Year 9 options - drama or second language?

I would let her choose, if she's already going to do one MFL. I'd personally choose languages over drama any day but it's not going to hamper her future chances, really, and they can always learn another language later - I did two MFL at school and a third in my 20s, lots of people learn more languages as adults.

My yr9 dd is torn between triple science and double sci + Resistant Materials. She's very academic and obviously RM (basically metalwork) is not required entry for competitive university courses. But she loves it, and is good at it, and it is a creative outlet for her. Initially I was saying "obviously you should do triple sci" but now I'm just letting her decide.

Actually that's the question isn't it. 'Does it matter?' That's how we approached options with ds2.

Ds3 has very different plans than ds2 (archaeologist at the moment - that might change but he's a history obsessive & into academics so could see him doing something of that ilk) and needs to keep different options/doors open. My advice to him will be VERY different to ds2.

Start with where she wants to end up (whether you know the subject or the 'type' of institution - eg Oxbridge/RG university/any old university/apprenticeship/whatever - then work out whether it matters & advise accordingly.

It's a difficult decision. With French, Music and Geog then she has all her bases covered and has the EBacc so the last choice doesn't really matter much.

She already has one expressive art, so does she need another?
There again, it's all about self-promotion and branding these days so learning some drama skills may be a good thing (that's my issue: I have to do a presentation next week and I am dreading it, wish I had done more of this sort of thing at school.)
What other A Levels does she want to do?
It needn't be 'shutting the door'. You can do some languages ab initio eg friend's DC is doing joint degree in French and Russian.
Just as someone has said that she can do drama out of school, she could equally do another language out of school seeing who her mum is!

I think my answer is: don't know, does it matter.
Not very helpful, really. Sorry.

Or actually a 9/8 in RS versus a ?? nagged 5 (???) in Latin. Blimey I'll need to work out what the new grades mean! Anyway I felt he'd do better with his choices than mine - if that makes sense. And he is aware how his different choices are seen & which doors they shut (or at least make harder).

What does she want to do afterwards & what are her compulsory subjects?

If she has 'enough' academic subjects it won't make much difference at GCSE - although might affect A level choices (if there's any chance she'll want to do two languages at A level).

Is she not that bothered/really keen for drama/anti languages. Ds2 is choosing options at the moment & I haven't dictated anything. I told him the different pros & cons of different choices & we looked at entry requirements for potential future universities & schools & he's made a very sensible selection I think.

Fwiw he is doing drama (he wants to go to drama school) and is a little worried about it being full of muppets looking for an easy option & is a bit worried about the group work in case it's with people who aren't interested (although he's year 8 so will be taking the new course do some of that might change I guess) But he's weighed it all up. He has plenty of academic subjects as well. If he wanted to go and become a doctor or afterwards or aim
for Oxford or Cambridge I might have given him a different set of pros & cons - but he knows what he wants to do & his fallback options (drama teacher!) & so it's fine.

All depends on the child & what they want to do. Unless she might want to do several languages at A level, and presuming she has a good set of academic subjects as well I'd let her choose - even if you try & gently steer her towards the language (fwiw I tried to steer ds2 towards Latin for his 3rd option but he was having none of it and has gone for RS - which will probably suit him tbh - and I felt he would do better sat in a room he wanted to be in - and an interested A*/A in RS would be better than a nagged B in Latin - if that makes sense.)

Second language.

She can do an out of school drama course if she wants to.

It wouldn't be negotiable in your DD 's situation.