Should she drop French GCSE?

Is this coming from you, fearing she will be miserable or not get as high a mark in French as other subjects (that's not a bad thing - a five is respectable), or is she asking to drop it? Some one who is a high achiever generally is because they work very hard, not that things come easily. However I agree that people do have a natural inclination to be better at some subjects than others (math and languages in particular seem to be subjects that some people do just seem to 'get' or not). I'd keep her at it for now - she may not achieve as well as in other subjects, and only you know if that will really disappoint her or that she'd and be proud she stuck at a subject she found particularly challenging.
But if she truly dreads her French classes and is enthusiastic about another subject instead then change.

OP do you have Netflix?

Your daughter will be able to watch a variety of programmes in French, with subtitles in English or in French as she prefers. Sometimes watching a programme or film that she has already seen before/ is familiar with can be a great help. Maybe Friends?

I also want to point out that the French version of Our Planet (the Attenborough) is excellent, and the narration is very slow. There is lots of opportunity to think while she listens, and as the narration often describes what you're watching, it can really put the language into context.

I agree with the previous poster who said give the support now so that she doesn't feel like she is slipping behind. But.... do find out how the rest of the class is doing? If they are all just learning the basics of conjugation and being tested again and again until they have a firm grasp before moving on, then this might be a hurdle she and the rest of the class just need to knuckle down and get on with. How is she performing compared to the rest of the class? In languages, the marking can be tough, one lost mark for every mistake, no room for ambiguity. Maybe she just needs to learn how to learn for these tests.

My son has diminished hearing and I think it does impact his ability to learn French but he is a bright child and capable of learning so he has persisted despite a lack of encouragement from his teachers and he is doing pretty well. He does struggle with accuracy of spelling and conjugation but that is not a hearing issue!!

Memrise is good too, but paid for. Has more "native" speakers to listen to. And a different pattern of exercises/mix of grammar.

Once past the absolute basics on Duolinguo there are little listening exercises in the stories tab. Starts with lots of multiple choice to build confidence moving on to speaking and typing independently

MFL teacher here. I think it would be a great shame for her to drop! Learning a new language is hard and to be honest I find the curricula quite repetitive and badly designed, but it's a great skill and it will help her learn other languages in the future. In most European countries it is mandatory to learn one or two languages, even in scientific sections. I also recommend duolingo for the basics, and maybe watch French films and series with subtitles to help with Listening? French is not the easiest of languages but it does get easier, and she will find it very satisfying to be able to chat with locals if she goes to a Francophone country.

The hearing does put a slightly different slant on it.
How is the subject being taught - is it purely in French or English instructions & explanations?

I would expect a child to find the step up from KS3 to GCSE difficult, especially when you consider that your DD is starting GCSE concepts in year 9 rather than the traditional year 10.

I also doubt you would be asking whether she should drop Geography just because she found it difficult. There is this weird thought process in UK schooling that it's OK to just give up on languages the moment they start to challenge you.

My answer is no - you shouldn't encourage your daughter to drop French just because there is a steep learning curve. Mastering the basics of grammar makes learning the more complex topics much easier.
Additionally, GCSE language exams are quite easy to 'game' (at least the written parts). If your daughter puts the work in now and is able to use three tenses and a singular conditional she will likely do reasonably well. Those things can be practiced so sufficiently that they come naturally in her work.

Get her to do beginners duolingo via the app. It’s free & build
Ds up knowledge & learning easily on a few mins a day.

Also, has she had her hearing checked recently?

Has she tried an app like Duolingo to help her learning?

Taking this step by step.

• She wanted a language to get her IB so that all university channels are open to her presumably you mean Ebac? That is a concept not a qualification, and no universities require an MFL GCSE (there is one whose name escapes me that make you do a language in y1 if you don't have a GCSE, but it doesn't prevent entry)
• She's only just started, but she is struggling. School discourage dropping subjects after the first term. She is a generally high achiever and would hope for at least 7/8s across all subjects with a smattering of 9s if things go well. So she has just started and is finding it hard. She is otherwise a high achiever. Perhaps it would be beneficial for her to have to work hard at a subject for a change. If she is bright without anything like dyslexia, there is no reason why with a bit of effort she shouldn't succeed.
• I can get her a tutor nearer the time but don't really want to commit now to 3 years of a tutor. You could get a tutor to get her over the initial hump until she clicks. Just because you get one now doesn't mean you're committed until GCSEs.

In summary. In her case I think she should stick with it, be encouraged to work hard. Realise that everything doesn't always come easy.