GCSE do they start them early?

fredtheguava

northerntwo1 wrote: »

I rang the school but we play phone tennis due to work.

As a secondary teacher.. I would advise sending an email. It's extremely difficult to make phone calls to parents and then for them to have the time to talk. If you email the appropriate person (form tutor, head of year, pastoral manager) they will either be able to answer or send it on to someone who can.

You are more likely to get a reply which makes sense and is clear this way! I know people like to have a conversation, but the number of times I've had a phone conversation and then gone on to repeat it (to the parent or a senior teacher) is hard to believe.

Send an email. Most schools have a 48 hour respond policy, so you should hear back relatively quickly - perhaps more quickly than trying to catch the right person at the right time!

tyllwyd

northerntwo1 wrote: »

... Her end of year target is a GCSE grade B for Russian. After 3 months?

I wouldn't stress too much about hitting the actual target - in my daughter's school, they give GCSE target grades from the start of studying GCSE but obviously in the early stages they aren't expected to reach the final grade level, it's whether the teacher assesses them as being on target to reach that level at the end of the course.

I can't imagine any school would enter a child for a GCSE exam at the end of year 9 without making that very clear from the start. I can't see the advantage of doing the exam that early, and my understanding is that schools are discouraged from entering children for GCSEs early now.

With the GCSE suggested reading, I would take that as a suggestion and wait and see for now - if you wait a few months before deciding what books you want to buy, it's not going to make a huge impact on her GCSEs overall.

peachyprice

rock_queen wrote: »

GCSEs or at least gcse style questions are now being taught in KS3 in order to help prepare pupils for KS4. Some courses may actually start teaching the content and making a start on coursework in yr9 others may not. I wouldn't worry too much at the moment.

Yes, this is how they do it at my DD's school for the top sets.

She's doing GCSE work in yr 9, not to take the GCSE's early but as GCSE prep if you like. She hasn't even chosen her options yet, so it's definitely not for exams.