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Secondary education

Y7 - which subjects do you children love/hate?

18 replies

Madmog · 02/11/2012 10:05

Just being noisy really, but just wondering what subjects Y7s are finding they like/dislike at their new school. My daughter:

Loves English, Art, Music, Design and Technology and much to my surprise, French as she used to hate it.

Neutral - life skills, history, geography, PE, Science

Hates RE, Maths (although hoping this changes as have just been setted and has different teacher, although last night's homework which she understood took 2.5 hours!).

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Sparklingbrook · 02/11/2012 10:07

My DS is Year 9 but I think his favourite subjects have a direct link with whether he likes/has built a rapport the teacher or not. Sad A huge worry as Options are looming.

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NewFerry · 02/11/2012 10:08

My DD is loving most if it, but hates PSHE and 'learning to learn'

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gazzalw · 02/11/2012 10:42

DS loves History, Geography, Games, Chemistry, Maths and DT (Cookery)

He hates R.E. (doesn't see the point!), Physics and not even that keen on ICT (because he dislikes his teacher).

Really really hate that children's views on subjects can be so skewed just by not liking/getting on well with the teachers....

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Sparklingbrook · 02/11/2012 10:44

Pleased it isn't just me gazza. he had a real taste for History and a brilliant rapport with his History teacher last year. He has changed schools (our/his choice) and it doesn't seem to be his passion any more. but he likes other subjects instead due to the teachers.

Teachers can turn a student right off a subject i think. Sad

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gazzalw · 02/11/2012 11:18

Yes, Sparklingbrook. DS is actually very keen on German/History because he has the same teacher and he thinks he's fantastic....

DW was very good at History but was totally put off doing it to A Level as the History teacher made it very clear she disliked her - DW has regretted it ever since!

Yes, teachers can totally make or break children's subject interests....it shouldn't be like that. They should all be inspiring particularly in the 'dry' subjects that don't necessarily tend to inspire!

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Sparklingbrook · 02/11/2012 11:35

It's a real concern TBH gazza. I don't know what the answer is.

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Arcticwaffle · 02/11/2012 11:50

My yr7 dd likes DT and maths best. She also likes French, English, Science, most subjects really.

Dislikes: Netball. (likes the rest of PE more than she expected though).

She's pretty positive about it overall. yr 8 dd is similar, she likes it all except some of the PE. I do think my dc are quite easygoing lately compared to the average pre-teen, I am expecting it to change as the hormones strike.

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KitKatGirl1 · 02/11/2012 12:01

Languages. Ds has never really found anything else difficult before and two new languages to learn at once is not going down well. Plus it's almost the only subject he has to actively 'revise' for: they do so little learning by rote in other subjects that he doesn't really have the 'revising' skill yet. He actually prefers PE/Games (never thought I'd hear that!)

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KitKatGirl1 · 02/11/2012 12:03

PS. ds loves drama (did hardly any at primary school) but he got his lowest effort grade at half term report in drama, so maybe he 'enjoys' it a little too much...!

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Issy · 02/11/2012 12:22

DD1 is doing French, German, Latin and Spanish which seems like an awful lot of languages! French is fine as she's familiar with that from junior school, Latin is 'boring' but easy, but she struggles with German and Spanish. Particularly Spanish.

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KitKatGirl1 · 02/11/2012 12:42

Whoa! That's loads, Issy. Think ds would enjoy latin too (bit of a science geek). He's finding French easier than Spanish.

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CalmingMiranda · 02/11/2012 13:36

DS is really hating PHSE, and I must say I am not impressed with the teacher or the very heavy handed PC approach to what is right and what is wrong.

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gazzalw · 02/11/2012 13:49

I think DS only does PHSE as an aside with form tutor in an extended form tutorial session once a week - is that normal? This is in a grammar school!

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Madmog · 02/11/2012 15:27

I expect suddenly loving French and hating Maths is down to what she feels about the teacher. She says all the teachers are actually nice, but the Maths one is rather drab(!), ie doesn't smile, doesn't joke, doesn't get annoyed - poor lady is probably just trying to be neutral to all kids. Luckily they have now been set for Maths, so changing teacher and she seems positive about him.

I have pointed out that no matter what she thinks about a teacher, likes, dislikes, they are for the kids to learn from and she should use them for that reason and put aside any feelings.

Issy, four languages at once is a hard one. My daughter's school specializes in languages, but they only do French to start with and only the ones with an ability for that do a second language.

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Sparklingbrook · 02/11/2012 15:34

WIBU to ask for a list of who is teaching what before DS chooses his options? Sad

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VivaLeBeaver · 02/11/2012 15:38

DD is enjoying French, History, English, Geography, Art and DT.

Neutral about science, think she's enjoying it but was freaked out by the safety talk in the first lesson and says she's now scared of science!

Not very keen on maths or RE.

She likes PE when they're in the gym, hates swimming.

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cricketballs · 02/11/2012 15:43

sparkling - the problem with that is teachers leave and it is usually a member of SLT that never ventures out of their office in charge of timetabling so us mortals have no say in what we will be teaching.

We always advise ours to go with the subject and not the teacher/friends etc as there is no guarantee that even if its a subject they really want to do as well as having a teacher they get on with that they will be timetabled with them.

GCSEs are also a 2 year course and can have different teachers between years 10 and 11

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Sparklingbrook · 02/11/2012 15:48

That's true cricketballs. It's annoying that DS has this thing where he does really well in a subject where he 'gets' the teacher, I bet some children don't care who teaches them but love the subject for what it is. Frustrating. Sad

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