Picking/dropping GCSEs

@RunningAndSinging it’s a private school - they won’t care in the slightest about Ebacc!

She would need to chose between medicine and architecture before making A level choices. Chemistry, Biology and ideally maths but anything for the third subject for medicine in which case it would be advisable to do the single sciences for GCSE. Maths or Physics, Art and an essay subject A levels for architecture.

So dropping art or doing double award science now would have an impact. (Although you can do science a levels with dual award science but it would be harder both catching up and talking some schools into letting you).

@RunningAndSinging I may be wrong, but I think Latin may count as a language for EBacc purposes.

I think Latin instead of an MFL is fine and probably easier and will potentially be slightly helpful with medicine. The school will want an MFL for their Ebacc but if they don’t fight it and that’s it was she does, the universities won’t care and will only be interested in grades beyond English, maths and science.

It would be unusual but not strange really. We tried to do this for DD but the school wouldn’t let her so she is doing both (instead of triple science) and on for a 9 in Latin and a 7 in German.

I think that would be fine.

I could imagine a background in Latin might be helpful for medicine?
(Or would that be Greek?)

Latin being highest scoring is not a reason they keep it. If she is predicted 9s and 8s then keeping a subject because it’s high scoring becomes irrelevant

@AIstolemylunch literally everything you have said is incorrect.

Not all schools offer triple science therefore it can not be an entry requirement to Sixth Form. Although I suppose individual schools with a Sixth Form attached that did offer triple could stipulate this but not a stand alone sixth form taking from a large number of feeder schools.

Double award has a paper one and two for each subject so six papers altogether.

Nope, all wrong.

You can definitely do A-Levels with Double Award Science which is a combination of the three subjects of Bio/Chem/Physics, and counts as two GCSEs.

Also the whole thing about Paper 1 and 2 is wrong too - Double and Triple sit both papers in every subject, but the Triple exam is longer by about 15 minutes per paper.

Honestly it sounds like you need information from the school. Ours was very clear on how the process works, how many subjects tgey could choose, whether there's double award or individual science etc. If you don't have any of that information yet it can't possibly be that you are near the point of having to make decisions.

FYI ours only offered individual and compulsory 3 sciences/Eng/Maths and then three options plus one language. Nobody can do more than 10 (at our school).

For medicine at uni, she will need a strong score in both biology and chemistry at GCSE. You absolutely can do well in bio/chem at A-Level with 'double' rather than 'triple' science but speaking with teacher knowledge, those who do well at 'triple' obviously find it easier than those who do double. Third A-Level option can be whatever (psychology is a popular one but we have had someone have art as their third and get in).

Art and D&T have a huge amount of coursework. Your daughter really needs to decide whether she could keep up with that. Computer science just had a horrid series of exams in the summer - you also need to consider how likely it is the school will retain that CS for her GCSE years as replacing them is hard. I know someone else has said you don't need Geo/History at GCSE to do at A-Level but if your daughter wants either for A-Level, picking at GCSE would make her life easier

Fair dos although for life usefulness an 8 in Spanish would trump a 9 in Latin for me- take your point though.
Also agree with PP if she's thinking medicine or anything sciencey for A level then triple science GCSE for sure.
And as other PP said you'll need to check what her options are because it all depends on how they timetable it as to what combinations are possible x

if you want to do medicine then surely you need to do chemistry and biology A level with physics/maths or possibly geography and I thought most schools won't let you do science A levels on double award Science? I could be wrong but at my dc school you can't do A level biology for example without a 7 in single biology?

Clever kids should do triple award science, imo, unless they're positive they don't want to to do science/engineering A levels/Uni.

I'm pretty sure that in most exam boards double award is Paper 1 only in each of the 3 subjects so 3 sciences whereas triple award is Paper 1 and Paper 2 in each science so 6 exams? and Paper 2 has the more advanced content - which you really need for A level.

Also in Y8/Y9 I don't think they can drop a science can they? all this might just be my dc school though ...

I don’t think you really have a quandary until you know the options process! She really needs to speak to her form tutor and understand how it works.

I agree that one creative subject is a great idea and more than one probably not for an academically strong child, just from the workload point of view. (one of mine was thinking about music + art and while I tried to be supportive I encouraged her to find out more about art coursework and time requirements and was moderately relieved when she decided to stick with just music)

If she has the choice of doing just 2 separate sciences she needs to be careful (as alluded to above) - the one to not drop if there's a chance she might want to go into a science-related career, is chemistry. There are lots of doors that won't shut based on your GCSE choices (eg one of mine had a bit of a think about picking up DT at A level, contemplating engineering), but some might without chemistry.

I suppose I'm biased as I did Latin through to my final school exams (not UK), but I think Latin+ French is a great combo.

I'd hate to be back at school having to choose which subjects to discontinue :)
So many good choices, so little time ...

Spanish over Latin surely? Very similar, goes with French and far more useful? Not difficult either

About timing - some independent schools will do preliminary choices/interest surveys early as a way of allowing them to set option blocks and plan sets.

If it isn't available on the website, the school should have a pdf or similar that they can send about the process & timeline for choosing options. I'd try to get that info before getting into discussions with your DD that go beyond "what subjects are you most looking forward to in GCSE?" or similar. There's no point trying to make decisions without the basic info.

Keeping DT seems to be her main goal with the creative side as they are doing graphics and marketing as well as the practical design.
OP you really need to check that the DT GCSE does cover graphics. dd did GCSE Product Design with a similar goal in mind and there was very little graphics involved which she found disappointing. Most of the marks were for making the product rather than the design.
If your dd is more interesting in making things then DT is the subject to do. If it's design then taking Art with a graphics style project may be more appropriate.

It's likely the school will offer a booklet explaining choices normally the options lessons are split into buckets and you choose one from each bucket to fit into the timetable. All students will also do PE even if they aren't doing a GCSE in it. It's likely she'll be encouraged to choose subjects to fulfill the Ebacc.

You may find that she can do Art or DT as in terms of assessment criteria they are now the same subject if the same exam board although obviously the content is different the same may/may not apply to MFL im not sure. At least this is what students were told at a local school who had chosen Textiles and Art

It's worth looking on the school website at the curriculum plan for the GCSE subjects to see what she will be studying and see what takes her fancy. Then look at the local college and potential university courses on UCAS to see the entry requirements and ensure you don't shoot yourself in the foot later on. A few years ago this happened to some sixth form students that did not pick Biology favouring Health and Social Care or similar instead and then wanting to go on to various medical pathways and not being able to without further access courses etc. GCSE choice is less important but it is worth working backwards.