Year 9 Options, What has your child chosen?

[Summerz]

Hello!

Since most children and parents have most likely chosen their GCSE options, I'm interested in what they have chosen!

I've just created this for other Mumsnet users to discuss and speak about their ds/dd specific option choices, and to see other users views and opinions.

My ds has chosen: (Compulsory then Options)

Mathematics
English Language
English Literature
Technology - Product Design
Religious Education
BTEC P.E
Single Science

4 Option Choices only:

Triple Science (2 options)
History (1 option)
French (1 option)

I hope to see Mumsnet(ters) posting and discussion, hopefully enjoying their-selves and ready for GCSE stress! (Lol =P)

DD2 is in year 9 and has chosen...

Compulsory:
Maths (take in yr 10)
Statistics or Further Maths in year 11 depending on Maths grade
English Lang
English Lit
science
RE (no exam)
ICT - OCR certificate (supposedly 2 GCSEs but obv not!)
PE (half GCSE)
PHSCE (no exam)

Options
Spanish
Music
Triple science option
Geography

I am assuming Maths is still as above as that is what DD1 in year 10 is doing - but don't know if new government changes will mean that changes? We have had a letter saying that yr9 triple science students will not be taking exams until 2014 (whereas DD1 in year 10 is taking triple science with 3 modular exams in each spread out over years 10 and 11). Can see DD9 may get bored with science as they have already started the GCSE work so no exams until 2014 is a long way away!

DS2 in in Year 9 and has chosen...

Compulsory:
Maths
Science (has chosen triple)
English Language
English Literature

Optional:
History
Geography
Philosophy & Ethics
Drama

He had more choices than my DS1 (now in year 12). DS1 had to do both ICT and RS.

Oops, forgot to mention that he is also doing GCSE French this year, which has freed up his options as he will already have a language, but means he will not get as good a grade as he would if he took it in two years' time. Anyway, that's a whole other thread!

dd1 is already doing
Maths
English x 2
Triple Science
German
RS
Product Design
Latin
Drama

dd2 has just chosen
Maths
English x 2
double or triple Science - she hasn't decided yet
RS
French
Spanish
History
Textiles

Did I read that right, Circular's DD is doing 14 GCSEs? And many of the others are taking 12-13, few are taking less than 10. I'm impressed so many of you can remember it all, was that off top of your heads? Are all your DC high achievers, are any of them in the low-achiever bracket?

And what does it mean to take something ungraded, is the result simply a pass/fail note?

How many (if any) exC activities do they tend to do, with such workloads?

I am always amazed at how many others are doing. How do they fit it in the timetable?

At Ds1's school people do 9, 9.5 or 10. Ds1 is doing 10 and that is simply because he is doing Spanish half off-timetable (after school class) and I have given him permission to drop the non-exam RS lesson. There is no room to do more than that.

My dd year 8 and picks 2 options this year then 3 more in year 11. Compulsory.:Maths, English, double science, IT, RE, PE. Options: History and Spanish. No idea yet for year 11!! want to be equine vet so guess that will determine

Compulsory subjects- double English, maths, iGCSE triple science, PE and RE, (all full course)

Ebacc compulsory- Spanish/ Geography
Free choice-ICT, Music and Drama

13 in total but her school does them over three years.

DD Year 9 just chose

Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths, Spanish, Triple Science, Geography, History, Latin, Statistics, Textiles
opted out of RE
hoping that they will find staff time for her and the other geek girls to do French as a twilight
non examined - PE and PSHE (which is apparently current affairs by then)

by the end of year 11 will be at grade 7 in Flute and grade 5 + in Modern and Ballet - all of which count towards UCAS

DS Year 9 No pressure to to Ebacc, a language has always been encouraged on academic pathways.

Compulsory
English x 2
Triple science (already started, done over 3 years)
Maths (just starting, exam at end of Year 10, AS or Statistics in Y11)
BPE (short course which is apparently half a GCSE)
PE and PD non graded

Options
Music
Italian
Geography
Geology

So 10.5 GCSEs, plus whatever Maths he does in Y11.

He is hoping to be Grade 8 on his instrument, but possibly this might be in sixth form.

ragged When I wrote ungraded what I meant was that DS1 will be taking lessons (in PE and RE and I think PSHE?) which don't lead to any qualifications. I think they're meant to be character building iyswim (I can't think of a better way of describing it!)

