Tell me about year9

[coccyx]

we currently live in the Middle east and need to decide whether to return at start or end of year9.
I have heard it is options year. does it mean if we are not there we will be allocated subjects that are left.
Whish subjects are compulsory, apart from maths and english

[mateysmum]

We are about to return to the UK from the middle east for exactly this reason. DS is at a good school here, but I want to get him settled in yr9 before the really serious GCSE work starts.
He'll be going to an independent school and as soon as we signed up, they sent through info about yr 9 options, which would by default affect what he could do later. Already it isn't really possible for him to do Latin as he is effectively 2 years behind his peers.
I don't think the issue is so much having to take "subjects that are left" any decent school will be able to accomodate it's pupils' subject choices. But, compulsory subjects and options vary from school to school and what your DC does in the ME in year 9 will affect his GCSE choices.
For me, moving at the start of yr 9 was the right thing to do. DS has been an expat since he was 5, the UK is pretty much a foreign country to him. Also, he's not the quickest to settle socially and I felt new country, new house, new school, new friends was just too much to cope with on top of GCSEs. I was lucky, I had the choice, but DH will stay here another year, so the move is not without sacrifices.

[coccyx]

interesting. My hubby will also be staying here without us for another year!
We are fortunate that we are returning to house, village we know and have friends and family close by.
Quite arural area so not many secondary schools to choose from. OH mentioned private schooling as an option, but was met with much eye rolling

[PotteringAlong]

English, maths, science and RE are the core compulsary subjects. On top of that, there is something called the EBacc (the English baccalaureate) that's just come into play which is English, maths, science plus a modern foreign language and geography or history so, if your DS / DD is thinking of university they'll probably need an ebacc when they apply

[generalhaig]

definitely move for start of y9 rather than y10 as moving country and school would be a lot to deal with without having to hit the ground running in terms of GCSE courses

also, some schools will start GCSE modules in Year 9 (especially science) so pupils will take some papers in y10 rather than y11

[Silverstreet]

What generalhaig said. My DD is year 9 and started GCSE courses in science & languages in January, chose options in February plus is now being put into sets for those choices for Y10. If you change schools the new school also has little to go on re deciding on setting, so this may take several terms to sort out, which would not be good for Y10.

[TheMonster]

I'm a secondary teacher and I would certainly recommend that you move in year nine rather than year 10.

[MoniDubai]

We also live in the middle east and my daughter is just completing Year 10, I wish I had known at the end of year 9 what I know now. I have written a comprehensive breakdown of what exactly is involved for a few subjects in Year 10. The biggest shock to me was the fact that the kids actually do real modules of course work from the Oct of Year 10 that count towards their final gcse, for English these CANNOT be repeated so you have one chance, you can repeat some for science, for a clearer expanation go to the Living with GCSE's on the //WWW.doindubai.com site, my issue is now to do find out now what to expect in Year 11. I'm sure this will help your understanding. Thanks.

[coccyx]

useful information. thanks

[Capiche]

Year 10 . Year nine is one of those 'floating' years where kids do very little !
Ds is finishing year 9 now and I am exhaling deeply. Honestly don't come back for year 9 no poiny

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Although to be fair, some schools start GCSE courses in Year 9, so do check.

[Riveninside]

All my kids actually started school in y9 asnthey were home edded. They chose gcse options at the end far as i recall