Year 9 GCSE options have arrived

Op just check what the 3D design course is, at my dd’s school it’s in ceramics and sculptures rather than anything related to graphic design! They call graphic design graphic communication, the leaflets we were given were pretty unhelpful so I looked up the exam boards listed and found the school’s subject names were different and v confusing.

I emailed the school and asked for the official exam board subject titles, then was able to have a look online at course content to help dd decide.

It’s a shame your ds can’t do computer science but hopefully given his interest he’ll be able to do it for A level? I’d say graphic communication / graphic design is a good alternative if there’s no computer science option. The marketing subject sounds a bit like business studies?

Computer Science GCSE is very dull in terms of content and not a lot of coding but if your son wants to see what they cover in an easy format then Craig n Dave on Youtube cover the different exam boards content.

https://www.youtube.com/@craigndave/playlists

Brilliant post by @RareGoalsVerge and especially the last paragraph. You want your child engaged and excelling. If they can combine those two aspects then they are winning. At the end of the day this is about grades on a sheet of paper, the higher the numbers the more choice they have going forward.

My daughter currently works in computer gaming as an artist/3d modelling specialist after gaining a Games Art Degree.
Her A levels were Art, Photography, Media and Textiles.
Art was given the most weight as they had to provide portfolios during the interviews for the degree course so I'd say Art would be the most beneficial to a career in animation/gaming graphics.

Don't regret the lack of a Computer Science option. My DC was dead set on a career in computer software coding in y9 and the GCSE course totally killed all love for computing . It is a dreadful course - suitable perhaps as an introductory foundation for someone who might eventually invent a new kind of computing microprocessor hardware but totally unsuitable for someone who wants to design and build the software itself.

Just on the basis of what is in your OP I would advise considering the following on each of your options:

• Art and design : find out from the teacher what the parameters are - does he have to focus on drawing if he doesn't enjoy that? I found out to my surprise that it is perfectly possible to do a GCSE in drama without doing any acting. Find out if there's a similar amount of flex here?
• 3-dimensional design - this is like a combo woodwork/metalwork/textiles making-things course. If it has a strong CAD element that might be beneficial but I would only advise going for this if he loves hands-om practical making.
• French : the benefits of learning a second language during adolescence is huge. During ages 14-16 the brain grows significantly and the type of thinking one becomes skilled at depends on the kind of regular exercise the brain gets, exactly the same as how your body musculature develops differently if you do lots of exercise including strength challenges vs if you avoid all exercise. This is why the government has been trying (unsuccessfully) to get all schools to make a language a compulsory GCSE. It's too much for some pupils but if he's grading at 8 now he clearly has the capacity. It's not about the language itself, it doesn't matter if he never becomes a regular visitor to France/Canada/other francophone countries - having done the GCSE course will have knockon effects beneficial in Marhs, Science and software design because the brain's capacity to translate between two processes (having practiced the skill on language learning) will be permanently increased. I strongly recommend this.
• Enterprise and marketing probably the best 2nd option if neither of the first 2 turn out to become favourites once you've investigated them. This would be a good skillset for a future software developer to have, giving him a combination of skills that will help him whether he's working for a large company and needing to just understand the processes that are happening in other departments between his work and the eventual customer, or whether he's running his own smaller business having created some unique software and needing to know how to turn that into a successful business. It's probably the most applicable career-focussed option of the ones he is considering, so probably the nost useful, but there is no need for GCSEs to be specifically career-focused as all the nost useful bits of knowledge can be picked up later when needed

Fundamentally what is important at GCSE is not the specific subjects, but having a combination that will keep a child motivated, engaged and thinking. Much like it doesn't matter very much whether a school focuses PE lessons on rugby, football or hockey - what's important is getting the kids moving around in fresh air. So with subjects for GCSE, it doesn't matter too much what they are thinking about so long as they are being challenged and stretched to apply their brain to something that doesn't come easy but requires a bit of effort.

I hope this is helpful!

I’m in virtually the exact same position with my daughter, OP. She wants to do animation eventually. The university courses I’ve looked at require Art, an essay subject and one other subject. Obviously there’s more than one route to get there but that suggests to me that the Art element is considered to be one of the most important elements. Unfortunately, timetabling is making Art look difficult for my daughter so I think it’s going to be Graphics for GCSE then Art for A level.

If you know which exam board ( eg AQA, Edexcel) the art and 3D design are nd the course details then you can look them up online to see:
how each is assessed
is there a coursework component and what % it is
what is to be taught and thus assessed on

i know schools will each have their own way of covering content but it might help you.

i would also look up some previous exam papers “past papers” so you can see how the exam is marked. The mark scheme will also be online.

Def one of the art or design if he’s into computer graphics; there’s likely to be relevant options but he should speak to the art department
also for CG drawing is really important and shouldn’t education be about learning skills? He has time to improve doesn’t need to be top grade already surely

Ds’s friend is a games animator. He did a games art BTEC followed by a games art degree. He didn’t do comp sci gcse - school didn’t offer it but did do art. Why is your ds unsure on art? It seems a natural fit for an animator.

Triple science is normally for kids who are doing well and will take ten GCSEs not nine. If your son has this option then that would be good.

If they want to go into computer animation then I know someone who went into this industry and is highly successful. They did a Fine Art degree followed by a Computer Animation masters degree.
Anything else in Computing/Computer Science will require excellent Maths skills. The college course may be interesting but I'd wonder at the success rate of the students actually getting into what is a highly competitive industry.
Also worth bearing in mind a lot of boys that age say they want to go into gaming/design due to their love of gaming!
In your situation I would advise your son to pick the subjects he's best at.

Can he do History, along with Geography? Does that appeal?
You also mentioned triple science. Does that use an option block? If he's predicted 6s, and triple uses an option block, that sounds feasible. If they teach triple and combined in the same number of hours, I'd stick with combined.

Definitely worth digging into the details of the design course. Is there a booklet or open event available with a summary of each course? Or an old one floating around on the internet from covid years, when all this was done remotely?

Given the other choices, French sounds like a very sensible option.

Not being able to do GCSE computer science, for a kid who already messes about with computers and programming won't be massively disadvantaged.

Have a look at what options the school offers as part of the Art GCSE. You don't have to be able to draw!

otherwise it sounds as though French (as he's doing well) and Design (to support his future career aims) would be best options.

The main thing I'd stress is that I don't think he has any bad choices to make. So if he is keen or interested in one particular subject, he should absolutely study. He is more likely to do well if he is invested.

(Incidentally the 9-1 GCSEs were introduced in 2017. All parents of current Year 9s will have been brought up with the alphabet system if they themselves went to school in England. That really isn't showing your age :) )

I have a career in a very similar field. If he wants to go into computer science or the techy side of creative industries then double science would be great or stand alone physics would be even better.

If it's more the design side I'd say art as a good foundation and/or 3D design for animation and graphics specifically, but at this stage you do not need to specialise particularly and you can always add art or design with extra curricular or a one year art foundation course before uni.

I also wouldn't sniff at a good grade in French as it will make him more well rounded and could give him the opportunity to live and work in France or Montreal in the future, both of which have good animation industries though they can be a bit cyclical. And could open up EU or Canadian residence or citizenship.

Overall for what it sounds like he wants to do I would say Double Science or Physics and French