Whether to drop English Literature (Year 11)

I think she should still do it. It'll look odd on applications if it's not there at all.

@FourSevenThree Oh, I see, yes, I mean number of subjects / number of examined subjects. (I'd be OK with even fewer exams actually; I think 8 / 9 taught and examined subjects is just the current norm, so that's what we are conditioned to think is normal.) But I don't want to derail the thread further!

The misunderstanding is, that the majority uses 8/9 for grades, while you used it for number of subjects .

@tnorfotkcab If they aren't capable of 8/9 they could do fewer. Obviously. (Not sure why that is controversial.)

Apparently so, because last year there was a poster who said her daughter got all 9s and so did all her friends and made out like it was really common and easy to get 9!!

If the OPs kid is genuinely one of the few hundred children in the ENTIRE COUNTRY that's in track for all 9s then she'll be fine.

Plus it will build a little resilience hopefully if she passes with a lower grade.

With those grades I can’t see any reasons why she should drop it at all. I think it would
look very odd on her school record when she goes to apply for other things.
If she’s due such high grades in everything then she can afford to to see but if time to improve her English grade.

It's so weird that MN kids are always "all grade 9" pupils, when it is incredibly rare to be that pupil...

But we know the reason they will let her drop it is because her low grade affects their results overall.

Ds just memorised a load of quotes, form, structure for poetry etc, worked at it and got a great grade because he was determined not to be defeated by both English Lit and Lang. He was 8/9 across the board except for English so he was very capable and just learned to play the game.

And their parents are all on mumsnet 😉

Lol and when they don't get the electric grades?

Or they aren't capable of 8/9?

If she "got 9" in everything. she'll do fine.

It's incredibly unlikely she'll get all 9s anyway.

Only 1165 students achieved this last year out of. Around 600,000 students...

Only 545 students taking 10 GCSEs for all 9 and around 360 who did 9 GCSEs.

She's a scientist to the core and cannot see the point of analysing poetry.

Ha ha, so is DD and she would agree with you (and so do I). She has an excellent memory so she just memorised all the revision on BBC Bitesize and achieved an A (in 2016 before the new style GCSEs).

I love reading but also hate analysing literature.

She's at an independent who have later in thread said it is OK if she wants to.

She won’t be allowed to drop it by the school because of the way that the Englishes are calculated for Progress 8. Also, the late entry/ withdrawal fees would kick in at this point so there would be a hefty price tag at this late stage.

(I think GCSE exams are stressful enough - 20+ exams in one month. I would generally educate pupils in all core subjects and then allow them to do exams only in their best 8/9.)

Id agree with this. She won't always be able to just drop something that isnt perfect or in line with all the rest or that she doesn't like
There are plenty of areas in everyone's line of work that you like less (or not at all) but have to be done
She isnt failing the subject.

its my sons weakest subject as well - it’s not something I’d be willing to drop. Not least because it’s good for him to have something he finds hard -
sailing through life with constant 9s can be bad for the ego after all. but I’ve told him to “treat your children all the same” - ie spend the same proportionate time on each subject.
not to overcompensate because he’s just not a natural English lit person and that’s fine.

I would let her drop it. Yes, it is part of a rounded education but it has been part of her education! She has done all the lessons. Education does not have to involve an exam. I think unis don't really care about GCSEs unless she is applying for medicine. I mean, that is a risk you are taking but if she is applying for STEM degrees I don't think admission tutors will bat an eyelid to be honest. Caveat: I don't know anything about it.

I also think that maybe accepting 'non perfection' now may be helpful to MH later.

I think if it became the norm for able pupils to drop
English lit just because they weren't going to get an 8 or a 9 it would be a pretty sad state of affairs. It's a core subject, and there is something to be said for a rounded education with a degree of cultural richness, which English lit brings (I say this as someone who loved English lit so may be biased!) She is clearly capable and can easily improve to a 6 or 7 in the actual exam. My dd went up
steadily from a 5 in the lit mock in November of year 11 to an 8 in the actual GCSE.

I absolutely agree, however, that the English lit exam as it stand is inaccessible for many students, and can see that in these cases it may be beneficial to drop it and focus on language, but not in this case. If she is great at science she will still have a good chance of a place at prestigious unis without a 9 in English. Have seen on here several examples of this, including people getting into Oxbridge with a less good English grade if they want to do maths/ science.

DS’s best friend got either 5 or 6 (I can’t remember which) in his maths GCSE and has an offer from Durham. Not English Lit but still a vital subject. Hope this is helpful.

She should do it, she is likely to pass it, and universities will not care about it in the slightest.

Wow it’s another world in the private school sector isn’t it.

You do know that 8 isa really good mark?

I agree that if it is missing then a uni might look askance. I also am not keen on the idea of editing your GCSEs so you get all 9s while missing off a key one. She is clearly an able student. I do think that the Eng lit GCSE is not fit for purpose for some students – but not one who is going to get 8s and 9s in other subjects.

It’s not a bad thing (I see you agree really @Retrecir) to tackle something you don’t enjoy or find challenging, and try to improve. You’ll have to do it a lot once you are working (IME anyway).

I guess I love literature and it makes me sad that an intelligent teenager hates it. She doesn't need all 9s or even all 8s and 9s to go to Durham or the other unis you mention. They would find it impossible to fill their courses if they had that stricture. I've said it before but a mate of DS's got 6 in Eng lang and went to Cambs (not to study English obvs). Yes, for some subjects (medicine for example) and at some unis (Oxford for example) they will look at perhaps your best 8 GCSEs and expect 7+ in them. But it sounds as tho she will tick that box even with a 6 in Eng lit.

I wouldn't suggest she puts all her effort into it at the expense of subjects she likes; but from what you say a 6 or 7 is surely very much possible with some targeted work. The one to work at is the one you find challenging.