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Original poster

Options - DD has to choose between Art and History - WWYD?

62 replies

SugarSkyHigh · 09/02/2011 20:21

My yr 9 DD is just choosing her options - at her school, technology, RS and one MFL are compulsory (aswell as maths, science, english of course). This means that the only actual "options" she has been able to take are another MFL and Art. She would also like to do history but that would mean not doing either one MFL or Art. I sort of wish she would drop the art and do history instead but it has to be her decision I think.

Plus, she could still do history at A'level later on presumably, without having done the GCSE?

Or would you tell her to do history GCSE????

OP posts:
pointylug · 11/02/2011 20:10

At our school, the pupils have one RE lesson a week if they don't choose it as an exam.

No need to do an exam in it at all.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 11/02/2011 19:58

Thing is Grimma there is a statutory obligation to teach RE until the end of KS4 (for all schools not just faith schools)so most schools figure that pupils might as well do the exam since they are doing the work anyway.

GrimmaTheNome · 11/02/2011 19:36

I'd point out to the school they're buggering their EBac stats by enforcing RS instead of History or Geography. (But then my DD wouldn't be at a faith school in the first place so ignore meGrin)

eatyourveg · 11/02/2011 19:29

History for the EBac by the time she gets to uni it may be a pre-requisite

BelligerentGhoul · 11/02/2011 16:50

Personally I'd get her to drop the Italian and do both Art and History plus her other MFLs. That way she has a Humanities subject (needed for the Bac) and the art to show her creativity (much better and more highly respected than Graphics ime though I see she has to do the Graphics). 3 languages seems OTT to me.

bambiandthumper · 11/02/2011 16:42

History

TBH they cary the same amount of work, if not more so for art, but it carries none of the academic waiting that history does.

thekidsmom · 11/02/2011 09:26

Definitely agree with EduStudent - of all the GCSEs my children have done, Art is by far the most demanding and time consuming - more so than textiles, music or any 'academic' subject....

The only way to get a good grade is if you really love if and see it as enjoyment - but I reckon my DD did on average as much Art each week as all her other subjects put together.... (and got the same grade in all of them, just saying so you can make a comparison...)

EduStudent · 11/02/2011 00:39

Art is bloody hard as a GCSE, the sheer amount of work that needs to be put in. Unless she is absolutely set on art, I would encourage her to do History. I did both, Art was by far the most demanding of all my GCSEs.

grovemum · 10/02/2011 17:12

Daughter is currently in year 10 doing Art and it is definitely the heaviest of all her GCSE subjects - a lot of work needs to be done outside of class and you need a real commitment. She also does History and really enjoys it - it seems to taught in a very imaginative way nowadays. For example much more emphasis on contemporary documents etc. In her school they will only let you do History A' level if you have A/A* at GCSE.

crystalglasses · 10/02/2011 11:25

She should choose the subject she really wants to do.

runaroundstartsnow · 10/02/2011 11:19

Choose what she enjoys, but if it comes to A'level its very difficult to get on Art A'level without the GCSE but easy to do History without the GCSE.
DD is currently choosing A'levels and all the colleges have agreed she can do History even though she has not done it previously, but she has had to do a huge amount of outside work to build up a portfolio for Art interviews as she did not do a GCSE in this either.
Plus 1 college still will not give her a place on Art A'level even though she has a great portfolio and attends Art classes out of school and has done for years as they do not think she will cope with the coursework Hmm

pinkbraces · 10/02/2011 10:37

My DD is in her first year of A levels and one of her subjects is art. It is definitely not easy, there is lots of work and at times can be all consuming. Its expensive, and can totally take over, sometimes at the detriment to her other three academic subjects. We were in a field at midnight last week with torches, burning wood and other strange items,in order for her to get the right shot for her first final piece :)
However, she absolutely loves it, would like to get into St Martins for a foundation and degree course.

She is also predicted good grades in her other subjects.
In my opinion there is so much work involved in both GCSE and A level art your DD really needs to love the subject.

claricebeansmum · 10/02/2011 10:34

Google Russell Group and read their guidance for post 16 education which they launched today. Your DD needs to think about what she might like to do - her choices for GCSE will determine her future and she needs to choose well.

