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Original poster

GCSE Choices 2013 (exams 2015) support thread

206 replies

DizzyHoneyBee · 11/02/2013 15:27

Here we go....options choices this month, exams in summer 2015. We're choosing options at the moment but I've not come across a support thread.

Does your DC know what they want to do already or are they needing a lot of help deciding?
Where have you gone for information?

We get a booklet this week apparently and then have a meeting at school to discuss listen to a sales pitch by the teachers discuss the options that are best and then we have about 2 weeks to make a decision.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 01/03/2013 22:28

Are they supposed to know at 13 what they want to do for a career?

Horsemad · 01/03/2013 22:19

Mine says he wants to be a primary school teacher - or a footballer Grin

Sparklingbrook · 01/03/2013 20:35

Not a clue Horse. Grin

Tinks313 · 01/03/2013 20:16

Hi, I'm feeling a bit disappointed DS had his option meeting today at school and he is not able to take two humanities, not enough students at his school want to take two humanities, so he has had to drop one. He will now be doing:-
Triple science
Eng Lang & Lit
maths
Geography
Music
Law (GCSE), this is instead of History.

I guess he will also be doing the compulsory short RE/citizenship course.

I'm disappointed because this is a young lad (year 8) who has no idea what he wants to do in the future and I felt his option choices kept his options open with the two humanities. I'm not sure Law GCSE a good option, or what use it'll be. No real interest in Law. Says it was the best available option in the block.

Horsemad · 01/03/2013 18:27

Hi Sparkling - does he know what he wants to do when he leaves school?

Green have asked my DS1 and he's doing American West and also Surgery in addition to the ones I mentioned earlier. His board is Edexcel.

Sparklingbrook · 01/03/2013 17:00

Hi Horse. Smile We have Options evening on Monday. An hours talk followed by a meet the teacher thing.

GreenShadow · 01/03/2013 15:59

Thanks Horesmad.

There's so much history that is closer to home and of more relevence than 19th Century America, it just seems such an odd choice to me.

Horsemad · 01/03/2013 15:52

We've got Options evening next week. Can't believe I'm at this stage with my baby!!
Where has the time gone? Sad

Horsemad · 01/03/2013 15:50

Mine's doing Medicine, Vietnam War & not sure what else in History.

GreenShadow · 01/03/2013 13:03

Hello all.
New to this thread, so apologies if I am going over old ground.

We had DSs options evening last night and he has always loved and wanted to do history so we took a a look at the syllabus. It seems a little odd - they only study the American West 1840 - 95 and Medicine in history. It's the OCR board.

He's now uncertain as to whether he actually wants to take History. Is this a very wide spread syllabus? What areas do your DC study?

Original poster
DizzyHoneyBee · 24/02/2013 20:25

Thanks 5madthings. With the other subjects that DD has picked then I think they will have to take centre stage anyway so I will leave it with her doing it and be prepared to advise dropping it if need be. I think DD is expecting to be doing something like philosophy though it looks different from the example paper I saw online!
It's worth knowing, thank you.

OP posts:
5madthings · 24/02/2013 20:19

They didnt seem to think it worthwhile tbh. Said its very boring and can easily be done at a later date if a student wants/needs it but not worth doing at gcse age as its better to focus on getting good gcse's. None if them.had anything positive to say about it! Sorry if thats not what you wsnted to hear!

Original poster
DizzyHoneyBee · 24/02/2013 20:15

5madthings, what did your friends say?
We've just filled in the form as she is taking it to school tomorrow so at the moment she's ticked the box for critical thinking but we can change it and keep the form until the 1st.

OP posts:
webwiz · 23/02/2013 17:18

Hope he enjoys the course Maddie and is a bit more reassured now.

maddiemostmerry · 23/02/2013 16:49

Webwiz, thanks very much for the info. We have looked on you tube and he feels he would be able to do those dances. Think he will start start ballet classes as well to help with posture and poise.

ThanksSmile

webwiz · 23/02/2013 12:51

Maddie for DD2's course they had to learn a set work and perform it as well as write their own choreography for a group dance. DD2 had years of experience doing ballet and scored very highly on the set work but the choreography turned into a bit of a nightmare! If you have a lot of dance experience then you have developed a good memory for dance movements but that doesn't mean you can't do well with enough practice. Because DD2's group were all such good dancers they ended up taking the GCSE in a year but normally they would spend a lot of the lesson time covering dance technique.

If you know what exam board your DS would be doing then you will be able to have a look at what set work they are using (they keep the same one for a few years) and there will usually be a million you tube videos of it that you can look at and judge the standard. If he's willing to give it a go then it sounds like he'll be fine.

maddiemostmerry · 23/02/2013 10:04

Hi webwiz, I guess just how high does the standard of dance need to be. Ds does musical theatre, but not ballet or formal dance lessons. He is considering them.

It's a boys school and dance is a new GCSE for them. He would be hoping to aim for a grade B. I think I'm feeling a bit nervous about it as it's not likely to be chosen by many boys.

Any advice would be welcome, thanks Smile

5madthings · 23/02/2013 09:52

dizzy ds1 was offered as level critical thinking but having spokem to friends who teach in high schools about it we opted against.

Original poster
DizzyHoneyBee · 23/02/2013 08:51

DD won't be doing a language either, it did concern me a bit at first but she wants to concentrate on science so I'm just living with it. She's doing applied engineering, triple science, geography, art and design and AS level critical thinking for her options and then English x 2, Maths, RE, PE and ICT.

The school do DofE for those who want it but she's doing it outside of school with a club she is a member of, we're just sorting out her voluntary work at the moment.
She could do an extra academic subject and do art and design after school but we've looked at the list of what is on offer instead of art during school hours there is nothing that makes it worthwhile doing a subject after school

OP posts:
webwiz · 22/02/2013 22:53

DD2 did dance GCSE - what do you want to know maddie?

maddiemostmerry · 22/02/2013 20:55

I'm amazed at how little choice some of your children have, seems like Gove is getting his way!

Does anyone have a ds doing dance gcse, or and older child that has done/is doing it?

Thanks

ByTheSea · 22/02/2013 20:50

Oh yeah, she has statistics too.

ByTheSea · 22/02/2013 20:49

DD1 has to take maths, english X 2, biology, chemistry, physics, religious studies, critical thinking, ICT (completing in Y9), history or geography, French or German, and 2 additional options (she needed to pick 3 just in case). She has chosen history and German and also Latin and psychology, with Spanish as a third voice is Latin or psych are not available. I think she'll be ok with this selection. She's an all rounder with particular strength in languages and humanities. It's very academic but it's what you'd expect of her super-selective grammar.

5madthings · 22/02/2013 20:35

lynette i am a bit concerned but he hates french. His french teacher sats he will easily get a b grade if not an a but ds1 hates it. So i think its bwtter he does subjects he enjoys.

I had forgotten to say statistics is an after school extra the maths teacher is running as an extra for ds1 and a few others. He said ds1 is the most able mathematician he has seen at his age Blush

Ds1 was also interested in media studies possibly but i worry its a 'soft' subject and he would have to drop history or geography to do it.

BrigitBigKnickers · 22/02/2013 20:34

My DD had very little choice-compulsory core, triple science, history or geography, Spanish or French, full course PE and RE.This left her with three free choices one of which had to be a DT subject... So she chose ICT, music and drama. Thankfully they do these 13 GCSEs over three years so not quite as pressurised as one might think. They also all do the duke of Edinburgh bronze as part of their PE in year 9 and

Having said that the huge number of compulsory subjects to enable the ebaac means that, unlike many of her friends at other schools, she was allowed to take both of her passions- music and drama.