GCSE choices

[mrstx3]

My yr 9 child (Just about to choose options for next year) is currently opting to take PE Drama and Geography - we would like her to drop drama and take French (currently in set 3/6) what do you think??

I would have a look at what the Russel Group universities prefer because it most definitely will affect her chances. They don't really care for "soft options", and drama instead of French is considered a "soft option".

Agree French better. What set is she in for her other subjects? If set 1 or perhaps 2 then be guided by Russell Group type universities' advic. If set 2 or 3 across the board, to be blunt she probably won't get Russell group type offers. The plus point of this being she'll probably enjoy herself much more by doing subjects she wants!

My DD is in year 10 and chose her options in year 9. She picked Drama , Art, History and Spanish with double science, maths, 2 English. At my DDs school a language is compulsary.

I wasn't sure about her doing Drama and Art but let her make her own choices. I am so glad I did as she has been very motivated to work this year because she is doing subjects she loves.

In your case I think your DD would do better with a language instead of PE or Drama if you are sure she can get a C or above and you think she will work hard at it. If she is adamant she doesn't want to take French she may not put in the work next year.

I know Drama is considered a soft option but I think it is very valuable in terms of improved confidence, teamwork and communication skills.

Depends - what are her core subjects and does she have any idea what she might want to do further along the line?

Some Unis insist upon a language at GCSE. Cambridge (I think) and Edinburgh did a year or two ago.

Although drama does help with oral presentation, confidence and communication skills.
Which may help her in future interviews, although perhaps she already possesses those skills?

You read such contradictory things about the importance of specific GCSEs. MNers who claim to be involved with Uni admissions saying GCSE subjects barely matters at their institution. And Shock gasp horror, people who went to non Russel Group Unis or didn't go to any Uni at all, who found that it didn't matter much.

I think if it was my DD I'd like her to have some "soft" options, if that's what she truly loved. I can't imagine her doing well at French if she doesn't like it at all; an A in drama would probably be better than a C in French, iyswim.

How many other GCSEs is she doing?

I am very happy for dd to take drama because maths, the two Englishes, double science and one foreign language are already compulsory at her school and she will be taking history as an option, so that looks to me like a reasonable set of heavy subjects. And I can certainly see advantages to drama, as Goblinchild points out.

They get 4 choices don't they? Can't she do French as well?

The number of options depends on the school, hocus. In dd's school, there are so many compulsory subjects (maths, the two Englishes, double science, one foreign language, RE, ICT, one tech, and a BTech in PE) that they only get 2 options.

Has she got enough GCSE choices to get the English Bacc? Without a language she wouldn't qualify (and although this is for school league tables, it will be looked at by HE institutions in the future)

UCL is the only university that currently insists on a language at GCSE though I suppose that might change with the ebacc introduction. Cambridge & Oxford dropped the requirement some while ago now.

I'd say French is a more academic choice, but unless she is likely to want to get into a very competitive course it probably won't matter not to do it and if she is likely to either be very unhappy doing it and/or get a very much lower grade in it then it's not worth it.

I think French is a better choice in this instance as she is doing PE already.

I am copying part of a letter that I just received from my DC school where my DD just made her GCSE option choices.

^If your son/daughter is considering following a University course in the future, I think it is important to share with you some examples of
comments made by Universities recently about Modern Languages.
The Russell Group of the top twenty Universities have stated that a Modern Language is one of the eight subjects, two of which will be required at A level by the Universities. UCL have stated that a
Modern Language GCSE is required for all their courses.^

Thing is, if she chooses French, it opens up more options for her in future. It's a shame, but choices seem to matter earlier and earlier for our DC nowadays. Having said that, I did have to take at least one language for O level.