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Original poster

Dd in tears over gcse options.

138 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 15:40

Aggh.

She's been told she can't do art and graphic design as they're in the same option block. Which is a bit shit when you want to be a graphic designer for a career and have been told you're amazingly talented at both subjects.

She's got to pick an option from a different block, so drama, music, computer sciences, history or geography. None of which she wants to do.

When the bloody forms came out the subjects weren't in blocks. I can't understand why they don't do options forms with the subjects in blocks and tell the kids months ago they need to pick one from each block.

Dd asked if she could carry her second language on rather that do something from block D but was told that's not possible as all the languages are in one block as well. Which for a language specialist academy seems stupid. Surely they should put similar subject areas in different blocks?

Anyway, what do you think my chances of arguing it with the school are. Apparantly head of yr 10 told dd he'd try and sort something but he doubted he'd be able to do it. I want to tell the school that unless they're taught at the same time on the same day I want her to be able to do both. Is that unreasonable?

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howabout · 08/05/2015 09:44

Have you asked her why she would be prepared to drop art in favour of graphic design? Seems like an odd decision for someone who started off wanting to do art plus photography and graphic design as ancillary subjects. If this were the choice we were left with then I would be encouraging her to focus on the main goal which seems for her to be pursuing art? Very different from the case if she was just looking for a filler arts subject?

HmmAnOxfordComma · 08/05/2015 09:11

Good luck with coming to a decision on this, Viva. So much to feed into that decision.

If she does go with graphics and you want her to keep up some technical art skills, there is a monthly older kids' art group at the city art gallery / museum and also life drawing classes at the independent school (not sure on age limit if there is one).

LIZS · 08/05/2015 08:40

Bear in mind that a levels are about to be reformed and the situation may have change before she gets to 6th form. Also be wary of a teacher's over enthusiasm and insistence on a particular standard of work, perceptions could vary hugely. If art can encompass elements of photography and design that might be the best approach. Our local fe college did art classes for 14-16s at weekends.

Greenrememberedhills · 08/05/2015 08:38

Viva, graphic designers need extensive computer skills.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 08/05/2015 08:28

Yes, that's the danger that even if graphics is an a level option now it may not be in two years.

Will investigate local art classes.

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KittiesInsane · 08/05/2015 08:23

Get it confirmed in writing that they do offer graphics A-level, and that DD could do art without having the GCSE, before she decides on graphics. Otherwise she's really heading down a dead end.

Be warned that DS's school used to run 'graphic products' as an A-level but has dropped it as it wasn't popular enough, so her only option might still be art at A-level.

I would think she could submit both photographs and graphic design work as part of her portfolio. DS did. But if she does drop art, she needs to keep it up some drawing and painting in her own time (holiday course, local club?) so she has some techniques under her belt.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 22:36

Camel, yes she needs to give them an answer. But she needs time to consider it. And I also want to talk to HOY but they're not returning my calls!

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Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 22:35

Dd is adament they do graphic design a level at her school. Which rings a bell with me from a previous parents evening.

So I'm hoping their website is out of date, which doesn't suprise me. Letters home haven't been updated since 2012. Hmm

Dd spoke to head of DT and her graphics teacher today. They've said she can do art a level without art GCSE. As long as she can demonstrate a portfolio. The danger is she may not get as good an a level grade if she doesn't do it for two years at gcse.

Head of dt initially said she ought to do art as he's heard she's good at it. But then the graphics teacher piped up that the head of DT needs to see dds graphics work as its degree level work already.

So she's still none the wiser which to choose.

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ragged · 07/05/2015 22:02

So... if she does graphics, then she can't do art, and what's more, can't do Art A-level, which shuts down her options badly for 6th form? And if she does graphics and wants to continue graphics to A-level then there are only 2 x 6th forms both of which are inexpensive & inconvenient to OP?

I'd be pushing the Art Hard. Money might be promised.

CamelHump · 07/05/2015 21:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 17:31

She won't be doing computing.

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Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 17:30

School wanted an answer on Tuesday. Dd refused to give them one but reckons she was pencilled in for computing.

I've rung school twice today and had promises that people would ring back and nobody has.