Unless she is set on career on art & design, architecture etc then IMO it would have to be History.

bobs · 10/02/2011 10:30

We have been given a brochure of all the subjecta, which boards and what requirements re coursework, exams etc. EG for History it is the OCR board, doing the Modern World.
Paper 1: Russia 1905-1941, International Relations 1945-90.
Paper 2: Britain 1890-1918
Assessment (ie coursework): Apartheid in S Africa
Exam on Paper 1 - 45%
Exam on Paper 2 - 30%
Assessment - 25%

I can all be a bit confusing - esp with the sciences, as the GCSE concentrates more on tests as you go along and the IGSCE on end exams Confused

Original poster
SugarSkyHigh · 10/02/2011 10:26

elsie - i agree. She should do what she enjoys most. She enjoys art, but obviously is not aware yet of all the course work - bobs has been very enlightening and well done to her DD!

She has also said she enjoys history - it's not like she can't stand the thought of it and it's a case of me forcing her to do something that's going completely against the grain - nothing like that. She is interested in history.

I feel a call to the Head of Year coming on...

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Bramshott · 10/02/2011 10:23

If she is already doing Graphics, I'd opt for History.

QuickLookBusy · 10/02/2011 10:23

If she wants to do A level History, she must be really interested in it? Having had 2 DDs go through GCSEs I would say choose subjects you are passionate about.

Original poster
SugarSkyHigh · 10/02/2011 10:22

so history is mainly an end of syllabus exam then, as in when I used to be at school? If so, that might suit my daughter who is not a stereotypical "girl" style student and is much better at the last minute and under pressure.

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ElsieR · 10/02/2011 10:21

Art is not THAT easy at GCSE, it's actually quite hard to get a top grade.
I don't think it is sensible to consider doing A level history without the GCSE. Moreover, if she changes school in 6th form, it could be that she won't be allowed to do A level history without the GCSE.
She should do what she enjoys most.

bobs · 10/02/2011 10:21

DD1 took Art and is now studying it for A Level. There is a LOT of coursework (we ended up with a corner of our garage painted black with wedding dress, top hat etc hanging from the ceiling at one point). It was also really expensive - loads of computer print-outs (new printer, x6 ink sets bought at a time). However, once the work was all handed in she could concentrate on her other subjects (she got A* btw Grin)
She will hopefully do something with Art in the future
DD2 is now choosing her options and is much more academically minded. However she has been told she is really good at Art Confused. She doesn't have to do Tech or RS and I think will do History , Geography and 2 MFLs, all of which require end exams

webwiz · 10/02/2011 10:10

History will have a tiny bit of coursework compared to art. Graphics and Art are practically all coursework and it would be considered quite unusual to take them together at my DCs school for that particular reason.

Original poster
SugarSkyHigh · 10/02/2011 09:32

Hmmm so if I put it to her that history won't have much more coursework than Art, perhaps that will help persuade her. I didn't realise that. Regardless of amounts of coursework however, I have reservations about Art being dropped. My mother has never forgiven herself for making me take geography o'level instead of Art.She thought it was the best decision at the time. I am afraid of history rrepeating itself!

AtyourCervix - yes my DD says she has been told she would still be able to do History at A'level, without the GCSE. In practice I'm not so sure though - especially as she's not taking geography at GCSE, so no 'humanities.' Now I'm worrying about the English Bacc thingy!!!! Confused

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Decorhate · 10/02/2011 07:29

I have also heard about the coursework for Art being quite heavy. And don't forget she will need History to get the English Bacc....

pointylug · 09/02/2011 22:14

If she wants to go to a good uni, choose history rather than art, especially if technology means graphic design.

Original poster
SugarSkyHigh · 09/02/2011 21:54

Yes it's a technology specialist status school you are quite right raven! And the technology subject she is doing is Graphics. Which begs the question - if she is doing Graphics, does she need to do Art anyway? OR, will the Art option have more punch if she also has graphics??

Yes, MaureenMLove,I I thought that because most of her options are quite academic (and she is also doing Italian, so in total THREE foreign languages) that perhaps art would be a good idea (without wanting to do art down at all. I am from a family of artists). but most of you are saying History is the better choice.... and in this climate.....

No she doesnt really know what she wants to do but she knows she wants to go to a good Uni and chances are she will do something with languages.

Oh, and RS is compulsory because it's a faith school.

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