Can someone reassure me why its ok for 12yo to pick GCSEs?

[Proud_Dad]

Year 9 issues are to do with deciding certain subjects are 'a waste of time' ...

DS has been very clear on the subjects he feels are a waste of time from day one, and his recent report reflects this!
For him, it will be good to be able to 'officially' drop them, although I understand this is not the case for all DC ...

JD

Same for my DS, but I told him he wasn't allowed to drop Maths and English!

[Guest55]

Stokers - why are they using the old grades and not the new number grades?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... el-reforms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -a-summary" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JamesDean]

Same for my DS, but I told him he wasn't allowed to drop Maths and English!

It's science in his house, PD, and triple is compulsory

JD

[Tolstoy]

Being in the position where my DC is still being penalised for having to move school between Y10 and Y11 I think schools shouldn't be allowed to start options this early regardless of how convenient it is for them or their pupils.

As you're stuck with it Yamin I think sticking to the traditional subject is a good plan and anything else can be done as an extra-curricular activity to prevent the tedium of doing two year courses over a three year span setting in.

[LostInTheShuffle]

Same for my DS, but I told him he wasn't allowed to drop Maths and English!

It's science in his house, PD, and triple is compulsory

JD

I thought these subjects are compulsory (they are at my DD's school). By the way, do compulsory subjects vary considerably between schools?

[Stokers]

Guest55, I've just checked with DS and in some subjects he's getting letters and some numbers. Thanks for pointing this out - I shall check in with the school about their policy next week.

[Guest55]

Stokers - it should link with when the syllabus changes and that is on the second link I think.

[PurpleDuck]

I think that having to chose GCSE options early in year 8 is ridiculous. By that time children would have had barely a year of specialist subject teaching, so how can they tell which subjects they would enjoy? We are very lucky that our schools goes through the GCSE options process towards the end of year 9, so pretty much as late as they can before the start of the GCSE course.

[Warks mum]

I've heard Yamin151 DS's Headteacher talking about the three-year KS4 and he put it in a very positive light - i.e. not about 'getting serious about GCSEs early' but more 'let's look at subjects more broadly and make them more interesting'. As far as I remember, the theory was that the youngsters at the school were ready academically to study the GCSE syllabus so the idea was to give plenty of time to see the fuller picture. I think they do an Extended Project Qualification in history, for example, which sounded really interesting to me!

However, whether a 12-year-old is emotionally ready to choose his options I couldn't say. Though the same could be said for some 13, 14 or 15 year olds...

[PurpleDuck]

I've heard Yamin151 DS's Headteacher talking about the three-year KS4 and he put it in a very positive light - i.e. not about 'getting serious about GCSEs early' but more 'let's look at subjects more broadly and make them more interesting'. As far as I remember, the theory was that the youngsters at the school were ready academically to study the GCSE syllabus so the idea was to give plenty of time to see the fuller picture. I think they do an Extended Project Qualification in history, for example, which sounded really interesting to me!

However, whether a 12-year-old is emotionally ready to choose his options I couldn't say. Though the same could be said for some 13, 14 or 15 year olds...

DS had his KS4 compressed to 2 years and started using GCSE textbooks in year 9, but thankfully didn't have to decide on his subjects until later.... I suppose starting the GCSE curriculum early while asking children to choose their options late gives them a benefit of insight into what they would have to study for each of the subjects, so hopefully it can help with a decision. Speaking of decisions, though - in our school they all have to do maths, English, one modern language and three sciences, so there is no getting out of the 'hard' subjects. Is this the case in other schools, too?