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Original poster

Y9 GCSE Options - Latin or History?

38 replies

fayebebaby · 15/02/2014 13:20

DS brought home the options booklet yesterday, he needs to choose 4 subjects and 2 reserve ones. So triple science is 1st choice, then Spanish and Geography, he wants to put Latin as 4th choice, History being the other alternative, which would be most useful? He has no idea what he wants to do career wise but he wants to do A levels, he`s a clever lad - so his teachers tell me Grin.

I would prefer him to do History, his school is the only comp in our area that offers Latin and I have heard its not a well recognised subject. His school don't have a huge success rate with History at GCSE though. I have said its up to him but any thoughts? advice would help.

He then has to choose 2 reserve subjects - theres not much left to choose from now so its down to Computer Science or Information and Communications Technology - any idea`s which would be the better of those - he has no preference and we are hoping it won't come down to the reserve options and he will get his 1st 4 choices TIA

OP posts:
nkf · 15/02/2014 15:14

If he doesn't like writing essays, then I'd steer him away from History.

DrNick · 15/02/2014 15:15

history

latin is ridiculous

and yes I speak foreign languages without it

TalkinPeace · 15/02/2014 15:24

Latin is wonderful.
I use it every week (gardening)
DD in her planned career will use it every single day (biomedical research)

I hated it at school, but they do not do bellum, bellum, bella any more Wink

ThreeBeeOneGee · 15/02/2014 15:33

If he doesn't like writing essays, then go for Latin.

If you opt him out of RE, don't assume he can take another subject in its place. Many schools wouldn't be able to timetable this.

MerryMarigold · 15/02/2014 15:46

Perhaps it depends on the examination board. I did Latin GCSE at a comp (albeit 22 years ago!) as well as French, German and History and it is much more like a MFL than History in terms of the skills it uses. We didn't do much History as part of my Latin course though - it was a lot of translation stuff and literature.

faybe, of course there is a huge range in there but I reiterate, there is not much analytical thinking/ debate etc. which history could provide. I don't really know how much Uni's care about GCSE subjects BUT if he decided he wanted to do say, Psychology, something with more of the written analysis would come in handy. I don't think it makes a huge difference, but you did ask and that is my opinion. I think he is still very young to have decided what A levels he wants to do, let alone degree. I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do when I was 14 and my dsis changed her degree course after she'd started it (4 year course in Scotland). Personally I still think History leaves more options open.

Original poster
fayebebaby · 15/02/2014 15:48

llijkk - no its one of the biggest in the area - can take 250 kids in each year. Options in 2 blocks - block one has the more academic subjects - History, Geography, Spanish, French, German, Latin and because he is doing triple science that has to be one choice. He cant (well I don't think he can)choose French or German because he hasn't studied them at all - he wouldn't want to either. He had the choice in Y7 to do French or Spanish - he chose Spanish and then the choice in Y8 to do German or Latin - he chose Latin. Block 2 has Music, Art and then all the design techs - all ruled out as he has no artistic or music ability, the only tech he has enjoyed is food tech but he doesn't want to do this and then other things are child care, business studies and others I can`t remember

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TalkinPeace · 15/02/2014 15:51

gosh that is restrictive
DCs comp (300 per year)
has four option blocks and you pick one from each
most subjects are in two blocks so its a pretty free choice

science is not in the options because the school allocates the kids to their appropriate version

Original poster
fayebebaby · 15/02/2014 15:52

MerryMarigold - I appreciate your response - he has no idea what he wants to do, but he excels in Maths so I think he sees that as a logical choice for further study at A level and he really enjoys Spanish and if you like the subject I think that helps! thanks again everyone for all your views

OP posts:
Original poster
fayebebaby · 15/02/2014 15:54

There is a lot more to choose from in Block 2, just nothing he wants to!. you have to take 1 subject from Block 1 and then the other 3 can be from either block 1 or 2

OP posts:
lljkk · 15/02/2014 16:03

Decide between history & latin depending on which has the nicer teacher.
Well, you could do worse than decide that way.

TalkinPeace · 15/02/2014 16:09

but teachers leave ....

ThoughtFox · 15/02/2014 16:16

My mum refused to let me do GCSE Latin as she said it was an irrelevant subject. 7 years on, I was desperately struggling to learn Latin on my own when doing a Masters in 17th century history...

They're both good subjects, so why doesn't he just pick what he fancies and spend a couple of years enjoying his studies?

Original poster
fayebebaby · 15/02/2014 17:03

I wanted to do O level German many years ago and my mum refused to let me as my sister had failed it 3 years earlier - I was better at it than her Grin ended up taking Biology which I hated and failed, re took and failed again!! ThoughtFox he fancies Latin so it`s up to him

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