11 Plus Exams Forum

Will these still happen after this year and terminal exams? What Is the point? DCs school does 10.5 GCSEs. Is that a good number? I read on here of 11. What use is half?

The school will decide on its GCSE offer and you will need to choose options within their requirements; each school is different.

Half GCSE are sometimes called 'short course' and the most common is RS as students have to study RS most schools decided the students might as well get a qualification. Short courses don't count in performance tables.

PE seems quite common too. I personally cannot see the point, at many sixth forms don't recognise them.
I am unsure why we have to certificate everything in children's lives. Surely they should just be able to enjoy a subject or two.

Well said! Seems a novel concept these days. Along with it goes too much prescription. As soon as there is certification, out goes spontaneous learning. We need more trust in teachers to facilitate learning in some non exam subjects and children might catch a love of learning and develop enquiring minds outside a classroom environment.
Its fine to play sport because it's a giggle and makes you feel better, it's fine to do art because its relaxing, its great to play a musical instrument because you enjoy it. Its even fine to learn how to speak French so you can enjoy travelling around the country, without being able to memorise an essay on how how you spend the school day