DS1 in Y9 is doing:

Compulsory

Maths
English language
Triple science (actually double is compulsory, but top 50 get the chance to do triple, so started GCSE course in Feb)
RE 1/2 course
Electronics (one DT subject compulsory)

Options

ICT
Geography
French
RE other 1/2 course

So that's 10, but only because he is doing triple science and the other half of RE, so most will do 8 or 9.

I'm not sure about English Lit? I'll have to check, but I think only the top set do it and he's second set?

No EBacc compulsory.

My DD1 is in Y9. She will do

Compulsory:
Maths (IGCSE)
English Language
English Literature
Physics (IGCSE)
Chemistry (IGCSE)
Bology (IGCSE)

Options:
Spanish
History
Drama
Music

Everybody takes 9 or 10 at her school (depending on whether they do double or triple award science).

Talkinpeace - I didn't know you could officially count music and dance grades towards UCAS. Good to know.

our ds1 yr8 was asked to choose 3 options plus the compulsories. He chose Art (design) Spanish and History. Everyone else seems to have chosen 4?! should I be concerned?

Also whats Ebacc and arent all subjects GCSE, sorry we're new to this, in our day it was plain old CSE, O levels, A levels.

DD1 will be doing:

COMPULSORY
Maths
Eng Lang
Eng Lit
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

OPTIONS

French
History
Art
Drama

She is really looking forward to dropping RE!!- her most hated subject.

DS's GCSEs

Maths
English (Lang & Lit)
RS
IT

Options:

Single Sciences
German
Geography
Art

Salskey, do you mean everyone else at your son's school, or on this thread? If the second, I wouldn't worry.

DS1's (outstanding) school suggests 9, with 10 possible only for those keen enough to do twilight lessons.
DS2's rather less outstanding school is letting him do 11 but strongly hinting that he may be overdoing it and they'll review at half term.
His old school insisted on 11 with one taken a year early, but they are a bunch of achievement mad obsessives hoping to improve their GCSE stats.

I was surprised how much variation there seems to be!

DS2's exam choice would probably out him IRL.

EBacc is the new (made up, off the top of of some minister's head) measure of schools. It's what % of pupils get at least a C grade GCSE in English, maths, science, a foreign language (ancient or modern, I think) and either History or Geography. It's supposed to show those schools who don't just let their pupils take 'noddy' subjects to get their 5 GCSEs, including maths and English. Doesn't take into account pupils preferences or those for whom a less academic, more vocational timetable may be more beneficial. Many are now being shoehorned by schools into taking EBacc subjects when it may be entirely inappropriate for them to to so, so the school looks good in this new ranking. (IM humble O)

Hi Mums,

Thanks for posting about your children's choices for GCSE. I am currently a trainee Drama teacher and I am writing an assignment about engaging year 9 pupils in drama who haven't picked it for GCSE or who aren't really bothered about it. My question for you - and your children if they are nearby (!) - is what was it about drama at key stage 3/year 9 that made them want to pick it at GCSE? If it's that they enjoy it, what was it particularly that made them enjoy it?

Thanks in anticipation,
Miss Smith :)

My son's head asked him this, as they like to be sure kids don't just think it's a doss option. DS's (dramatic) answer was 'I can't live without it!'

DS is doing:

Compulsory

English Lang
English Lit
Maths x2
IT
Triple Science
French
RE

Options:
Art
Latin
Geography

His reserve option choices are Geology and History, and he still has time to change. I would really like him to swap Latin for Geology, but he is adamant that he will not change.

Maths
English Lang
English Lit
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Options:

Spanish
History
Geography
(Option to do astronomy) Undecided

MissSmith DS4 has just opted for Drama, never having done very much, because all his other GCSE's are black letter subjects and I counselled him to find some light relief. But he's rubbish at Art. This is on the basis of change ia as good as a rest because three of his six older siblings have done Art and we know how much time Art takes. DS4 and I also both like the idea of him doing a subject which involves team working. Drama links in to nothing else he wants to do nor to anything he looks likely to do in the future. It has merit as a kind of joker in the pack. I know it can be hard to get the highest grade in Drama but that consideration came below all of the rest.

HTH.