GCSE options...how much do they really matter?

[wordfactory]

DS is currently considering his options for GCSE.
After he's done all the core stuff (Eng x2, maths, science x3, MFL) there are only three choices left.

He's thinking History, Latin and Geography. But then he's thinking History, Latin and Ancient Greek. Then Spanish, RS and Latin. This morning he said History, RS and Latin, then changed his mind back to Latin, Ancient Greek and History...

Does it really matter in the scheme of things? Do any universities really care what they do at this stage?

[MordionAgenos]

@gelo You only have to be grade 3 level. The maximum they will evaluate at is grade 5. At 15/16. DD2 is grade 5 level singing at 9. It's really not a huge ask. It's just whether the kid wants to do it enough. French speaking and listening is a much much bigger ask. Massively so.

[MordionAgenos]

@hells well, that can happen in any subject. See the English hoohah last year. That's the risk you take with internally moderated assessments.

[gelo]

Ah mordion, you are a musical family, so grade 3 seems easy to you, but there are lots of dc for whom that is a struggle and for whom performance ability is a key factor when deciding to do music GCSE or not.

[seeker]

But I don't think you would be considering music GCSE unless you were at least grade 3 level, would you?

[gelo]

And french speaking is more or less a memory test these days as you can plan what you are going to say with books/internet/friends and then just learn it. Listening isn't too bad if you are good at guessing either (my dd appears to understand no spoken french at all but gained a high A on that exam, from doing all the past papers she could, studying the mark schemes and knowing the kind of things they might be asking for a few weeks beforehand). She is grade 2 on an instrument and no way could she have gained an even half way decent performance mark if she'd chosen music.

[gelo]

people around grade 2 or 3 do consider music seeker - they ask themselves do I have a realistic chance of getting to ~grade 4 and preferably 5 in the 2 years between making their option choices and taking the exams. They don't always make the right judgement.

[DizzyHoneyBee]

DD is making her choices at the moment. She wants to do medicine at university so is going to go for triple science plus a language (French or German) and then geography and either Fine Art or Music. She can't choose between Fine Art and Music; unlike me she is very good at both (sorry, stealth boast there!), she's got a grade 3 in music already but she enjoys art more.
We've not yet had the options meeting at school (it's next week) but we just had parents evening, I thought they would give out the options sheet then but they didn't.
Any useful websites out there?

[MordionAgenos]

@gelo Well, music isn't the right choice for everyone, but that doesn't mean it's not academic, which was the thing I was taking issue with. Believe me, sciences aren't the right choice for everyone. Neither is French.

[MordionAgenos]

@gelo - that's because she didn't want to though, isn't it. There is no reason why any child can't get up to grade 3 on an instrument (or singing) by the time they are 15/16. There's no reason why they should, of course - but no reason why they shouldn't.

My DD1 finds the speaking and listening in French almost impossible. Your DD is good at it, but not everyone is. Don't assume that just because your child can do something, everyone can.

[hellsbells99]

Hi Dizzy. Just a word or caution - Art GCSE has been very very very time consuming (can't emphasise that enough)! The problem with my DD doing both Art and Music is that she wants high grades in both and both subjects are 'never finished' - if you understand what I mean. DD spent the weekend before this last one finishing her art portfolio when she needed to be revising for her 3 science GCSE exams last week. And then she brought more art home at the weekend and has now started her exam prep for art. Her final music composition needs to be finished this week so again lots of work on this. She often stays late in school for both these subjects. BUT she has enjoyed them both :)

[DizzyHoneyBee]

Hi Bells, thanks for that information, its good to hear it from somebody with experience because it's been hard to get objective information from her teachers about it because the last few weeks has been like a sales pitch for DD, all the teachers are telling her how good their subjects are and want her to do them.

[seeker]

gCSE art is loads of work. Loads

[hellsbells99]

Mordion - I don't think Gove thinks it is academic :)

[MordionAgenos]

According to DD1's friends, art GCSE is a sisyphean ordeal. Yet, at the same time, they love it. Go figure.

[MordionAgenos]

@hells and this proves that it is. For he is a nogoodnik. and a knownothingnik. At the same time (impressive array of rubbishness, he displays).

[DizzyHoneyBee]

My DD does art as a hobby and that's what has inspired her to consider it. She might be put off now though because she wants to do Fine Art and it looks like she will have to do art and design instead.

[hellsbells99]

:)

[gelo]

well dd was actually strongly encouraged by her school music teachers to take it - she didn't because although her theory is excellent she knows she's rubbish at playing (and singing too btw - you should have seen her last singing report - diabolical, and not through lack of trying). She'd have been quite amenable to taking it instead of say RE if she thought she could have achieved well without too much effort, but it was really a non starter for her. Your dd is good at music, please don't assume everyone is. Grade 3 by the way is probably not sufficient to secure a top grade at music.

[GrimmaTheNome]

We've just had the options booklet from DDs school - they recommend to the pupils that they weigh them up considering (in no particular order)

1. what they enjoy (subject itself, not particular teacher)
   
2. what they get good levels in
   
3. possible career relevance
   
4. is it a balanced set of options
   
   The latter includes considering the mix of assessed/exam. Seems like a good set of guidelines.
   
   They do 11 GCSEs - have to do 2xEnglish, Maths, 3xScience, 1MFL and one humanity(Hist, geog or RE) and they are encouraged but not compelled to include a tech and one of art, music or drama.
   
   So, German for the MFL and Geog for the humanity -leaving 3 free options for Electronics, Computer Science and Drama.
   
   Wouldn't suit everyone but seems about perfect for her.
   
   One boy we know is determined to be some sort of archaeologist so for him History, Latin and Ancient Greek would be the perfect combo!

[Xenia]

Some of mine did music GCSE but they would all have had 2 grade 8s or 1 8 and 1 7 (three had/have music scholarships). I put myself in for music O level without a single lesson and got an A when I was a teenager but then I'd done grade 8 music theory etc.

I think the main point from the thread is if your child is doing 8 core academic GCSEs by all means do an art/music etc more fun one but realise that will mean extra work, more work than they probably realise and if doing the core 8 is a struggle then do not do the additional ones or only one of them.

[MordionAgenos]

But gelo, none of that means that music is not academic, it just means that your DD wasn't suited to music gcse. The fact that your DD thought she couldn't get a top grade 'without too much effort' is hardly an argument for it being not academic, is it. I might just as well proclaim that French isn't academic on the basis that my DD1 can't do it.

[gelo]

She'd have been prepared to put a fair bit of effort in as she did with PE if she thought she had a chance to be fair.

No I'm not saying it's not academic, but it's more than just academic - a bit like PE to be honest - 40% academic exam, 60% something else.

[MissMarplesThong]

With some subjects it may be worth looking at the BTEC rather than the GCSE.

My DS will be taking ICT BTEC and Sports BTEC next to his core GCSE subjects. Both of these are practical rather than theoretical. DS plans to build himself a gaming PC and will see if he can include this in the BTEC.

The Sports BTEC does not require proficiency in the chosen sports what it requires is an understanding of what is required for proficiency and where that is or is not being achieved. This is different from the Sports GCSE which requires proficiency.

[GreatUncleEddie]

DS1 is an excellent all rounder but is convinced that only by doing three separate sciences is he "doing science properly". He is an excellent linguist (top of the year in two last year) and a truly excellent essay writer. I think he should do dual science to allow for another mfl or humanity. Does he need to do separate science if he intends to do a science at A level?

[GreatUncleEddie]

He is good at science - he won that prize too.