GSCE choices - Latin or Art?

Always, always go for what you enjoy at GCSE. The subject is of little importance. The ultimate aim is as many high grades as possible. If he prefers art, he must opt for art.

If he’s great at MFL, Latin. If he is good at art and won’t see it as a chore, art. Makes no odds regarding his future university or career choices. Has he studied Latin yet? It is great with an MFL.

Depending what artists you look at, art involves history.

In fact paintings and other types of art are useful to learn about history.

Agree.

I did both to 16.

I can't say which was more useful as they are both useful subjects that give you different skills. No-one cares years onwards which you did.

I'd have loved to do Latin, but your DS should do what he prefers. He needs to be aware that art is usually a lot more homework time (possibly less so in a selective school - in DD's secondary other subjects set very little homework).

As far as universities go, it's not going to give him an advantage on getting in (because, as you say, it's not even an option for most pupils).

My dd had this choice. She was as you say a fine artist. She took art and regretted it. It was a lot of work and her worst gcse result. She wishes she had taken Latin.

He should do what HE likes best.
Art GCSE is fine if you are organised. And you can learn to be better at it like any subject! You don't need innate 'talent'
My DH tried to push DS1 away from art. He's now doing a fine art degree! at GCSE he was 'average' but loved it. He has developed in so many ways and loves the analysis and critical writing part. He finds it intellectually stimulating.
Plus it's out of the way before exams and no revision !
Ds2 did Latin and found it v dull at GCSE lots of vocab. He did well in it.
Unis do not care at all what GCSEs you have excepting english and maths.
Unless he wants to do Latin a level then he could do art as he prefers it.

Latin fits in much better with his other subjects. DS chose to do Latin rather than an MFL and that worked really well for him, he had to do it in Yr 8 and really annoyed about that but then actually enjoyed it. Latin also involves some history so he might really enjoy that part.

And I’m glad it will be done and dusted by end April, so one less thing to revise.

I don’t think Art is an A or E subject. My DS is pretty good and is on course for a 7, but a lot of the marks are for writing about technique, artist research, preparatory photos and sketches etc. Your DS should check the balance of the syllabus he will study. My DS initially regretted that he chose art over history but is now really happy with the choice as it breaks up the week and he likes the art part (less so the research!)

My dd did Art gcse. I was an art teacher. Art didn’t take up much longer than other subjects. If it takes a long time, it’s because of organisation. Lots leave it to the last minute. But if you keep up it’s not a big workload. It’s also quite calming

I have a D in GCSE art so I'd say Latin....

Also, having been a teacher (not Art or Latin!) I would say that Art often had a very large workload, and takes up a much larger chunk of pupils' time than it ought to for a non-core subject.

Does the school offer A level Latin or Classics? Either of those would be good Alevels for the route you think he might go down. Especially if he's potentially got Oxbridge in his sights.

I'd go for Latin for the same reason. Plus v useful in my history degree.

What does he think? It really should be his choice. In regards to managing coursework etc he is going to have to do this in University (if he choses to go) so I would not be discouraging him from a subject because of that.

This. Both are fine subjects.

It's his choice not yours so he should choose what he prefers

Suggest you ask the Latin teacher if they think your DC is good enough at Latin to get a decent grade. Can they learn words off by heart, can they work things out logically, lots of Latin is like working out a puzzle. I would have thought Latin has some relevance to enrich both History and Philosophy in the long term. Will your DC do homework regularly to build up skills, you probably can’t cram for Latin in the last few weeks.
Art can also be a wonderful subject to develop skills and interest in. Get your DC to check out carefully with the art teacher exactly what the GCSE course requires and what he will be spending time doing both in class and at home for his own work (producing a portfolio or something?). How is the Art assessed? What sort of criteria are used? Can he look at examples done by previous GCSE students? It’s probably quite different from the more usual exams for typical written subjects. With subjects like Art or PE, Sometimes the lessons and work at GCSE are nothing like the lessons beforehand- think chatting to friends while producing a no stress piece of artwork at age 13 etc, which might seem relaxing. But much more longer term effort is required to produce GCSE art work and students have to produce their own ideas as well. Ofc if they are willing/able to do this then Art could be a valuable subject for them and there are connections to history and architecture as well. Make sure DC knows what’s involved before making a decision.

I dropped Latin at 13. I did Art at A level and Design at degree.

Its really nice to be able to wander round places and be able to identify the different periods of architecture or art.

A language and art are going to stimulate quite different parts of the brain so he should pick the one which broadens his horizons: if he doesn't have a language already then pick Latin; if all his subjects are knowledge based then pick art to tap into him creative interpretive side.
FWIW I did Latin O level and in spite of a lifetime using scientific terms and a couple of years living in Italy I really didn't make use of the Latin I'd learned.

I don't understand this. He enjoys art more, yet you're pushing Latin?

My kids school said above all else, do what you enjoy. So, don't be pushing Latin, especially because post of the reason you are is because you wish you'd done it. This is about him and not you.

Sorry, if that sounds off, but I've just done my youngest ones choices and they were all theirs and not mine. Were it down to me, I'd have picked different things, but it wasn't

By the way, I studied Latin, but didn't study art. I wish I'd studied art. My knowledge of Latin has never come in handy at all.

Depends on the child really. If they like disciplined learning, logic, structure, etc, then Latin is a no brainer. If they like more freedom, less testing, and are naturally creative/artistic, more self disciplined, etc., then Art is a no brainer.

I'd go for Latin but that's me - I can't draw to save my life, whereas I loved Latin at school, had the great good fortune to be able to do Classical Greek as well, and went on to do a Classics degree. Like Twizbe, I didn't directly use the Classics in my working life, but I enjoyed my studies enormously. Classics is a fascinating subject and there are many strands to it - language learning, literature, history, art/architecture, philosophy, religion, mythology, history of science.

My daughter did Art GCSE as a last minute choice. She enjoyed it but didn't do very well. I was surprised by how much work was involved - more than most of her other GCSE subjects.

I think it comes down in the end to which he thinks he will enjoy more. I can't see it making a crucial difference to university applications.

My child is doing both. Art is a lot of work, but it has other useful skills, there is quite a lot of research and analysis involved. Latin has language and literature elements. There is a lot of vocab to learn and literature to know very well. It's quite a defined structure so you do know what to expect, at least that's what I am told. My child is enjoying Art more than learning endless vocab quizlets. Art is also over before Easter in GCSE year, freeing up time for the other subjects.

If he has a MFL then Art. If he doesn't then Latin. Or he could choose between History and RS and then do Latin and Art. He can still study both History and RS at A Level without having studied them at GCSE.

@timetorefresh at the moment I'm a SAHP.

Before that I had a career in HR and Management Consultancy for a big 4. I love classics but it was always going to be my passion not my career.

I'm planning to go back to uni in sept to train to be an antenatal teacher and breastfeeding councillor so massive change of career.