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LIZS · 07/05/2015 16:08

Do you have a deadline to decide by? Tbh I think you need to make a decision Asap as the longer she has the more she will fluctuate and get worked up. Life is a compromise, she needs to keep her options as open as possible for now and put her energy into that. Does she have any exams coming up , could that focus her attention? I think the fact that so few schools offer design at a level should indicate that it is not a requirement for most HE art and design courses

howabout · 07/05/2015 16:00

This is why life is so much easier for me in Scotland. DD can do 5 "proper" highers in 5th year, a couple of 6th years studies and still have room for an Art higher. Not sure she will take it beyond GCSE equivalent level but very nice to have the option and to have some idea about the work involved and its relevance.

Millymollymama · 07/05/2015 15:45

I know Bath is one of the best architecture courses but it is a good idea to look at what the best students have to achieve and see if that is possible. Employability is an issue so lesser courses requiring UCAS points might not readily lead to employment. Graphic Design is far less academic, frankly, and is offered at lots of ex Polytechnics. A course at UAL only requires 160 UCAS points so much easier than architecture regarding academics.

Art A level is not so easy without the GCSE because you have not built up a portfolio of techniques. However with good teaching and talent Art is a great subject at A level and is fine for any arts based degree. Lots of schools do not offer graphic design A level but this does not stop students accessing the graphic design degree courses. However, I doubt if you would find a single engineering course that is keen on Art in their entry requirements. They want Maths and Physics A level and typically another science or maybe geography. Engineers don't actually draw much these days.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 12:30

It's product design (3d design), Aqa is exam board.

I've looked at the aqa info and the course seems to be a lot of learning about materials such as hardwoods, veneers, plastics, etc.

Doesn't seem very graphic design at all.

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KittiesInsane · 07/05/2015 12:18

Which product design A-level is it? They vary a lot.

HmmAnOxfordComma · 07/05/2015 11:56

It's just over £12k a year...

They can do art A level with either graphics or art at GCSE at ds's school. Or even with no GCSE providing they have a portfolio and lots of interest.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 11:47

So I think now my fear is if she does graphics instead of art she won't be able to do either art or graphics at a level. There aren't any graphics courses and sixth forms want an art gcse to get onto the a level.

So maybe she'll have to do art.

Or she does graphics now. Just does photography at a level along with some non art subjects and hope she can get onto a graphics degree that way. But Id have thought her portfolio wouldn't be good enough. And she might not even get onto an art foundation course without a gcse in art so wouldn't be able to bump her portfolio up.

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howabout · 07/05/2015 11:19

That is very interesting Hmmanoxfordcomma. One of the reasons my dad is doing "graph comm" is that she and the school sold it to me on the technical content. She is talking about maths teacher or accountant like her old DM but if she decides to do something useful like engineering instead then I thought graph comm and art would be very useful in developing design mindset. Easier decision in our case as the choice was business studies, ICT or graph comm!

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 11:15

Why can't she just be normal and like french and history? Grin

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Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 11:15

Right, there only appears to be two sixth forms which offer Graphics a level.

One is the private school, so looking at about 14k a year.

Other one is a village school 8 miles away which I won't be able to drive her to. So only option would be a daily taxi to a village about 3 miles away from where she can get a bus. Guess that might be cheaper than private school. But that school says she needs an art gcse to be able to do art a level. So she'd be able to do graphics and photography but not art.

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HmmAnOxfordComma · 07/05/2015 11:07

I know a lot of students who did product design A level at my last school, and it is very much a tech subject, not an art one. Very practical with actual products as an end result, working to a client brief.

Ds's school has an excellent offer for different art subjects at A level, and very good results (most students skip foundation courses and go straight to art school). It's not free, though!

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 10:52

Have just looked at the syllabus for product design and it doesn't look like it's much to do with graphic design at all. Doesn't look like any sixth forms in town do it.

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Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 07/05/2015 10:45

Her sixth form do product design at a level. But it says in the bumph for that that they can kind of focus on their area, so either resistant materials, electronics or graphic design. Does that sound right? She wouldn't want to do a course if she had to do loads of electronics.

The art a level at her school says they must have shown an aptitude for art at gcse. Not sure if photography and graphic design will count so I'm about to ring up and ask.

Local art college does a level art, but only an as level in graphic design. There is also an extended diploma in graphic design. Not heard of extended diplomas before and also it's on a campus in the next town so would be a major pita to get there.

Will have to investigate other sixth forms now.

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