Has anyone succeeded in persuading school to change GCSE options offered? And how much does private schooling cost?

[diydemon]

It was the Yr 9 options evening last night - the first time they'd dared to reveal the options columns to parents and pupils.

And our misgivings were confirmed - they've broadened the range of subjects to include lots more BTECs including media studies, hair and beauty, sociology.

As well as the core subjects, dd has to choose one from each of 5 columns.

4 choices are ok (ish), but there's nothing in the 5th column she wants to do - the choice is:
-Triple science (she will definitely do double, but she doesn't want triple after seeing her sister struggle with it, also the school has been told to improve science and maths teaching)
-AS level music (she'd need grade 5, only has grade 3 and stopped playing in primary school and doesn't really want to pick it up again),

• Or a load of what we (and she) consider to be Mickey Mouse subjects - non-academic (BTEC) ones where she has no interest and would likely be in with a bunch of disruptive kids.

Ideally, if they could move Art GCSE from the column where it clashes with History (she'd love to do both), or allow her to study Art externally (we'd arrange that and pay) and sit in the back of the art class and get on with work for that while others are doing their 5th column options, she'd be happy, problem solved.

But the headteacher is adamant she has to choose a 5th column option, and that the options columns are a fait accompli not a consultation document.

She doesn't really want to move schools - very happy there with good friends - but this seems the only option if she wants to do the subjects she'd like.

Has anyone had any luck in persuading a school to be more flexible? How did you do it? Or did you come up with an alternative arrangement?

Finally, how much does private day school cost on average? I'm seriously contemplating looking into taking her out of state sector because of the political interference that is forcing them to offer so many non-academic subjects - it might suit those who are non-academic, but imo is penalising the academic ones.

The only 'real' subject in that list is triple science.

If she chose this route, and went on to do one science A-level, she would be doing a lot to secure a place on a law degree. Sciences are very highly sought after for law.

Personally, I would be looking around the private schools where your child can be treated as an individual. Aim for fees in the region of £12-14k per year.

Is at GCSE really on the blacklist at good universities? That's not what they say at my dd's very high achieving grammar school. Dd is doing, as core subjects, 3 science, 2 English, Maths and Spanish, then History Expressive Arts and Art as options. They don't seem to have a problem getting people into Oxbridge.

I meant "is Art at GCSE..." I was considered to clever to do any practical courses at school - so I am still unable to type.......!

My dd's had it then - 2 of her 10 GCSEs are "Mickey Mouse" - Art and Expressive Arts!

A steady stream og girls from her school get into good universities with similar choices, though, so I will continue in my naive belief that she has not blighted her future career at the tender are of 14!

Top universities are looking at 7 A* at GCSE. As long as those are in traditional academic subjects, everything else is a bonus.

It is important to have a broad and balanced range of subjects, which the student actually enjoys.

I did german from zero to O Level in one year, at evening classes, when I was an A level student, because it wasnt a possible O level combination at my school.

diydemon - at a minimum a private day school is going to cost you £10,000 per annum including trips uniform etc. In London or if you want a lot of extra facilities you may be looking at £12k per annum. Boarding school even higher.

If you have a Girls Day Schol Trust (GDST) near you that may well be the cheapest option. Usually very good academic schools but quite tough to get in to.

The GDST website is here where you can search for your nearest school.

I had to make some rubbish choices at school and that was 30 years ago and it was a private school too! Paying does t always guarantee you get what you want but ask before you pay and at least you know the score. Private school can be very iinflexible too. Although they will deny it, some private schools are quite possessive about their league table position and often refuse to allow pupils to take a subject if they think the pupil will not get a good grade and push their average grade down.

Is that going to be six language-based GCSEs then? TBH I would be tempted to go for the triple science.

Instead of going private, would it be worth investing in extra tutoring in the sciences if she thinks she might struggle? Is there any particular reason she thinks she'll find the sciences difficult? Weak maths maybe? (Always been my problem!)

