How many GCSEs is norm for a High School?

[Mum007]

DS is currently choosing GCSE options. His choices are very 'traditional' so far (pleasingly sound for us older parents!!!).

English x2; Maths; Science x2; RS (short course); (compulsory)
History; French; (to achieve the EB - History is a dead cert for him and we believe a MFL might be good for the RAF)
and two more to choose. ?CiDA, ?Geog, ?Business Studies.....

He does not know what he wants to do for a career but is keen to join the RAF in some capacity. He does plenty of great stuff outside of school to boost his CV too.

The total is 9.5 which I think sounds an awful lot for a High School pupil, despite the fact that he is in top sets. (I only sat 7 in one go all those years ago at a grammar. Took 3 more at different times.) There is nothing really for him which is arty or practical to 'soften' the academic GCSEs.

What I am worried about is that he won't get all that he takes if he sits too many. Hope that makes sense. I'm not worried about how many A*s - only whether he will get them! I understand that many parents on this forum may be quite 'pushy' and would want their kids to do that and more i.e. to be given the same opportunities at a High School that they would have had if he / she had gone to a grammar. I have learned, however, to moderate my approach to education since the 11+ days!!! Happy is good.... self-esteem is good.... I don't want to set him up to fail.

Just how easy are GCSEs these days?

I'd love some thoughts please.... thank you!

[muffinmonster]

My DD is doing 10 and that seems to be not uncommon at her school (a comprehensive). She's bright and hardworking but not top of the class. She's still in the early stages though (Y10, and has sat just a handful of modules) so I can't say yet whether it will work out well! She's coping OK with the workload, though.

FYI, she's doing English x 2, Maths, Science x 3, RE (compulsory), History, French and Music.

[scary mum]

I think it's more or less the norm now. DD is doing 10 + 2 compulsory short courses (RS & PE). And then of course there is the level 2 functional skills ICT thingy. Hmmmm.

[Amber]

IMHO they generally do far too many, and it is not necessary for them to do so for university purposes. One eminent girls' school in the Midlands allows pupils to do only nine and they have nice list of admissions to top universities each year. My DD has already done Maths in year 10 so as a reward gets to do Further Maths. Did compulsory half RE GCSE in Yr 10 and chose to upgrade so is doing the other half this year. One other optional one (Greek) added to all the usual choices and she will have an eye watering 13 if she doesn't go under with all the work. Crazy.

[loulou]

My son did 12 at his comprehensive but one of those was at the end of year 9 and one at the end of year 10. The comprehensives seem to want to do more than the grammars and I have no idea why

[Moonlight]

My daughter is at an indie school and sat her GCSE in statistics whilst in Year 10. She is now studying for a further 9 which is more than enough. I remember the Principal saying, when we first joined, that it is quality rather than quantity. I think she has a point.

[Guest55]

Remember from September 2012 all new GCSE courses will be terminally assessed ie no modules. I think 10 is more than enough! The Universities prefer to see a smaller number of high grades than a lot of Cs and Bs.

[scary mum]

Remember from September 2012 all new GCSE courses will be terminally assessed ie no modules. I think 10 is more than enough! The Universities prefer to see a smaller number of high grades than a lot of Cs and Bs.

Hopefully this will mean that the numbers of GCSEs starts to go down then.

[Moonlight]

Remember from September 2012 all new GCSE courses will be terminally assessed ie no modules. I think 10 is more than enough! The Universities prefer to see a smaller number of high grades than a lot of Cs and Bs.

Does this mean that there will be no more Controlled Assessments as well? At the moment these results go towards the final GCSE. Are we going back to sitting exams in one go at the end of the academic year like in the 'old' days?

[Guest55]

I have not seen the new specifications yet and maths has no controlled assessments anyway. The decision was only finalised recently so exam boards will have to get moving!