Choosing Options

It is choosing GCSE Options time in our household again.  Abbey and Callan both managed to do the subjects they wanted with no issues and I was quite miffed that some of the subjects on offer hadn’t been on the curriculum when I chose my options way back in 1988 – the school was offering subjects like Media Studies, Photography, Travel and Tourism and Dance to name but a few.

Fast forward 3 years since Callan chose his and it has all changed.  We have been excitedly discussing Options with Kian for some time and he is very clear with what he wants to do.  He is a bright boy and top set for everything which is fantastic, but he is also a keen photographer and often steals my camera to play about with it, so as well as the academic subjects we thought photography would be a nice fun addition to his studies (plus he could teach his dear old Mum a thing or two).

The teachers have had a discussion with his year group and us parents are going in on Friday to help make the final decisions but I am not happy!  Because he is in the top set the school have basically chosen his GCSE subjects for him and he gets just ONE choice of subject.  How is this fair?

Compulsory Subjects for him are:

  • Maths
  • English Language
  • English Literature
  • Triple Science (i.e. Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
  • RE
  • PE
  • ICT

Now he wants to do the sciences so that isn’t a problem but why does he have to do English Literature, RE and PE.  He wants to do History, DT, Catering and Engineering but can only choose one of these and that also depends whether it fits in with his timetable.  The subjects of Media Studies and Photography have disappeared too because the school needs to achieve recognised academic results.

According to the school website:  “We offer a truly personalised curriculum, with opportunity for students to follow both academic and vocational routes. Courses are tailored to students needs and may involve Work Experience placements, education off-site at Bournemouth and Poole College, Duke of Edinburgh, a range of Vocational courses as well as the usual GCSEs. All students are expected to achieve qualifications in Mathematics, English, Science, ICT and Design and Technology where possible. The curriculum is specifically designed to cater for the needs of students all the way from the age of 14 to 19, and some students will take examinations earlier than usual, if it is appropriate and improves their chances of success. During Key Stage 4 students have the opportunity to consider how their studies will lead them on to further education, either in the school’s successful and expanding sixth-form, or elsewhere.

It really doesn’t feel like it is a personalised curriculum at all.

On Friday we get to speak to each subject teacher to find out more about the subjects and what they offer.  Next Wednesday he gets a 10 minute consultation with his tutor to make a final decision but it stinks of a decision that has already been made for him.

35 thoughts on “Choosing Options”

  1. English Literature has always been compulsory hasn’t it? It was when I did my GCSEs in 1999 and my cousins and sisters (one of whom did her GCSEs in 2012) have all had to do it. As for the others; yes it does stink of a decision that’s already been made. x

    Reply
  2. It has all changed since I was at school and seems to have changed over the last year or so. Do they still do coursework or just exams??
    I can understand the English literature but RE only if they are a religious school and then you know that when they start at the school. But PE that’s bonkers, I would be blazing if that was a compulsory option.

    Reply
  3. Wow that’s unfair. No wander kids are not enthusiastic about learning these days. Your sons choice looked great and I was excited for him until I saw the subjects he had to actually take on.
    Really sad.
    You go give em ya two pence worth on Friday!

    Reply
  4. I have this meeting on Thursday night this week. I have no idea what to expect as it is with my eldest. I have a feeling however, that she will be in the same boat as your son as she is also in all top sets. I know she also HAS to do all of the above. She thinks she can do: music, art and history, as well. She may be disappointed 🙁 At our school RE and ICT are compulsory subjects for all, I do think that is unnecessary.

    Reply
  5. This seems really unfair. Is the school more concerned with keeping Ofsted happy than providing a varied curriculum for its pupils? I feel sad for your son and I hope they listen to you over this.

    Reply
  6. I thought English lit was compulsory? I can’t see the benefit of P.E as a GCSE unless they had a sporty career in mind, after all they have to do pe anyway regardless of their other options. It all boils down to results and league tables.
    Now they have to stay on for at least another year after GCSEs. I don’t think things are in place to support this though. My eldest wants to go to the local sixth form, but they will only let him if he achieves certain grades. If he doesn’t get these grades there is nowhere else locally for him to go yet if he doesn’t attend he is breaking the law. (sorry for the mini rant) x

    Reply
    • English Lit has never been compulsory in our schools before. I agree about the compulsory year after school as my eldest son isn’t academic and struggles – that’s a whole other issue as I was told he was going A-Levels but it turns out he’s just doing retakes.

      Reply
  7. There doesn’t seem like an awful lot of choice there, I was surprised to see PE was compulsory. I agree that I enjoy some of the less traditional subjects that you mentioned were on offer when your other children were picking their options. Knowing how competitive it is to get jobs now I’d be so cautious letting my children take anything that is ‘non traditional’ as the qualifications can be ‘meaningless’ when they come to want to use them. It’s such a balance though as of course we want our children to enjoy school and do what they enjoy.