Probably triple science if she wants to be a criminal barrister. It's the most 'academic' choice (vital for a highly competitive subject) and think about all the forensic evidence criminal barristers use. There are other branches of the law (intellectual property, medical negligence) where a decent understanding of scientic concepts would be useful. History is also a very relevant GCSE. You look at the evidence, and construct an argument based on it....

But I do agree that it is a weird mix of subjects and she ought to be able to do 9 traditional academic subjects plus one straightforward arty one. Have you scouted around to see if there are any other parents that think the same? They may be more inclined to change if its for a larger number of students. Also, could the art teacher be persuaded to let her put in the hours during free periods or after school? It wouldn't necessarily require much extra teaching time.

I agree with the above - my dd is doing GCSEs this yr and Art takes up a lot of the time - sometimes to the detriment of the other more academic subjects I believe - However she does love it! I think it's always good to do at least one non-academic subject.
Re private tutoring, languages are always a good option to take outside school
Re losing yr hols - if you go private summer term ends at the beginning of July so hols half the price
Just general random thoughts!!!

Oh and costs...about £9000 per year up north!

Completely random point here but my sister did GCSE Sociology and went to Cambridge (where she did Maths). And from a comprehensive school too .

One thing to be wary of taking subjects out of school, or supplementing them outside school, is that you have to know the arrangements for 'controlled assessments' (formerly coursework, but now need to be done under teacher supervision).

I did sociology A Level and Oxford were more than happy to have me.

Our school does make changes or offer new subjects if the demand is there.

Message withdrawn

If your daughter is happy, taking her out may not be the best option.

How about getting her to pick anything from that column but letting her basically not bother with it and then taking another subject outside school via private tutor? It would be cheaper than private school.

Private school fees are anything between 9k and 14k depending on where you go and they do tend to go up every year. If this is the route you decide to take then start calling and visiting schools now. Many schools will already know of any current students leaving in the summer so they may be able to offer you a place.

I'm still here - thanks for all your thoughts, and some very good points made.

Dd is going to find out more about the art element in product design and then perhaps choose history instead of art and do the product design course in the 5th column. We've suggested she might want to have private art lessons outside of school - not for a GCSE or anything, but to fulfil her desire to develop art. Apparently the school will let anyone do art A'level without GCSE, so if she did decide that was the way she wanted to go, she could.

Although she thinks she might want to be a barrister (and we'd want to make sure she keeps her options open so that she could do that), what a 13-year-old has a vague idea of doing could of course not be what she ends up doing - dd1 at that age wanted to be a vet, did 2 weeks work experience and decided it wasn't for her.

DD2 has stated very firmly she won't do triple science, but will do additional science from the 4th column as that's the only one she's interested in there anyway. Which means she'll have double science and that seems perfectly adequate unless she was sure she wanted to go into medicine for example, which she's not.

Heathen - yes it would be six language/literature based GCSEs if she does French as well as Spanish - English lang and lit; Welsh lang and lit and the two foreign languages. The four English and Welsh GCSEs are compulsory.

She's first-language English and Welsh, so picking up the other two has been relatively straightforward as they're Latin-based and have lots of similarities to each other and to Welsh (which has a lot of Latin in it).

Thanks for all the info about private school costs, that really would be a last resort and as many have said, much cheaper to supplement with tutoring. She's strong at maths, so we may well look at science tutoring.

Pixie, thank you, -but here was more than a touch of irony in my post. And I have even heard of people getting into University who don't have 7 A* at GCSE!

Getting into a top course at a Russell Group univeristy requires 7A* grades.

Getting into Thames Valley University for hairdressing has lower requirements.

DH is an alumni from a US Ivy League college, and conducts interviews of their UK applicants. A girl last year wad turned down from Cambridge and his Ivy League because of a C in art (not because she chose art, but because of a c grade. She was very badly served by her school, who didn't have any option she liked in that timeslot; get your DD to talk yo the teachers and choose on the basis of which subject is genuinely most interesting to her to give her best possible chance to ace the grade.

(Sounds to me more like a future linguist than lawyer!)

Why do people go on about Russell Group universities? (am probably jealous as I went to York which isn't one. Although it is still pretty good )