Subject choices for S1 (Scotland)

[Soapysuds64]

Dd will be going to a specialist music school after the summer holidays, where she will be having 4 extra hours of music tuition per week. To accommodate this, she needs to drop 4 subjects in S1 but will have to do them in S2. She has to do maths and english, wants to do science and I will insist she does french - drama and PE are also on the list as probables.

She can choose to do 4 out of art, design and technology, home economics, ICT and RME, or do social science (a combination of history, geography and modern studies) with one of the 5 other subjects mentioned.

It is unlikely that she will study any of these subjects to higher level, and probably not to national 5 level either. Is there any value in her taking the more 'academic' social sciences, or will she get more benefit from the more 'arty' subjects? I hear that some of these 'arty' subjects have more homework than you would imagine, and may not be the easy option you would think them to be?

When I was at 6th form, I based my subject choices (apart from my actual A level classes) on whether I could skive off them easily enough, whether they had exams and how much effort I had to put in. I am not sure if I am best placed to advise her....

I'm not sure about up here, but on MN threads GCSE Art often gets mentioned as taking far more time than other subjects, so it needs a fair amount of commitment. If that's the same in Scotland, it's maybe not a great choice alongside all the music practice she'll presumably be doing.

What sort of person is she? Does the academic stuff interest her, or is it a struggle?

I tend to the view that the more academic subjects you do, the better, so long as you are capable. If that's more of a question, better to do well at a smaller number of academic subjects and have more variety.

Sorry, that probably boils down to not much advice really

She is academic, but if she doesn't want to do something, she won't. Although she won't be taking them as far as GCSE / national 5 level, I also have a feeling that art (and maybe design tech, home ec....) may not be the easy option they appear to be... Think the social sciences might be the better option for her, probably with art (cos I think she will like that best).

My DS2 sounds similar to your DD with respect to interests and subjects he will study to NQ5/Higher (though he's in a specialist music class rather than a specialist music school). He's just finishing S2. I'd check out how good the subjects are within your particular school before choosing.

My DS2 has really enjoyed the social science subjects and I notice a huge improvement in his interest in history, geography and current affairs over the past 2 years. I'd recommend these.

His Home Economics and Design and Technology classes have been terrible - lots of different teachers, lots of messing about, no real plan to the year. I'm guessing they have been short of staff and have chosen to neglect the "music" class as they are unlikely to choose the subject for exams.

He's no artist but has enjoyed art also (no more homework than other subjects and you can spend as much time or as little time on it as you wish - my DS2 can easily do very little however my DD would feel the need to spend ages on each bit of homework).

He's found ICT useful - particularly as they use composing software in his music class. RME is a bit of a skive in his school (sitting around discussing and watching videos) - in my opinion not worth it.

Well, I wonder how they are delivering the Broad General education that they are required to do if they are following the Scottish sylabus if they are basically opting out of a lot of subjects - unless of course they are following the English syllabus which a lot of private school schools do?

i also thought that RME was compulsory up until 14 unless you chose to opt out on "non" religious grounds.

At another High school (not the one my children attend), they do 4 extra Sport lessons but they miss out 1 English, 1 Maths, 1 PE and 1 of the more vocational lessons but still do a broad range in order to satisfy the regulations.

If i was her, I think I would do Social Science as that still gives her the option of History, Geography and Modern Studies at National 5 and beyond and then pick one other random thing that she would be interested in.