Y9 Options

I hope it goes well for her.

If she doesn't click with the Spanish then don't forget it might be possible to switch subjects in the first term or so. It happens every year, they just don't advertise it. It's just something to have in your back pocket. Great that they are encouraging MFL, but the 75% is just an arbitrary target someone made up in a meeting. It shouldn't stand in the way of your daughter doing the right subjects for her. It sounds like Spanish should be fine though.

DS is doing
Maths
English Language
English Literature
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Spanish
Geography
Computer Science

His teachers are happy with those choices

I agree that starting a language later than everyone else is a bit of a challenge however I did German GCSE whilst I did my a-levels starting from scratch and I managed and I wouldn't say I'm amazing at languages but I was determined to pass.
What has really helped DS with his Spanish so far is that granny started a weekly Spanish chat on zoom when we were in lockdown and continued it since - it's only about 10-15mins speaking Spanish each week but his teacher says his conversation has come on leaps and bounds - small amounts of speaking (the hardest bit of language) practiced regularly will really help with the whole subject. Also consider watching Spanish shows on Netflix or online.

Firstly I'd say don't panic about the number of GCSEs - it's pretty standard given that the top 5 you list are all fairly compulsory, so your DD is doing 3 "options". Many schools offer 4 but 3 is also very common. On an EBacc pathway this is their chance to take a humanity, a language, often an arts or more practical subject (which your DD is not) and then a second option from one of the blocks above. Your DD is taking 2 humanities which is a great way of preserving the most flexibility for post-16 study.

Secondly, if your DD is keen on Spanish, and good at French, it sounds like a pretty good option for her. She'll probably put more work in if she's keen, and having a teacher she gets on with will definitely help, as will the 3 years of French she's done. Achieving a 7 in Spanish rather than an 8 in French will not make a blind bit of difference to her future plans, even if that's going on to take a language at A level.

The point about all book learning is the bit we/DS agonised over, as his eventual choices were purely academic. In the end though, he decided that because he does a lot of extra curricular drama, music and sport, that would provide enough of a contrast - leaving the actual examined subjects to 'book learning' choices, which are actually more within his comfort zone. That's a very personal thing though - if he were a less 'bookish' kid, or didn't have so much going on outside the curriculum, then he might well have opted to include a creative GCSE choice.

It's a funny time isn't it, forcing yourself to pull back and let them decide.

I wouldn't worry about the triple science workload at all. I think it's only an issue if the 3rd science is a 10th GCSE.

Normally I would say schools tend to allow more flex in practice than they let on, so swapping MFL out for a tech/creative/IT type subject might be more of an option than they make it sound. It's a shame to have all book learning and nothing to break it up. However it sounds like that might genuinely not be an option here, and it's moot if she'd rather do the Spanish anyway.

No, he's already doing two MFL, so neither of them is new.

Without exception, they said that the subjects which had caused their DC the most stress and angst were the coursework and group work subjects

I would avoid group work subjects. None of the drama group in DD's year did well in their GCSE, and DD only got a D in her Citizenship coursework because the other girl she was in a group with did no work. Luckily she aced the exam an brought her overall grade up to a B.

We've just done Year 9 options, so talked to lots of parents who'd been through GCSE to help. Without exception, they said that the subjects which had caused their DC the most stress and angst were the coursework and group work subjects (drama, music, PE etc). Not saying they're not great options if you really want to do them, of course, but given that DS was already very much wavering anyway, we decided to plump for a second language instead as the easier option (also the one he's more likely to carry on post-GCSE).

@Bluebird23
Is she likely to want to take Spanish/language at A-level/equivalent?
If not, and assuming she's not after all 9s and wanting to go to Oxbridge, then it won't matter.
DC/parents sometimes forget that GCSEs (and any qualification) are a means to get to the next level.
For example, if she wants to do CS/Maths/Engineering for a degree/career, then the language (and the grade in it) won't matter, just pick what you'd enjoy.

I would say, that it’s a bit much. Ignore the oh my child is doing eleventy billion and is fine. The students I know who have followed such a pathway are currently wishing they hadn’t and that they had chosen at least one subject with some form of coursework in so they had some money in the bank as it were. DS has done DT and his coursework is 50% of his score and is happy it’s done

I'm a language teacher. Normally I'd say it would be unwise to ditch French in favour of ab initio Spanish, especially on the basis of teacher preference. But... if she's potentially capable of a 9 in French and is sure to get the teacher she likes in Spanish, she'll be fine. Her knowledge of French will help with the Spanish, and having chosen to do it, plus the novelty of the new language, will make her keener!

My Y10 is pretty much doing identical options, only they are doing double science rather then three separate. The workload doesn’t seem too bad, much less than when I sat GCSEs. English Literature and History are the heaviest in terms of workload. I didn’t take history when I chose my options due to a clash with a teacher. That teacher would not have even taught me and I do regret it now.

Don't underestimate how much work and revision there is for history. DC is Y11 and they pretty much have to memorise 3 huge text books. It's an enormous amount to learn.

I have sympathy, DS is taking Classical Civilisation over Latin simply because he absolutely loathes the Latin teacher. I’ve given up fighting it because I can’t see how 2 years with a teacher he can’t stand will end in a good outcome.

Hmm ok but you don't say what she doesn't like about French. I mean if it is needing to learn past tense of irregular verbs and loads of vocab, well that will be there in Spanish too, obvs. Eight weeks of Spanish club sounds like something that probably will be a bit more fun than year 9 French lessons. I would probe it a bit more as she has set herself a tough task and if there is not a good reason for it, an easier win is available.

You wouldn't start maths in year 10 an expect as good a grade as someone who had been studying it since KS3.

What sort of grades do the ab initio students gain in Spanish? How do these compare to their French grades?

How long ago was that?
GCSEs were reformed in 2017 and have a lot more content. Schools these days do 9 or 10. There is no need to do any more. It doesn't give young people any more leverage for getting into university.

I agree with others that this subject combo sounds fine. DS2 did similar but not geography and did two others so 10 in total (CS and PE). Nine GCSEs should be fine wrt workload; it sounds as tho she prefers subjects with more writing rather than practical subjects (PE, art, drama, DT) which is fine.

I agree with @SimpleShootingWeekend tho that it is an odd decision to take up Spanish ab initio in KS4 because she doesn't like French. Will she like Spanish any more? If not and she has to take an MFL (I don't agree with this btw and I speak as an MFL specialist but that;'s by the by), then it would be better IMHO to take French which she does not like but has done three years of, rather than Spanish which she may well also not like but has never studied. There is a massive amount to catch up, especially with the newer GCSE spec.

Why does she not like French? What makes her think Spanish will be better? The only thing I can think of is preferring the Spanish teacher, which is not invalid in a sense (I agree GCSE students need to have some kind of basic rapport with their teachers esp for MFL), except that is she sure she will have that teacher? And in any case they may leave (or the disliked fr teacher may). Just something to think about.

They’re disappointed they can’t do Food Tech but I made a deal that I would teach them more recipes at home, which will be cool

ds did that and found it very dull. He likes the creative side of cooking and the eating delicious food element but ended up doing a piece of coursework on raising agents and everything he made had to have something worthy about it (diabetic cooking - cooking for athletes etc.) I honestly think you can learn more in 10 hours cooking at home than he did in the whole 2 year course. The upside was eating his exam practice food