short and sweet. DS' GCSE options

[MadameDefarge]

Mandatory

Eng lit
Eng Lang
Double Science
History
MFL
Maths
Stats

Optional choices he has made
Drama
Art/Music
Latin as an additional study

All good? Yeah?

[flakjacket]

Almost exactly the same as my DD (lose the Drama, make double Science into triple).

[MadameDefarge]

cool. The triple/double science thing is a bone of contention. They moved him down a set, despite being 6a in it from end of last year!

[AMumInScotland]

That sounds like a good mix. I've seen a lot of comments on here about the workload for Art though, so the Music might be the better bet unless he is particularly keen on art.

[MadameDefarge]

both are a bit of stretch for him, being dyspraxic, but I am keen to support his choices. Gah!

[gymboywalton]

my son is going to do;
english lang
english lit
maths,
triple science,
history,
religous studies[mandatory!]
german

[MadameDefarge]

Isnt that funny about RE being mandatory for your boy and MFL for mine?
Makes a mockery of a level playing field.

DSs school is all about the fucking Ebacc. The non qualification that has no paper to be written on to be worth nothing...IYSWIM!

[gymboywalton]

oh the german is mandatory too
he only gets two bloody options

he really wanted to do drama but if he chooses triple science that counts as core + 1 so he has to drop drama
makes me cross that he has to do r.e which he doesn't like and drop drama which he excels at

[MadameDefarge]

oh gym that is bloody rubbish!

DS only has two choice also, but at least there are some creative things there too!

Latin is done as an additional study, so not in main timetabling, but as an extra.

[BellaVita]

DS1 took music, it made him miserable. He said he should have taken history instead.

[gymboywalton]

i have said to him that he could do double science and then he'd be able to do drama but he really wants to do the triple[shrugs]
up to him i guess

to further complicate matters he will take his german gcse next year and then pick up ANOTHER subject for a year. he's thinking he'll do btec performing arts then.

[ExitPursuedTheRoyalPrude]

DD is doing

Mandatory:-

English Lit
English Lang
Maths
Stats
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Latin

and choosing

History
Home Economics

And then either IT or D&T

[MadameDefarge]

I struggled with the double/triple thing too...but ds seems to really be a humanities kind of lad (plus all the AN ishooos) so will let him have his way on this.

On the plus side, loving drama is an unexpected and rather marvellous result for a child with verbal dyspraxia amongst other things.

Think I need to talk to school about the music or art thing...

[MadameDefarge]

it was so much easier in my day!

[ExitPursuedTheRoyalPrude]

I would prefer DD to do the double science option but as she is in the top set she has to do separate apparently. If she struggles though they may rejig at the end of Y10.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

DS is only in Y7 (but has an older sister) and we've just been talking about what he might do for his 3 choices (because in a moment of boredom he was just trying out some different voices on me and I said "you know maybe you should do drama ?")

So, anyway, we're thinking probably ...

Art
Music
Drama

But that would mean no humanities apart from the compulsory RS, which I'm slightly shocked about.

But the drama is so good at his school I might just let him have all the fun of drama instead of the misery of all those world wars (and it might support his English as well as further develop his confidence ?) Trouble is he has always shown quite an interest in history too < hmmmm >

He loves art and plays the trumpet so I think Art and Music are already settled. He'll also do 3 sciences (which might be his main strength area ?) and French for his MFL.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Blimey Exit, mandatory latin ? that seems unusual. Is that because she has to do a language ? Slightly unfortunately dd had to go with French over Latin as her school required a MFL, even though we did put in a special request with the head - mainly I think she might have found Latin more logical and would have enjoyed the history and literature aspect.
But it's OK, we have French cousins and perhaps it will be useful (generally)?

[MadameDefarge]

you are kidding? having to choose between drama and history? what are they on?

[ExitPursuedTheRoyalPrude]

Not mandatory Latin, sorry, they have to do a language and she has chosen Latin as she loathes French. I originally wanted her to take German and Latin as we have family in Switzerland but her head was turned by lovely comments from her French teacher in Y7. She accepts now that it was a big mistake and that I am always right

I thought they might make her take French as well but fortunately the school tends to ignore the Ebac. And Latin is one of her best subjects.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Yes, I guess I find it slightly strange that they all have to do (or at least start) 3 sciences, but can drop both history and geography, with the only humanity for some being the obligatory RS (It is a church school which I guess explains that) But seems a little unbalanced regarding the humanities I feel, and the arts and more practical techs get pretty heavily squeezed in the choice process too.
I'm not sure I agree with making 3 sciences compulsory for all, but it's probably not too bad for mine.
You could do both drama and history if you wanted to MadameDefarge, but would then only have one choice left.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I guess tbh I'd be happier if they freed up one choice by saying they had to choose a humanity out of History, Geography, and RS (rather than making RS compulsory to GCSE) Even though it's a church school I feel they could be more generous in letting the children choose from their strengths and interests.

[MadameDefarge]

I agree. DS has to indicate a preference for history or geography, and chose history, but under parental pressure Geography has been put as an option as well.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

So, your boy would be doing quite similar subjects to the ones my DS is interested in I think MadameDefarge, except my DS wants to do both Art and Music. Also, like yours, considering drama.
One thing I rather regret in my choices (in the dim and distant past!) was choosing Latin as a second language because, though I enjoyed the history aspect it meant that out of 8 subjects 2 were languages, and I was basically rubbish at languages as I think I have neither the memory nor the motivation, compared to other subjects I would have enjoyed more.
So, I noticed your DS is thinking of doing Latin as a second language. Does he enjoy languages?

[MadameDefarge]

well, he does okay, but as Latin is an extra, ie, studied in additional studies after school, if he falters and it doesn't work out I am happy for him to drop it.

[MadameDefarge]

But these are his choices, so I need to support him I think.

[MadameDefarge]

tbh, I would drop all languages for him. He struggles in English enough...

But I think it would be more damaging for his sense of self to nix the latin outright (given that MFL is mandatory) than to let him have a go and gently drop it if it doesn't work out.