Choosing options in Year 8

Bex mum · Post by **Bex mum** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:35 am

I've heard that at Bexleyheath school Year 8's will be choosing their options soon, rather than in year 9. Does anyone know why this is, I assume it's to raise GCSE passes but not sure if it's a good idea or not.

Post by **hermanmunster** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:38 am

I've got a DD doing this too . Have a "curriculum evening" at school soon - hopefully all will become clear. Am concerned that they are doing GCSEs too early.

Bex mum · Post by **Bex mum** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:50 am

That's interesting, I hadn't heard any other school doing it.

My DD is at a Grammar and completes KS3 by the end of Yr 8 then has Yr 9 to really go over everything (I think!), before choosing her options. For me, the positives would be that if you really hated a subject you would only have to put up with it for 2 years! My only concern would be is it too young to make such an important decision?

Seeing as it doesn't even affect me, I think i'm just be nosy!!!

Post by **hermanmunster** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:57 am

Yes DD is at Skipton girls, I know of kids in Invicta in maidstone who have doing the same for a few years.

KS3 is nearly at an end.

Main problem is that some Unis want 3 A levels done in 2 years whereas some of the girls are starting AS in year 11 and therefore it may not count

tiredmum · Post by **tiredmum** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:02 pm

hi bex mum
my daughter is at a medway grammar in year 10 , about to take all her GCSE's , and one AS level , a year early. When she entered the school i didnt know this would be happening but got told during her year 7. I have been very concerned about it. I thought that they completed key stage 3 in 2 years giving them an extra year to concentrate on gettin excellent gcse's. But no they take the gcse's a year early.

Saying that she did extremely well in the mocks and is online to get some fantastic grades. She does work very hard but i know that some of the other children in her year are finding it very difficult and will have to do some re-takes! this is so annoying as if they had let them have the extra year they would get great grades.

When year 11 comes my dd can begin 2 AS levels and some more gcse's. Though she will have to complete the A's in 2 years as normal .

I cant see the point in doing it all early - but thats just my opinion

Bex mum · Post by **Bex mum** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:19 pm

Thank you for your responses.

I didn't even realize schools could make their own decisions on this. Hopefully, DD's school won't change their policy as I can't really see the point of her doing GCSE's early, there has to be more to Secondary school life than just the results at the end.

I think with Bexleyheath, as it's just come out of Special Measures they need to make some big changes to raise standards.

Bex mum · Post by **Bex mum** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:23 pm

Hermanmunster and Tired Mum - I wasn't being rude about your schools, just thinking what would suit my DD better. I also have a son due to start at Grammar in September and the thought of him having to complete it all in 2 years would send him into meltdown!

Milla · Post by **Milla** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:29 pm

the school my DS2 is going to in Sept, Pate's in Glos, is starting this. It's to allow more "enrichment" time in the three years it will take to cover the GCSE syllabus and enable the school to shoot through KS3. Having a greater spread of time will allow more flexibility in terms of choices - time constraints have hitherto restricted the combination of subjects alllowed - it will allow for more trips / more varied approaches to teaching.
It seems to make sense partic given that GS children don't need 3 years to reach the govt target expected at the end of Y9 since they've already got it by the time they enter Y7. Another subject altogether is the woefully low level of expectation....
Sounds great to me - anyone any idea of any downsides?

tiredmum · Post by **tiredmum** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:30 pm

oh no you didnt come accross as at all rude - as i said even though my dd has to do her gcses early i dont agree with it. Though I am lucky my dd dosnt seem to suffer from this. Many schools jumped on this band waggon a few years ago and i think they are now realising that they may have been too hasty, some kids are not getting the results they deserve so i think the schools might begin to back track and only let a proportion of the year group do this

Tracy · Post by **Tracy** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:10 pm

At BGS the kids take the GCSEs ONLY if they are going to get good grade ie A/A*. And then it's only in some of the subjects eg, maths for the top sets, the 1st language taken from yr7, some science.
My dd is taking maths early and thought, at that point, that she would never have to do maths again. Wrong! They do further maths in year 11!

With BH, I think that there is a drive for kids to go into yr11 already having got the 5 A*- C. If some of these subjects have already been passed a year early then it gives room to improve the others. This is already being done at other comps in the borough.

And controversially, has anyone actually seen the GCSE papers these days? Let's just say I'd like to see the same batch of kids sit O levels and then compare results.