Head speaks out over GCSE choice row

A school head teacher has hit back at claims that his pupils being denied the freedom to choose their GCSE subjects.

Graham Wright, who runs Wardle High School, read on the Rochdale Online message board how some aggrieved parents feel their children are being pushed to pick certain subjects for their exams.

One post claimed that teachers had chosen exam subjects for a pupil despite him asking requesting otherwise, and another claimed the pupil was told what was “best for them” rather than what they could choose from.

But the head teacher has explained that there are some 29 GCSE subjects to choose from, with additional Btecs and National Diplomas.

He added: “Like any other school at any other time, these options are available to all pupils, but they are placed into categories or option boxes.

"For example, each pupil would pick one exam option from each box, to cover a range of sport, humanities, science and so on.

“I am upset we have been accused of not giving our pupils the options they deserve. We base this whole system on the pupils being able to make their own decisions.

He continued: “What we want is the same as the parents, the happiness and success of the pupils in hand”.

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