    Reply
  8. Oh my can they really choose so many?! Back in ‘the day’ for me English Lang. and English Lit. were compulsory as was Maths and 2 Sciences. The rest we got to choose.
    Seems a unfair that his choice is being removed, after all no one wants to study something they hate – even if they do happen to be good at it x

    Reply
  9. This takes me back! It sounds very much like the ‘options’ I had. I think things need to change. The country is changing and jobs are changing and they need to be catered for. It is a shame they seem to have taken such a huge step back from where they were a few years ago. Hope your son enjoys whatever he decides to do.

    Reply
  10. Seriously?? RE & PE are compulsory? That seems like madness. Is it a church school that specialises in sports, or something? I think you’re right to challenge it, especially when your son’s got alternatives he’d really like to study.

    Reply
  11. Bleah, not fair, especially when he is interested in creative things! I dreaded PE in high school, I wasn’t very athletic and hated being put on the spot so I feel for him. Could he move to a different school that covers his choice of subjects?

    Reply
  12. We had just one “choice”, PRE (Philosophy, Religion and Ethics) is an excellent GCSE and compliments many others, although not sure if your son’s school is offering that or RS which is a little different. Why on EARTH are PE and ICT compulsory? ICT is being phased out of the National Curriculum as a subject because it is now embedded into all others, we no longer need teaching to use Word, Databases etc. Both of those are academically very “soft” subjects with few points for later… seems really odd. But the single element of choice I can relate to. We are choosing A levels with son #1 at present – he’s finding it so hard to drop enough subjects to leave 4 1/2 … so hard limiting yourself so much. Good luck – as you prob know with your older two, what matters most is not taking subjects you detest that you could have dropped, as knowing that you could have done so is sheer torture for two years…

    Reply
  13. What a shame he only gets to choose one subject. My daughter does all of those on the list but her school offers PE and ICT without the kids having to take them as GCSEs which means they can have more options to choose from.

    Reply
  14. My Liam is choosing his options at the moment, we got a rather fancy booklet to read through, but he knows what lessons he would like to do for his GCSE’s, which is good, because at that age I had no idea and was very confused.

    Reply
  15. They should forget about compulsory subjects for people who know exactly what direction they want to take. I had to carry on doing Maths for ages, I hated Maths, Maths hated me and in the end none of what I learnt past the age of 12 or 13 has been useful in my chosen career (career which I chose aged 13!). It’s the usual trying to sort out everyone with one rule and it just doesn’t work that way, we are all different. Good luck!

    Reply
  16. I think we had a fair bit of compulsory in my school too with 2 option spaces which you could pick 2 out of a 2nd language (1st language was compulsory), art, music, history, geography..
    I think they probably are wanting to push him to do the academic ones just with future options in mind, thinking about whether some of those options are respected by colleges or universities for a level and degrees, because rightly or wrongly many people won’t take some of the more modern choices seriously. I actually feel it is wrong – as long as those courses are teaching them enough and keeping their standards high then those subjects are really relevant for today’s careers and should be respected. As my school was very traditional and academic I don’t really have experience of those subjects, and that is a shame as photography, media etc are so interesting! I have to say though RE PE and ICT as compulsory is a bit rubbish! Surely those could be used to free up some extra space for things he wants

    Reply
  17. I’m astonished that PE and RE are compulsory, when History is someting that can be picked up or dropped – to me that seems a load more important as part of a well-rounded education. Reading the comments above, it seems as though everyone has different ideas about GCSE choices – it’s a shame they’re being so proscriptive.

    Reply
  18. It was so long ago I did my options (never made it through to complete them with being in hospital) but I hated how they grouped them. I was the first year of compulsory RE (if I’m remembering correctly) and wasn’t fond of that – not that I minded learning about other religions I just didn’t like how it was taught. I hope he manages to find something he feels ok with. x

    Reply
  19. It really doesn’t seem fair that because your son is in top sets he only gets to choose one of his subjects. Trying to think back to when I did GCSE’s – and sure I had about 4 options over the compulsory subjects despite being in top sets. The education sustem baffles me at times. If options time in our house too – but my son has far more scope. Perhaps it’s a school by school thing x

    Reply
  20. That is appalling! Why should he have to do RE and PE GCSEs? That’s just ridiculous. Why should the bright kids be punished with not having any choice? Presumably if he wasn’t so bright, he could get to do far more fun subjects? That’s really not fair.
    My son will be choosing his in a year! I find it hard to get my head round that. It feels like he’s only just started secondary school.

    Reply

Leave a Comment