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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

GCSE Drama or Music

41 replies

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 09:09

My sons chosen his options with one major dilemma (pretty good I thought, it's usually far more problematic!)

Does he take Drama or Music. This is his fun option. He is 6a in both (currently year 9). He already does both outside of school - local theatre group and has trumpet lessons (he has been playing for 6 years and is in school band). So, whichever he picks, he will continue the other outside of GCSEs.

He is a bright boy but suffers from severe dyslexia. He isn't going to be looking at RG unis or anything.

He really is at pulling a name out of a hat stage! He just cannot decide.

I thought Music would be better but then wondered if the Drama would support his literacy more (he is 4a in English and that is the only subject he is not a level 6 in)

Any thoughts that might help me guide his decision?

OP posts:

amerryscot · 21/12/2011 10:36

You need to get the Music and Drama teachers to sell their subjects to him.

Both are good subjects. Drama is more like English Literature, with the performance added in.

ATruthFestivelyAcknowledged · 21/12/2011 10:49

Find out which exam boards each subject uses and then check the specifications online (even better, ask the teachers to explain them to you & your son. There should be an open evening to discuss options and if there isn't they should be willing to meet you or speak on the phone)

I teach AQA drama and it includes a written exam which is worth 40% of the marks, however, the exam is one of the 'nicest' I've seen iyswim. It's all about plays pupils have seen or performed in during their course. Strangely, pupils in middle ability sets for English tend to do better in this exam (at my school) than those in top sets as the top set kids try to be too analytical (as they would need to be in a literature exam) where as the others just tend to describe what they did (which is what the exam needs) The main thing for that course is to be super organised and to keep notes for the whole two year course - because if you do a show in Year 10, you may want to write about it in Year 11. Your son's teachers should help with that though.

I don't know the other drama specifications or the music spec, but as I say, you'll be able to find them online and, quite frankly, if the relevant teacher won't explain them to you, then he should choose the other course anyway!

Hope that helps.

Original poster

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 11:59

Yes, we have a meeting with teachers in mid January. I will let them sell their course to him!

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Rache101 · 21/12/2011 12:09

Kez100 why can't your DS do both?

Rache101 · 21/12/2011 12:16

Drama is by far more demanding. My DS has to do a 800-2000 word eassy every week! He has no time for anything else. In Drama GCSE 60% of the marks are awarded for coursework and writing whereas on 40% for actual acting. Drama is not a "fun" subject, it is basically a English lesson with talking.

Rache101 · 21/12/2011 12:18

sorry, I meant 60% for acting and 40% for coursework

EvilTwins · 21/12/2011 12:22

Both will involve performance, and both rely, to an extent, on how talented students are. I teach drama- we do BTEC performing arts at the mo but will probably be adding GCSE to our curriculum from Sept this year. I will do doing Edecxel which has a practical exam and written coursework. I prefer that to the written exam. Find out which syllabus and discuss that with DS.

I would go with drama, personally, but I'm somewhat biased!

Original poster

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 13:18

When I say 'fun' I'm not meaning to undermine them in anyway.

So, in your sons course Rache the 800-2000 word essays per week, are they all toward the 40% coursework? I'm not sure his literacy skills would keep up : he also has mild dyspraxia which we try and make light of, but the two together makes him extremely slow at writing and a constant requirement for that amount of writing will, I suspect, be beyond him without causing stress.

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Original poster

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 13:21

He has a talent for performance. I don't mean he is likely to be an actor, but he has been on stage regularly playing music and in annual theatre performances as supporting characters with a decent number of lines since he was about 7.

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Rache101 · 21/12/2011 14:12

Kez100 why don't you enrol your son in the national youth theatere or what ever it is called. You act but there is no coursework and it is aparently quite fun!

Rache101 · 21/12/2011 14:15

No, the 800-2000 word essay is Homework, for coursework you have to watch a performance or act it and explain what you did, why, what effect it had on the audience etc; with the coursework, there is no teacher help and so your DS has to do it on his own...

GrimmaTheNome · 21/12/2011 14:20

How good is he at trumpet - I always got the impression that you had to be really pretty good (quite high Grade in one or more instrument/vocal) to do Music GCSE - but I could be completely wrong!

RobynLou · 21/12/2011 14:20

national youth theatre is incredibly difficult to get in to! a local youth theatre is a good idea.
I was in exactly the same position as your son years ago, I even played the trumpet!
I chose drama, then in the lower 6th I did an evening class and got my music gcse that way
I think music is easier to keep up extra-curricularly than drama.

RobynLou · 21/12/2011 14:23

you only need to be about grade 5 - not exceptional, and if you only play one instrument you can sing for your second option. (unless thy've changed it since I did it)

GrimmaTheNome · 21/12/2011 14:33

'you only need to be about grade 5 - not exceptional'
To some of us, a DC having that at the start of Yr10 sounds pretty damned good!

Theas18 · 21/12/2011 14:37

Do music. IT'll be the less stressful option though there can be a lot of writing- check with the board syllabus. Agree the practical isn't very high standard at all- grade 5 practical I understand too. Not sure even if you actually need a "second instrument" or if all the performance can be on one (DD1 did a mixture of recorder and voice at GCSE and recorder at A level).

Original poster

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 16:37

He can't do both because he has decided on his other options. He has one block left.

He is in a local theatre group already per opening post. And school band. Both will continue whatever GCSE he picks.

He has Grade 2 but he plays well above that, he plays what he likes and has

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Original poster

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 16:39

Played grade 5 pieces before and his recent solo was from a grade 7 piece. However, he will also play grade 2 if he feels like it.

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EvilTwins · 21/12/2011 17:04

I have no idea which syllabus Rache101's DC does, but having taught a variety of GCSE Drama syllabi for 14 years, I can honestly say that none of them require that number of essays. Must just be the teacher...

I still think he should do Drama. More fun.

Original poster

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 17:24

I can see the advantage to Drama. He could - if so

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Original poster

Kez100 · 21/12/2011 17:25

Inclined carry on grades and theory music with his trumpet teacher. Drama would give him an exam grade in drama (which going to theatre group won't).

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webwiz · 21/12/2011 17:48

DS in year 10 does both Music and Drama. He enjoys both but finds drama much easier than music. Most of what he has done so far has been practical work in lessons so there has been no homework yet. His school have a good track record in getting high grades in drama so I trust them to get on with it.

amerryscot · 21/12/2011 18:04

Rachel may not be referring to essays, as such. Perhaps she is talking about a 'drama diary', which should be done weekly.

Rache101 · 21/12/2011 18:30

amerryscot that is it! he has to write an evalutation on everything done in the lesson and it is marked. Drama is not for the faint-hearted or workshy!

amerryscot · 21/12/2011 18:40

Yep, my kids (three different schools) do this right from Year 7, including my DS who is doing A2 drama, and DD who is doing GCSE.

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