GCSE Choices 2013 (exams 2015) support thread

DS1 is thinking of doing Art. I am not keen. No aptitude for music fortunately.

Ds is YR8 and having to choose GSCEs now before moving into college in September for YR9. First time the college and school has done this so we have had lots and lots of information starting with a meeting on the first day back after christmas holidays.

Ds won't have to make final choice until March but has already made most of his decisions. Recently been advised that Ds will be on accelerated route - meaning he'll be able to do ScX3 if he wishes.

He is choosing -

MathsX2
EnglishX2
ScienceX3
ICT
History
Geography
French
Music or German

Music has current upper hand as it would be his creative / lighter option. Although he loves German and has been told he has a talent for it he has only started it last September (6 months) in comparison to French which is nearly 4 years.

As to what he wants to do when leaving school? Your guess is as good as mine but I think he has left his options fairly open with the options he has chosen.

I do feel strangely detached. He has been there since last June and we haven't had a parents evening yet. Thanks Dizzy.

I am so glad of this thread. DS1 goes to school 12 miles away by coach so I never see another parent.

At ds's school pe is a core subject, one they do not do an exam in. Unless sporty bods choose to do PE GCSE.

But they still have to do PE, a set number of hours a week (cannot remember how many off the top of my head)

Dizzy yes I'm a social science admissions tutor :)

At our school, PE is a compulsory exam subject. Top sets do GCSE, lower sets do BTEC Sport.

IMO there are no absolute subjects to be avoided. Providing you have a good range of options, and the essentials (Eng, Maths and at least double science) then the only issue is the interests, strengths and weaknesses of the child in question. You do need to think about what they might want to do at A level, but that is also linked to the individual child.

At most unis, the only things we care about subject wise for GCSE is that they have English and Maths.

My son is doing English, maths, history and geography.

He is in top set for maths and science but had been advised that triple science is only really necessary if he wants to be a doctor or vet so he will probably just do double science. It's a shame thought because he can only do statistics if he does triple science.

He wants to do business studies and then either French or more likely citizenship.

Two things concern me and I wonder if anyone can help me. Is citizenship a bit of a cop out? Does it seem a bit like a non subject? And if he foes not do triple science will colleges and universities think that he was not capable of doing it as opposed to not wanting to do it!

And some opinions of subjects that should be avoided would be good if anyone can. There seem to be some I have not heard of before.

I still can't get used to RS being RE. RS was 'Rural Science' at my school.

Oh right. But not actually take a GCSE in it?

Where does PE fit into all this?

At our school they ask the DC what they think they might want to do and draw up the option blocks from that, so they change every year. You then get to choose one subject from each block. Even if schools don't make the blocks (columns) explicit, they will be there as it is the only way to timetable .

Popular/important subjects will appear in two or three blocks, and less popular ones only in one or two.

Our option evening is not till March, but if it is the same as the previous DC they will have 4 choices. Core were Eng, maths, double science, PE & ICT . You also have to take one of Geog, Hist or RE but these also appear in the option blocks so you can choose more than one of these. If you want to do triple science, this would be one of your options.

DS is thinking about triple science, astronomy, French & photography, but until we see the forms will not know this is possible.

I didn't notice Dizzy.

DS1 is in top sets so we will see how it goes.

I do think we are lucky-the kids choose freely and someone (with a huge bottle if paracetamol for the headache it must cause) then sorts the classes to give everyone their choices!

No blocks of subjects, no if you do x you can't do y . I still resent subject blocks from my own O level choices-hated German. Still had to do it.

Very interesting to see how other schools do things.

We are pretty relaxed as this us our 3 Rd dc through the system so we know that what eve she chooses will be fine. All the choices are academically rigerous and Russell group compliant (selective school so much easier for them offering choices I think).

It is quite hard to completely close of career paths at this stage -ok if you don't do French gcse it'll be tricky to do at uni , but apart from that, even a set of choices that looks"science based" if it included English x2 and a humanity could became an arts profile at A level.

Dd2 has few options-looks like they will be Spanish, geography, history and music.

Interestingly the schools reaction to the terminal exams is to teach a lot if core subjects (they all do triple science for instance) over 3 years.so by the end of year 9 they will be half way through gcse curriculum, finished in year 10 and year 11 is spent polishing/extending.

Don't worry about ebacc-it's a measure for the school not the child.

My biggest tip is make sure your child knows about the courses, if need be find out the board and look in their website. Then choose what the love and are passionate about. As ever don't choose for teachers that you like our what your mates are doing.

Dizzy That is really helpful. I will have a chat with DS1 over half term and try and get some decisions made prior to the meeting in March.

It seems complicated but I guess once you get into it and it's all done it will be fine. I can't even remember choosing mine.