Small disaster with GCSE options for next year

As I said earlier Faz: my local grammar schools don’t offer it. It’s a subject that compliments History but doesn’t replace it. It’s a bit like comparing Economics and Business Studies. DD did BS but could not have done Economics. Her maths was not good enough. It’s also why Law A level isn’t good for a Law degree but History is.

Do let us know what the school says OP.

Well, obviously it is if you are more interested in it. But all three are perfeclty fine GCSES (although I've never been involved with a school who did Sociology GCSE so not sure how respected it is). RE and PE A levels are decent also.

ahem.

Sociology is not way better than RE or PE.

I had this decades ago and did sociology as my last choice GCSE. It was better than feared and we did some survey work that was fun. My parents were really annoyed I had to do it. I thought who cares, it is not going to be on my A level choices and it’s way better than RE or PE. By the way, is triple science a way out?

True Bubbles I just got the impression that OPs DD wouldn’t be overly inclined to do the A Level.

At my school you could do History a level without the GCSE (this would have been 3 years ago) but only if you had good GCSE grades.

It does matter if DD wants History A level and the school want candidates to have dime the GCSE - as most schools do!

History and sociology are definitely not in the same category at a level but at GCSE it REALLY doesn’t matter.
I loved History GCSE though so I’d say drop geography

I think it’s bad of the school to have presented options without making it clear. I’ve never heard of having to have backup options. With mine, the options were in blocks from the outset and there were no changes. You could pick what you wanted from each block. I’d go for sociology. Geography and history and sociology are very top heavy on the humanities front. She doesn’t need three of them. Any of them should be good enough to pick any of the others at A level with a good result at gcse. One of mine chose photography and sociology as some of her subjects at A level and hadn’t done either at gcse. Hadn’t even done art At gcse. Geography and re were good enough to get on sociology A level. Now at a top university, so it really doesn’t matter what is picked at gcse.

It can make a huge difference if the school will not allow her to do History A level without the GCSE!

People who rate Sociology as identical to History are just wrong. Especially at A level. Definitely at degree level. These degrees are not about using what you learn, they are about using the way you think and your research ability. Plus History degrees usually require better A levels to access them. History degree holders from top universities have a wide choice of careers and do not expect to use what they learn in their jobs.

Sociology A level is useful for Sociology. History A level is favoured by top universities for many courses and there is a reason for this. (Point this out to the school!)

As DD will have Geography it is not a total disaster but it is for someone who wants to study History and the school has been poor in the way your DD was approached regarding changing subjects. It’s saying the right things in terms of making choices but not carrying them out because they have not timetabled for the choices offered.

Sorry op if you thought my comment was negative. It was not meant to be. I guess I was responding to the initial post saying its a 'disaster', 'deeply disappointed' etc. Try and look at the big picture, doing sociology rather than history will have zero impact on your DD prospects / life chances long term.

She is not having to give up art. And even if she didn't do a GCSE in art she would still not have to give up art. But as I said, like other posters, sociology is a perfectly good GCSE and if she does well she can still go to a great university and live the life she chooses.

Oh and just to add, I dropped History at A Level (only got the AS) because I could only do two subjects and so I picked Sociology over History. Bloody love history but I've never needed to use my knowledge of the Russian Revolution in day-to-day life. Sociology is extremely interesting and very relevant. She should be allowed to study whatever she wants but IMO it's a win win either way

Just to make it clear: my DD went to the LCF with Art and Photography A levels. So yes, they were what she needed and she’s creative.

No academic school would assume a DC couldn’t do these three subjects. Around me, Sociology isn’t available at the grammar schools. Just saying: Faz!

Sociology might be fascinating but it isn’t held in the same regard as History.

Another vote for Sociology. I think op is catastrophizing, its a great subject and it is not the end of the world to study it. The school is not letting you down, its just not physically able to magic up the combo of subjects you want. Its not just a matter of rejigging the timetables, it might mean hiring new staff or creating a new classroom. Sometimes its just impossible to be all things to all people.

Personally I would tell my DC to drop Art and take Photography. Art is such a time eater and that is something you really need at GCSEs. You can still do Art at A-level and definitely something that can be pursued easily extra-curricular.

The equivalent here would be a scientist insisting that Art is more important to them than chemistry, and then feeling hard done by because they can't also do chemistry
Secondhand that is nonsensical. These are GCSE students who should be able to keep up a creative subject as well as doing their main academic subjects.

But she can do History
Yes but if she chooses two core subjects, geography and history, she is no longer able to choose her creative subject and therefore is being penalised.
Nothing wrong with Btecs if they don’t restrict other core choices. Art, geography and history are core subjects IMO and loads of DCs would like to keep their options open by doing all three (or instead of art, continuing with music or drama or sports / PE).

I did both History and Sociology at A Level with no GCSE as my school had a similar issue, I had to take Religious Studies which was rubbish. I also wanted to do both GCSE Art and Textiles which wasn't possible so I did textiles in art class. In your meeting I would insist that the school accommodates, after all they're the ones putting so much pressure on the students to pick the right subjects. Learning outside of school is too stressful. It's up to them to resolve it. Good luck

Neither History nor Geography A levels require you to have done the GCSE at the 6th form colleges my y11 dd has applied to. I would ask your dd's school to put it in writing that she can choose either without the GCSE if she wants, might make you all feel better about keeping her options open

I was gong to make the same point. (I did RE A level without doing GCSE).

No scientist is ever told not to take the Chemistry component at GCSE

The equivalent here would be a scientist insisting that Art is more important to them than chemistry, and then feeling hard done by because they can't also do chemistry.

If she likes history she will like sociology, it's a great subject & really does change the way you think & it's full of history 😀

Dd had similar. No blocks when it came to choosing but after been told she couldn't do what she wanted suddenly a block list appeared!

Dd ended up doing art, photography and product design and actually started art only in the Easter of Year 10. She was made to do German and after two terms had a meltdown and refused to go to any German lessons and I backed her and got her into art. Which they'd been adamant clashed with photography but then we found someone else who did both so we knew they were wrong.

Dd got an A in product design and a B in art and also photography. So it's certainly possible to do 2x heavy coursework subjects if she wants to.

I meant Photography a level and dunce was a horrible word so I apologise. Its definitely the non academic option at dds school t a level however unless you are heading to art school. I was surprised to hear a PP being so scathing about sociology but in the same breath praise photography