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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?

OP posts:
Lisamuller · 06/05/2015 07:14

It is? * ict is not a bad option. Sorry for typos, too early"

Lisamuller · 06/05/2015 07:13

It is not a bad option. Do they reach programming as well in it? All design now is either all done or final outputs are done on computers. If she wants to be a gd, she. Might also need or want to do some animation or we design which require good computing skills. Alternatively, if she really hates the thought if it, designers (I am one) are required to think very very broadly, have excellent knowledge if and interest in the wider world, including science (biology?), languages and social science / philosophy type of things. She can use some of the programmes for gd maybe for her arts stream for presentations etc. so she can teach herself. In design, it's the creative process which is massively important, not it skills per se, though they can't hurt. So I would def. choose art as this will give a great foundation and then maybe do geography as you said or a language / biology. I say biology because as a designer I find the field hugely inspirational and interesting because you work with living systems, design is also about systems (the composition the gallery the magazine, the computer programme) iyswim.

LimeFizz · 06/05/2015 06:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

howabout · 05/05/2015 22:26

In that case I think you are doing it right and I am sure georgethesecond is right about her calming. Sometimes mine just have to rage against the machine at the unfairness of the World for a while and once they calm down they miraculously have it all sorted and can't see what I was so worked up about! TEENAGERS grrrrr

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 22:03

Yes, I got her some Uni prospectuses to look through a few months ago.

OP posts:
howabout · 05/05/2015 21:39

Have you tried getting her to google some Uni courses in Art and design to guide her perspective. I have done this with DD (aged 14) and DD (aged almost 13) and it did inform their thinking without them feeling like I was directing them.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 21:30

She currently reckons she wants to do art, photography and graphics at a level. Or possibly physics instead of photography. She's good at physics and enjoys it but I'm not sure she'll enjoy it enough to want to do a-level.

OP posts:
Georgethesecond · 05/05/2015 21:29

I'd be surprised if any school would allow art, photography and graphic design, that skews her timetable much too much and doesn't allow for any real breadth of education. I understand what you say about her strengths, but I still think she needs more balance at GCSE.

She'll calm down in a few days. Also, I expect it probably was explained in school about limitations and option blocks, she just heard what she wanted to hear and tuned out the rest.

howabout · 05/05/2015 21:21

Has she thought about how her choices now translate to A levels. If you are concerned about keeping breadth, she doesn't have an interest in maths / science and you are concerned about overall academic course load then I am struggling to see why triple science would be a good option.
Even at this stage my 2 dd have already decided they are maths / science "types" despite being good at everything. I don't expect this to change and if they were not of that mind set I would also not expect that to change.
Caveat all this with the fact that mine are in Scotland and I find the English set up baffling and overly biased towards science at GCSE and I say that as someone who did 3 science highers very successfully.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 21:07

She hates chemistry but is very good at physics and biology. So it was a toss up between double science and not having to do as much chemistry but risking her averaged grade been dragged down. Or doing triple and having to do more chemistry and scraping a pass but then having higher grades for physics and biology.

OP posts:
TeenAndTween · 05/05/2015 20:47

I wouldn't not do triple science - combined sciences aren't as good

Double science is just like triple science - except it only covers 2/3 of the content for each subject. So it is only not as good in as much as you don't learn so much science. My DD is y11. imo There is still a substantial science content in double, perfectly sufficient for any non scientist, and for everyday life.

Duckdeamon · 05/05/2015 20:41

She really should consider computer science if she may want a career in graphic design: digital skills are going to become even more important.

There might be other options in creative industries, eg visual effects industry want computer science, art and physics/maths.

I wouldn't not do triple science - combined sciences aren't as good.

ragged · 05/05/2015 20:36

DS is doing computing & BTEC iMedia (I guess iMedia and DT graphics not possible for OP's DD?).

Geography can involve a lot of DT & graphic design, from what I see in DD's project work. Computing will always be helpful for graphics though, I'd be trying to sell that aspect to her.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 18:42

Thanks for all the advice.

OP posts:
PiratePanda · 05/05/2015 18:33

technical point of view not a design point of view

Thank you, that was precisely my point (though clearly not expressed very well!)

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 18:33

Looking at those course contents I think dd would hate the computing. I guess if she goes on to do a degree in graphic design then they will teach her enough computing for what she needs in the degree. And I'm guessing in the degree it will have a graphics slant to it which she would be fine with.

OP posts:
CultureSucksDownWords · 05/05/2015 18:29

Depending on the exam board, only a very small part of Computer Science would be about web technologies, and it would be from a technical point of view not a design point of view. Which is of course fine, if that's what your DD is ok with!

AQA subject content

OCR specification

qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Computer Science/2013/Specification and sample assessments/9781446914229GCSELinCompScieIssue2.pdf
Edexcel spec (link fail...)

In each of these, the web stuff is all about the technology, not about design. I'm a programmer, and work in web technologies but I'm not in any way capable of designing the artwork, graphics, layout etc.

PiratePanda · 05/05/2015 18:13

(ugh - I meant computer science, not ICT.)

PiratePanda · 05/05/2015 18:10

My brother and his wife are both graphic designers, and my brother is now a design director with a major London graphic design company and my sister-in-law a very in-demand freelancer. Neither of them did graphic design at school. They did art alongside academic subjects (biology, english, maths, IT).

Your DD is FAR better off doing art and ICT; a lot of graphic design work involves web design these days, and combining art with ICT will give her FAR better background transferrable skills than graphic design. Really, Graphic design at GCSE is, frankly, one of those mickey mouse subjects that shouldn't exist - no matter how good she is at it.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 18:05

I'm going to get hold of the HOY and tell them to put her down for either triple science or geography. Tell dd it was impossible to get her onto graphics.

If she still wants to do it a level she can.

OP posts:
Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 05/05/2015 18:03

I've just asked her about triple science because have remembered that was her reserve option. She only selected double.

She says they've told her she can't do triple science either due to timetabling. Which can't be quite right as other people are doing triple science. So she must mean that it clashes with another option, ie: art, photography or german. I suspect art or photography.

OP posts:
titchy · 05/05/2015 18:02

Please DONT argue with the school - it absolutely is in her best interest not to have three portfolio heavy subjects. Most kids are overwhelmed with one.

titchy · 05/05/2015 18:01

Then all you need to is outwardly sympathise that it's not fair and inwardly breathe a sigh of relief as she won't be doing a quite so mad combination. Smile

mummytime · 05/05/2015 17:58

Art schools will look at Art and Graphic design as pretty equivalent subjects, you only need one of them to get to Art college - so she should just choose which one she likes most.

Art, Graphic Design and Photography are all massive course work subjects. Doing two is really going to be pushing it, three I would think is impossible.

Geography is approximately 50% Human and 50% Physical Geography - and is a much more highly thought of subject. It will leave far more doors open for her if she decides after 2 years of GCSE that she doesn't want to do Graphic Design anymore. My DD is just sitting her GCSEs and has totally changed her career ambitions. During these two years she has wanted to: run a stables (and study equine management), be a professional Photographer, work in humanitarian aid, join the RAF, and be a Psychologist - this is a pretty usual spread.

JellybeansInTheSky · 05/05/2015 17:41

Lots of design programs (things like grasshopper etc) now work on the basis of parameterized design. So effectively instead of drawing something you code the rules that describe it's shape making it easy to alter. DH works in this area and wishes he could code. A bit of basic programming knowledge will be an asset.

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