My DS loves history and is interested in taking the GCSE history course but, for various reasons, is unwilling to go on the residential trip in Yr11 (this may change but I am not confident of that).

Will he be allowed to do this GCSE course without doing the residential? We have an options evening soon so I just wanted to find out if it is feasible to do the course without the residential bit. I have read that they might miss part of the curriculum if they don't do the residential but I can't believe that is right or fair.

Any guidance would be appreciated. Many thanks.

Are not all school trips not mandatory? Except the ones required for practical aspect of course work, mostly local, for example for Geography field work.

It might also be worth discussing with the teachers his reasons for not wanting to go and see if there’s anything they can do about that.

I am not sure. The details say they should have an interest in taking the trip but I have read online that it forms part of the curriculum so to miss it means missing part of the course (don't ask me where I read that as I have been frantically googling!)

He wants to take the course and, at the moment, he wants to go into law so I think history is probably necessary. I don't want his choices reduced because of a residential trip.

And thanks, Tinkers, but I don't think teachers will be able to help.

DS1 did history GCSE and DS2 is currently doing it. Neither of them had a compulsory residential. The whole year group did do the Battlefields tour and the end of Y9 during activities week, however. This obviously helped those doing History but was for the whole Year as the school feels it is important everyone knows more about the World Wars.

I think you need to look at/address the reasons why he doesn't want to go on a residential, if you can, however, as there will be compulsory residentials going forward. We have a friend who had a DD who decided she didn't want to do sleepovers or the primary school residential and they accommodated those wishes...move forward to her now in Y10, she still hasn't slept away from home without her parents and it has become a real problem now (this is a bright, none special needs child).

This is the wording in the letter for this year's version of the History residential that DD went on two years ago:

As part of our GCSE course in History, we study the problems in Germany after World War One and the rise of the **** Party, as well as the Cold War. Both of these units include events occurring in Berlin. Since 2009, we have run a very successful trip to Berlin and are offering Year 10 History students the chance to go on this trip again in June 2018.

DD did go, but it definitely wasn't a compulsory part of the course. I have a memory that the Geography field trip to study bits of Yorkshire which may no longer be there by now may have had more of a 'must do' element to it, though.

(Cross-posted with KCG ).

Has your DS always been 'unkeen' on residentials, or is it this one in particular that bothers him?

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

I think you need to ask if the trip is mandatory, and if so why? (I don't think schools are allowed to make such tings mandatory). That said, and without wishing to pry, it would be a shame for him to miss out on such an opportunity which I imagine might augment his studies and so it is worth exploring his lack of interest, if it is subject related perhaps history is not for him, if he is otherwise keen what can be done to ensure that he is able to participate in the subject fully? As for law, wow! him for already knowing that is what he wants to do.

There are no GCSEs required to be a lawyer (or indeed A levels although a strong analytical bias via an essay subject helps). OH is a lawyer, no history GCSE, science A levels and Masters and then a conversion, on finally (sigh ) studying his conversion he was snapped up and sponsored by a magic circle firm precisely because of his 'unusual' background. That said he has always been somewhat of a wordsmith and this was 20 years ago.

To 'help'persuade him about the trip it might be worth emphasising how much travel/time away/going outside their comfort zones top lawyers have to do, indeed how much they have to do that they do not want to at all, especially in the early years .

Good luck

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mad?

I think curriculum based trips can be mandatory but they are generally later than GCSE. Day time curriculum trips for GCSE can be mandatory but, as I said, ds1 did history and the Battlefields tour was the only residential that you could argue was history based and the fact it was for the whole year group indicates it was a nice to have, not a need to have!

Thanks ToadMum and KCG. There are various reasons he is unwilling to go but one reason is a bad experience at primary. He did a trip (after persuasion) and enjoyed it but on his return the teachers made a big issue of certain things which has made him determined not to make the effort again. He is who he is; not all children are perfect from an outsiders view (to me he is). I just want to know that he can do the course he has a genuine interest in without worrying about a residential trip. He may be fine by then as it is a couple of years, but I don't want him being forced to drop a subject he loves based on a school trip.

I cannot imagine it is either mandatory or absolutely necessary. It is a bit like all those really expensive trips to Iceland which are supposedly 'vital' for GCSE Geography. They aren't.