To steer DS away from doing GCSE Child Development?

[dson2]

DS wants to do GCSE Child Development.

WIBU to steer him away from this?

The EBacc is a school measure not a vital qualification, so if he hates languages it really really won't matter. No university requires a language GCSE.

On the basis that what you call ICT is actually the well regarded Computer Science, and he's doing triple science, then I wouldn't worry. He'll be doing 8 solid well regarded subjects so a couple of 'leisure' ones won't do him any harm at all.

Do make him aware of the quantity of stuff required for Art though...

If he's forced to do a subject he hates then it's often the subject that gets lower grades (seen it happen many times) - other than the core subjects it's grades that matter

No university requires a language GCSE

That isn't true. At least one university requires it. Many language courses require it. Some admissions tutors look for it for a whole host of reasons.

ah he sounds like a lovely boy hes just interested in child development

agree with a pp-all kis should have to do it imo

It's not crucial for any career but if he wants to do it why not?

Many moons ago I did child development GCSE because I wanted to. I really enjoyed it. Yes some of the students in my class weren't that academic but then they didn't get top marks for it either. It didn't stop me doing 3 sciences and maths at A-Level. It didn't stop me becoming a doctor. I ended up working in paediatrics for 10 years, recently changing to GP for family/ health reasons.

Why not consider Music? Music theory fits very well with Maths according to my Maths graduate friends.

Unless he's truly interested in child development, or planning to do something in this area, then it would seem to be a bit of a waste of effort.

""He wants to do Science! Nothing to do with Childcare!""

My DD did a Childcare GCSE, as well as Science, she worked in a Nursery, went to level 3 NVQ, then did a HNC.

She doesn't know what she wants to do. Did think about Midwifery, but not sure. Now she's thinking something in Paediatrics.

A degree know is a considerable amount of debt, unless you've got money for more than one, it's worth expanding your knowledge base, to try other subjects.

That's if you aren't sure of your Career/job path.

I did child development as a gcse. There were no boys studying it in my year, but in previous years those that did, all went on to be nurses/ teachers or even male nannies.

I think YABU OP. Child Development is a facinating gield of study, and the knowledge he will acquire doing it can be transferred into other areas. He is already doing the science cohort of GCSEs, this willbe a wee cherry on top of that and he wants to do it.

That isn't true. At least one university requires it. Many language courses require it. Some admissions tutors look for it for a whole host of reasons.

It is true. UCL is the only university that asks that students without an MFL GCSE do a language module in their first year. Admissions tutors do NOT look for it.

Yes obviously if you intend to do a language degree you need the language at A level, and probably therefore GCSE, but OP's son hates languages so it isn't likely he'll want to do a language degree.

I sat 12 GCSE's at school.

Childcare development was one of my GCSE's, I think I decided to take it because I have a much younger brother and I thought it would help. I also thought I might want to be a teacher in the future and at the time I thought it would help :) it made zero difference to my A levels and my degree, or my career (not a teacher) but it's the one I remember the most from and actually I remember really enjoying it.

I also remember the only boy in the class being there because of a girl

If he wants to do it and is doing other subjects that will help him get to A levels (assuming that is the goal) let him go for it. It was light relief for me amoungst the other GCSE's I was doing

If he wants to do it, let him do it. As a previous poster stated, GCSE choices don't matter a great deal past university applications. My CV lists "12 GCSEs A*-A including Maths and English." I've never had a prospective job interviewer ask me what subjects I studied when I was 14... He's studying Science and Maths and will then go on to study them at A Level.

We had to study IT, Welsh and RE (Welsh religious school) but other than that there was no further guidance.

Also when my mum tried to influence my choices at school and on which university I chose, it made me less likely to want to go along with her - teenagers! Just let him make his own mind up.

Is the child care a BTEC? I only ask as that's what we offer where I work. BTEC childcare is interesting and predominantly course work but not that demanding.

Personally I'd lose ICT and replace it with a language. If he's doing graphics then it will have overlap with art.

Also bear in mind the Art GCSE is always right at the start of the GCSEs and can put a lot of stress on pupils.

I discouraged my daughter from picking a BTEC in it. I do to a certain extent agree with letting your child pick and wouldn't force her to do something she absolutely doesn't want to do but she is 13 and I believe academic subjects are important than a bollocky subject at this point. She is going for Geography instead.

I did it because it was lumped in with the 'creative' subjects we could choose and I'm
not creative so I did it, plus then I thought I wanted to work with young kids. DD says one boy does CD gcse in her year - she doesn't! Btw, art is incredibly time-consuming and I wouldn't call it 'soft' - requires a lot of dedication even if it's not academic.

No it isn't a BTEC, it's a GCSE.

Also, he can't drop ICT/CS and change it for a language, due to reasons already stated.

I'm a TA at school and I think we desperately need more male staff. I think he 'could' be in good demand as a primary teacher/SENCO/Special needs.
Science teacher perhaps? :)

Art is massive. The amount of work they have to do is HUGE and it is the one GCSE which is demanding all through the year. To get a high grade you need to be getting late 80 to 96 percent scores. You thinking it is 'soft' is daft. Triple science is full on. If he wants to do Childcare and seems to be genuine then let him.

I've not studies child development GCSE but doesn't it overlap with psychology and biology?

I would warn my child that the class may be heavily skewed towards female students. My kind said would not enjoy being the only girl or boy in a class.

My y11 son is doing 11 this summer (he did 1 last year) and one of his choices is the famously soft Media Studies. I think it's fine to have a "soft" subject as long as he has most of the "serious" ones.

Btw I wouldn't call Art soft. I think that there is a perception from many that it is a soft subject but there's an enormous amount of hours that needs to go into the coursework etc. It's one of those subjects where you spend lots of time but don't get the prestige factor of say maths.

Just seen your post re option blocks.

Sports Science (which I'm guessing is what the PE is) has a lot of relevant cross overs with Biology so would be a good one if he's looking to go in that field.

Food Tech is ghastly and has nothing to do with cooking!

Music would be good.

It's great when they make a totally unexpected choice isn't it? DS did something similar - chose one subject that nobody expected him to even consider and dropped the one we all thought he'd take. (He also with the blessing of his teacher dropped MFL like a hot brick...) we all talked to him about it and made sure it was what he wanted and he stuck to his choice. Ultimately it's helped him to firm up his post school plans and he has been offered a place on a course that suits him, his subjects and his future plans.
If you and the school have talked to him about all the options and where the subjects can lead to (both in education and work) and he's still adamant I really don't think there's anything more you can do.

What board is the child development? Have just googled it and OCR and AQA say it's not being redeveloped under the new 1-9 format.

I rcriut for a nursery and I don't even look for gcse childcare
I look for maths and English and a level 3 in early years
I do wish that people would stop saying that childcare is for the less academic
I absolutely don't want staff educating children who are considered less academic

Isn't this just another one of those parenting moments where we have to learn to let them make their own choices, regardless of how we feel?
In the grand scheme of things one GCSE choice doesn't seem like a big deal.