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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

Options choice - please could you cast your expert eyes over these!

28 replies

itwillbebetter · 15/02/2014 16:20

He is my first child to pick options so I would be really grateful if you more experienced people would give me your opinion on whether these are a good choice?
DS1 is a bright lad who works blooming hard, he is hoping to go on to A levels in science and maths as these are his strongest subjects but he has no further ideas with regards to the future so we want to give him a good range.
His compulsory subjects are triple science, maths, 2 english and french.
His other 4 top choices are
History (he enjoys it)
Geography (goes alongside science nicely)
Computer science (again he likes it)
Art ( to give him a breathing space and it contains a photography element which is his hobby)

He attends a small independent school and there are not a great deal of subject choices but the ones left are, music, PE, performing arts, business studies and computer studies. He doesn't fancy any of these.

Do these choices seem reasonable and well rounded?
Many thanks for any input.

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Scholes34 · 15/02/2014 16:46

Sounds good. My DD did Art. It's a lot of work and he needs to keep on top of it. She hated Art by the end of it!

FiveOwls · 15/02/2014 17:00

Sounds great, except I'm not sure I'd think of Art as a "breathing space". My dd considered it as she's quite arty and enjoys drawing, and thought it might be good to do something she enjoyed even if it wasn't something she'd study in the future. She changed her mind after talking to friends in the year above, who'd had all their enjoyment killed off by the workload. Apparently "even the really arty ones hate it now".

Original poster

itwillbebetter · 15/02/2014 17:15

Ah I didn't factor in the work load of art! I just wanted him to be able to have some creativity. He is not particularly arty but really enjoys photography, perhaps this isn't enough of a reason?

I forgot, the other option available is DT. I wonder whether this would be better?

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TalkinPeace · 15/02/2014 17:34

looks fine .... but Art is hard work now

twentyten · 15/02/2014 17:39

Dt is heavy on coursework too. Art nearly finished my dd and her very bright hardworking friends last year. have a look at what grades were achieved in each subject.

Business studies is pretty straightforward!

reddidi · 15/02/2014 17:45

There is a lot of work in art, but my DS who is pretty rubbish at art very sciency loves it as a foil to his main interest.

It also has the advantage that all the work should be done before GCSE exams start whereas DT seems to be timetabled on the assumption that candidates don't also do advanced science (this year's Resistant Materials paper is in the morning with Chemistry Unit 2 in the afternoon).

hellsbells99 · 15/02/2014 17:50

DD1 now in sixth form hates art after gcse. Huge amounts of work, very repetitive, very boring. She got an A* but did more work in art than the rest of her subjects put together and at the expense of her other subjects

Leeds2 · 15/02/2014 17:50

I would choose at least one of geography or history, so that he has a humanity.

And I would second what others have said about the workload in Art!

ChocolateWombat · 15/02/2014 17:55

Sorry if you already said, but how many from the remaining 4 he likes can he have? Ie what is the total subjects?
All looks good and balanced. Should keep the doors open for pretty much anything at Alevel.

Lottiedoubtie · 15/02/2014 17:55

If he's already good at science then PE is more likely to provide 'breathing space' than art.

But really, he ought to do what he wants to do.

TalkinPeace · 15/02/2014 18:02

I would never recommend PE GCSE for an academic kid : because PE is already compulsory

DD is doing a tech subject and hates it too
DS is going to do Astronomy instead

Original poster

itwillbebetter · 15/02/2014 18:30

chocolatewombat Sorry I wasn't at all clear. He will take all of those 4, so in addition to the 5 compulsory he will take 11. Teachers seem to think he is capable but I'm a bit worried about over facing him because this is a boy who will easily spend all weekend doing homework. I don't want to fry his brain but he is very sure he can cope.

PE is not an option for him. He is dyspraxic and has broken his arm 3 times attempting sport

Not at all sure now about art. I don't want it to be at the expense of his other subjects, I mistakenly thought it may be a bit easier and give him a break. I misjudged that didn't I?!

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Original poster

itwillbebetter · 15/02/2014 18:32

Ah sorry that should read in addition to the 7 compulsory! He didn't get his maths ability from me!

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Lottiedoubtie · 15/02/2014 18:42

I think essentially there are no 'easy' GCSEs. The 'soft subject' thing is mostly abject bollocks.

Which is why doing what you actually want to spend time doing is so important!

ChocolateWombat · 15/02/2014 18:47

Interesting it is 11 subjects. I know children in highly academic schools and they go for 9, saying 8 good grades and plenty for UNi application. They prefer their kids to get 9 As or aA*s and to have some enrichment in other areas, than get 11 GCSEs poss with one or two being lower grades and less time for wider activities. Different issue to the one you are asking about I know.

Viviennemary · 15/02/2014 18:51

They sound fine. But I agree about art. A couple of people I know did Art and it is no easy option. And easy to spend a disproportionate amount of time on.

Kez100 · 15/02/2014 18:53

With what is left, that looks an overall very sensible choice but, as others say, don't let him go into art thinking it will be easy/relaxing - it will be one of the most time consuming.

My daughter is at art college for level 3 (A level) and she is very pleased she didn't do it at GCSE.

Millipedewithherfeetup · 15/02/2014 19:04

Looks like a nice balanced choice, dd did both history and geography at gcse level andis now tsking both of these as well ss englidh lit, language at A level.I

ihatethecold · 15/02/2014 19:21

Oh god. These comments are worrying me with regard to art.

My yr 9 son is considering art. We are wavering between that and DT.

gardenfeature · 15/02/2014 19:43

I second what everyone else has said re the Art. Several parents have told me that the workload was greater than in any other subject.

reddidi · 15/02/2014 19:55

My DS probably spends as much time on art as the rest of the subjects put together. But if he wasn't doing art he wouldn't be revising French vocab or actually doing Biology homework instead of making up excuses, he'd probably be on Minecraft/Facebook/hanging around with mates/worse so on balance we are glad he chose it.

TalkinPeace · 15/02/2014 20:29

reddidi your DS is my DS's missing twin by the sound of it

yourlittlesecret · 16/02/2014 12:39

They sound great. It's nice to have one non-academic subject for a balance although it's true about the workload in art.
Of the others, my DS is doing all of them (and more), the heaviest workload is history but he loves it.

flakjacket · 16/02/2014 12:42

My DD has chosen Music instead of Art believing it to be less work but it sounds like a good choice considering she is an idle so-and-so!

Original poster

itwillbebetter · 16/02/2014 13:58

Thanks for all your comments. Spoke to DS this morning and we are going to keep his first 3 and have a rethink with art, although not sure what else will fit.

THanks again

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