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Original poster

GCSE choices (particularly MFL)

62 replies

OuiOuiMonAmi · 28/03/2021 19:45

DS will be doing the usual English/Maths/Science and has also chosen History and Music.

I'm unsure about the rest of his choices though. He hates French and teacher said that he'd probably be doing foundation tier if he picked it, so it's not an ideal subject for him. But all you hear is that you should have an MFL if at all possible! He is very bright (but probably not Oxbridge material) and he has no idea what he wants to do in the future. Bearing all that in mind, do you think it's a real mistake for him not to take an MFL?

Other subject choices he's interested are Computer Science and Electronics. I'm not sure if those choices are too 'soft' (though I hate that term) - especially with him choosing music as well.

I want him to enjoy his GCSEs so I'm not suggesting he should have all 'serious' subjects - but equally I don't want him to reduce his uni chances.

OP posts:
LIZS · 28/03/2021 20:14

www.applytouni.com/courses/languages/english-baccalaureate/

It is a statistics exercise for school league tables, but progress 8 is perceived as a better performance indicator. Having a 4/5 potentially at the expense of a higher grade in a different subject would be more detrimental.

clary · 28/03/2021 20:07

MFL is my subject and I love it. If a weaker student wanted to do MFL I would happily teach them - and a well-prepared student should be able to gai a 4/5 in the Foundation tier (the exam is a lot easier) which is supportive of less-able students. Note there is no F tier in most subjects now, including, bafflingly, English lang and lit.

BUT if a child does not want to MFL, I think it is a mistake to force them (as happens in so many schools). DS2's year at his school (he is yr 13) had to do MFL; for many of his sciency mates it was their worst grade, a 3 or 4 among a set of 6/7/8 grades. I don't think that is helpful for student or school.

And no, no uni requires it (except for MFL course obv!). If you don't take MFL at GCSE, and want to go to UCL, you need to take a language module. Otherwise, no.

So to sum up OP - he should do what he wants to do and will enjoy. That way he will get the best grades and more importantly have a good KS4. History, music (not soft at all!) CS and electronics sounds like a good selection to me.

Bunnybigears · 28/03/2021 20:05

@LIZS according to the government and several secondary schools I have dealings with it is. Do you have evidence it isn't because it may help me fight the school to allow DS to drop Spanish.

Pieceofpurplesky · 28/03/2021 20:04

DS was made to German and wished he hadn't. He had to give up something he would have enjoyed for the sake of the ebacc grades at school

LIZS · 28/03/2021 20:02

Ebacc is no longer a thing. UCL is the main uni who expects a mfl at gcse.

Iknowtheanswer · 28/03/2021 20:01

At my ds' school, lots of the music class also take computer science. If he enjoys computing I'd look at that.

Tbh, what he needs is a good set of grades to get you into the next stage, whilst doing subjects he enjoys and has fun studying.

Bunnybigears · 28/03/2021 19:59

He is lucky he is getting to opt out of the foreign language. My DS would love to opt out of Spanish so he could do both GCSE PE and Btec Engineering but apparently a language is part of the Ebacc that schools are measured on so he has to do it, they only let you not do it if you are pretty much guaranteed to fail. A foreign language is not really that beneficial to most kids for their future options post GCSE

DustCentral · 28/03/2021 19:58

Honestly, it’s such a myth that you should take an MFL. Why force it if they won’t enjoy or excel in it? It really never matters unless they wanted to study a very limited few courses later and even then there are ways around.

Spring2021 · 28/03/2021 19:58

If he doesn’t like MFL and isn’t good at it I wouldn’t encourage him to study this. Life is hard enough for them at the moment.

titchy · 28/03/2021 19:55

Unis don't care. If he wants to do something else he should.

nicknamehelp · 28/03/2021 19:53

computer science isnot a soft option and a very desirable option. Best to get grades in what he's interested in. my dd will not be doing a mfl and I'm sure it won't affect her future

CatCup · 28/03/2021 19:48

Doesn't seem to be much of a reason to take a language? Stick to what he is good at and/or what he will enjoy.