, as long as DS2 is happy to do the IT diploma and French, then he reckons we should leave it. But I think DS2 is being steamrollered, and furthermore, I cannot make the sums add up, i.e. the number of lesson periods should total 30 per week.

Based on the number of periods allocated for each core and option subject given to us for DS1, information which is NOT in the booklet this time,I reckon one possibility is that if he were to choose a subject OTHER than a diploma they would be increasing the amount of Science he does, and vice versa, IYSWIM. It is a specialist science college - unfortunately he does not enjoy science at all. This wasn't a problem with DS1 because he at least enjoys 2 out of the 3, and he had the broad range of options to choose from. The goalposts 2 yrs down the line have changed completely.

no worries on the hijack.....I am interested in all ways different schools work as it shows how odd the system works, and how some schools are making the system work (IYGWIM).

Mine are at state school too, but it is going, not independent, but another word (sorry, cannot think, fluffy headcold today). in other words, stepping back from government control but not paid for by the parents.

the head teacher however used to be a head at an independent school, and some of her ideas certainly seem stuck there, and she also seems to think that the parents are all loaded. Part of the goegraphy GCSE is to go on a school trip to italy. It is counted as 30% towards their final marks. Problem is, the trip costs £500 before the parents have to pay for passports (if they don;t yet have one), clothing, spending money etc.

and if any one of the girls cannot afford it, then they lose marks........and this IS NOT admitted to in the options booklet. The only reason I know is because DD1s best friend took geography GCSE and then was told as she started them in the september of yr10.

on my part, DD1 chose catering, and we then got a boll for £20 for chefs whites with her name on......which will now be useless as she fineshes her GCSE soon, and is going on to train in dance, not food, and with her name on, we cannot sell them, or even use them for one of our others as it is her first name aswell as surname.

also had to pay £20 for all the textiles eqipement......altho some of that is usefull......included dressmaking stuff which I get to have in my sewing kit once she has finished school or she can have and make her own sewing kit (some chance, she won;t admit to being able to sew if mummy dearest is foolish enough to do it.....)!

I am waiting to see how much we will have to pay out for equipement for DD2. She is now teasing us saying that we will have to buy her a £500 camera for her art and photography course (if she sticks to her guns and ignores DD1, and actually does take it...).

oh, one good thing......the hairdressing course is actually an apprentiship course, the school is now offering several. I am impressed with THAT part of the curriculam.

The cost of that geography trip is scandalous psychomum! I'm sure it's unnecessary too - ds did his geography field work at the local beach for free. All extra costs & equipment requirements should be stated up front in the options book imo (even if some of them are estimates).

Dd is doing her choices now - at her school they get 5, one of which has to be a modern language.

Last nights choices ran as follows:
French
Separate sciences (two are compulsory)
RE
Drama
& either Geography or Computing

She also wants to do Japanese as a twilight subject.

Art was one of her original choices, but she has been put off it after talking to some other people about what's involved. The choices have to be in next week & she's still changing her mind on a regular basis.

ok, you are now the third (or fourth) person to say what art GCSE involves, and it doesn;t sounds good.....maybe she shouldn;t be doing it.

will see later I guess. She still has until tomorrow to choose.

its all so stressful isn;t it.

am impressed with your DD opting for japanese....

I'm a bit about the japanese myself. She's not good at languages due to dyslexia - struggles a lot with french. But she's mad keen on Japanese at the moment (she tends to like less orthodox things). I think she'll go off it when it starts to get difficult - she's only been learning it for a term so far, but as it's a twilight thing I guess she can drop out later on.

Just to confuse you more dd actually enjoyed Art GCSE. Mind you, she is the type of person that likes to keep up with course work and doesn't get behind. She was a bit disappointed with her 'B' and was hoping for an 'A'.

DS is in the middle of making his options now. Of course the pathways have all changed since dd picked so I am confused all over again!

There are lots of reasons why some courses are limited to some pathways. The hair and beauty may require a lot of hours at funny times and therefore limits how many other subjects can be chosen. You need to ask the school why, rather than just assuming they have a hidden agenda.
You also need to remember they have to consider the needs of many many children and not everyone can always get all their first choices. It was this way when I was at school and always has been like this. You need to be realistic.