Year 9 - choosing options - how is it going?

Pheewwww, back from Options Evening- and everything made a lot clearer. Information filtered through the mind of a panicking teenager can be interesting, to say the least...

It seems they do do a compulsory BTech in PE, but it is mainly theoretical and even the practical is about organising a PE lessons- so nothing that disability should get in the way of. Mainly learning about the human body and good exercises, sounds all right to me.

And she gets 11 GCSEs on top of that, including compulsory double English and double Science, so don't think we should grumble really. Though could do without the compulsory IT and Tech I suppose. Having said that, dd is uber-academic, she can always learn another language at college, doing a bit of work with her hands won't hurt her.

I agree about PSHE and Project being a waste of an option. They would be very much on the soft end of the spectrum.

What is combined French and German?

Is that 2 full GCSEs, 2 short courses, 2 languges with only some skills examined, or 2 taken at foundation?

Whichever it sounds like it might be trying to do too much in a short time. I would ask for details on this.

Given the choice I would go for one full GCSE. It could be something that have come up with because they believe that it might be easier for lower ability students. The believe beibg that they manage 2 languages very superficially.

fresh, we have something similar - English, Maths, Science and RE compulsory aswell as half PE, half IT and half PSHE GCSE's. I just think they are 'wasted' GCSE's to be honest

seimum, dd wants to take music as one of her options. According to the inforation booklet we were given by the school, the edexcel examination consists of:

Performing: 30% (1 solo and 1 ensemble performance - instrument or voice)
Composing: 30% (2 compositions from different areas of study)
Listening and Appraising: 40% (written exam in 2 sections based on pieces studied).

They have 4 areas of study:
Western Classical music
20th century music
Popular music
World music

Hope that helps!

I've found last year's GCSE options leaflet on the school website, and they don't have to do a Tech subject any more (hooray). So DS will have to choose a language & 3 others.

He plays an instrument & plays in a couple of bands, so I was wondering about encouraging him to do music as an option, but I'm not sure what else is involved in the GCSE.

Ist Options evening last night. I was quite impressed with the school's attitude tbh. Pretty sceptical about the E Bacc (explained it, explained the whole unknowns about it but went to a lot of trouble to clarify it a lot for parents) This school has open options - kids pick what they want (3 choices plus a 4th) and the school fits its groups around those choices. No, you can't do Spanish if you choose geography dilemmas.

DS's school is very late with this - parents evening 24 March & forms back 28 March.

Haven't even thought about his options, but if it's like the ones his elder sister had it will be Science x2, English x2, Maths, RE compulsory (church school). Then choice of a language, choice of a technology & 2 others.

However, I expect that they may now insist on either Geog or Hist to improve the school's Ebacc rating.

I hope they've dropped the requirement for a technology - DD1 did Food Tech which was a total waste of time - she may have got an A for it, but it didn't help her learn to cook.

Hope this thread is still running in March

Just joining! We had the first meeting last night, and I'm a bit mystified at some of the "statutory" choices. Maths, English, science: ok. RE I was prepared to be v grumpy about but they teach it as philosophy and ethics which actually sounds like a good course. ICT I can live with BUT am mystified by PSHE/Foundation and Higher Project, two subjects which get DS1 half a gcse each and apparently are mandatory. Anyway he can do combined French and german, drama and then either hist (favourite) or geog. I want to know why he can't do geog instead of mysterious phse thing but suspect I'm not going to win that one. Anyone else had this?

Oh that's interesting - I don't know if her school will make her have to do a humanities, it doesn't say in the options booklet they do.

Its just a league table measure that has been introduced this year.

From the BBC website:
"Schools in England are now being measured according to how many pupils achieve grades A*-C in five core subjects - maths, English, two science qualifications, a foreign language and either history or geography"

Sorry [ignorant] what's EBacc?

Late joining in here!!

Ds1 is hoping to do:
English x 2
Maths
RS
Science x 3
History
French
Spanish
Latin

They do some weirdy ICT thing this year so no need to continue with that.

Does it look too skewed as there's no art or music etc? The meeting is next week - we won't know until later if he can do these subjects.

She won't get the EBacc (without Geog or History) but appart from that I don't think most Engineering departments will mind, as long as she has English.

Opinions please

To do an engineering degree - is it detrimental to have no humanties (or is RS a humanties - sorry if that's a stupid question) GCSE?

DD is thinking of swapping Geography for a 2nd language and having IT has a 10th.

Happy to help summer I'm going through this for the third time now.

thanks so much webwiz, you've been a great help. Just checked and her own sixth form expect AA in double science for science A levels.

She really needs a minimum of double science so core + additional. I would leave Psychology out and insist on the double science.

I would also briefly consider sixth form options to look at what they are asking for to do science A levels. School/college websites normally have a prospectus for sixth form with subject requirements.

DS will probably stay on and go to his schools own sixth form and this year's requirement to do science A levels is an A in the relevant science in triple science. The local college that takes from different schools has lower requirements - a B in double science. It would be a terrible shame if your DD inadvertently shut a door at this stage.

Core science just isn't enough for a bright child and it will look odd in her GCSE results.

Webwiz, this is my thinking entirely. Yes, triple science is an option too but don't think she'd go for that.
Mummytime, they do 9 1/2 - core are English (2) maths, core science, RE, PE 1/2 and IT 1/2. They do a short course in PRE too. They then choose 3 options.

She is really only doing core science?

Most schools do Core and Additional for all pupils but the very bottom sets. Then brighter pupils raise this to triple science (GCSES in all three sciences).

Psychology is fun but not really worth anything at GCSE, if she wanted to do it at Uni she would need Science A'levels (probably not Psychology).

how many GCSEs do they do? My DS is doing 2 English, Maths, a MFL equivalanet, 1/2 RE, 1/2 ICT, 3 Sciences, then his 3 options.

summer111 she MUST take additional science or she will be seriously stuffed at A level choice time. There is no way that a child who is good at science should only do the Core science, Psychology at GCSE would probably be fun but not at the expense of the extra science. Has she not been offered triple science?

This is my first time going through GCSE options and need some opinions please. DD is very bright but as yet, doesn't know what she might like to do in the future. She loves her music, is very literate (English level 8 at xmas exams) and does well in Maths and Science. Amongst her compulsary subjects is Core Science and of her 3 options, she wants to take French, Music and Psychology.
However I'm concerned that if she doesn't take Additional Science, she will then not be able to take a science subject (ie Biology, Physics or Chemistyr)for A levels. DH doesn't seem to think this is an issue and I don't want to push her into taking additional science thus dropping either music or psychology, which she may enjoy more and thus get better results in them.

Any thoughts?

verybored the history is medicine through time and germany which I think DS will enjoy. DD2 who's in year 13 did History GCSE and AS and I don't think its changed much from then.

We had parents evening last night - DS told me off for sighing too loudly in the huge slow moving queue for the Science teacher. We are none the wiser as to what he should choose for his last choice but next week is the actual options evening when you can see whats involved in each subject.

He's very into science and wants to do history and geography. They only offer one language, French. Yesterday he wasn't going to do it, today he is. I think we will have to wait to see what his teacher says at parents evening.

Webwiz, have you looked at the syllabus for History & Geography? Ds's looks very intersesting and I think if he was only going to do one, History would have won hands down!

Does he has any idea what direction your DS might want to go in verybored? DS is making choices a bit difficult as he doesn't seem bothered about any subjects really. He doesn't know whether to take French or German - he likes both equally, is equally good at them and no he doesn't want to take both. The same for History or Geography grrr. We have parents evening tonight so that may be helpful.