Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Drama and Music for GCSE?

34 replies

FiveHoursSleep · 26/02/2016 07:55

Is this an okay combination?
DD is doing the usually core subjects plus RS as a humanity and Spanish as a language and gets two 'free' choices. She's having trouble deciding but quite fancies this combination.
She has NO idea what she wants to do for a job.

OP posts:
JaneJefferson · 26/02/2016 08:03

I think these are fine as options if they are what captures her interest. The combination is no problem.

wellies · 26/02/2016 08:05

My dd is in year 10 doing drama and music GCSE. All good so far - no idea where she'll go with it career wise but it's where her heart is so we wee happy to support her choices.

LooseAtTheSeams · 26/02/2016 08:47

I think it's a good combination - good luck to her and I think it's good the school organised the subjects so they can manage two creative options.

Balletgirlmum · 26/02/2016 08:56

Great combination.

The new drama GCSE is very analysis based too, it's like a humanities subject. There is the written exam which is 40% then the portfolio which means the kids should be learning to look at things with a critical eye.

Unfortunately dd can't do both because she wants to do triple science but otherwise her options are very similar to your dd

French, RS & Music.

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 26/02/2016 09:05

DD is doing triple science anyhow- it's doesn't seem to be treated as an extra subject at our school!

OP posts:
ATailofTwoKitties · 26/02/2016 10:49

DS did both and enjoyed it. Be warned though that her mark for the performance part of the GCSE drama will depend a bit on the flakiness or otherwise of the rest of her group. DS's were chaotic in terms of turning up for rehearsals and learning their lines.

DD wanted to do both plus Art, and I am heartily relieved that her school has timetabled the subjects so that she couldn't do all three.

bojorojo · 26/02/2016 15:37

I think Drama is a subject that really depends on excellent teaching and high expectations. No-one at my DDs' school was allowed to be flaky! A* s achieved by 99%. It is hard work but enjoyable. My DD2 did Art and Drama GCSE.

Balletgirlmum · 26/02/2016 17:03

The new syllabus I think will help with that, although a lot ofvthecknowledge & techniques can be taught through practical sessions the individual portfolio will have as many marks as the actual performances plus the written paper

roguedad · 26/02/2016 17:46

Music and Drama are great. I'd be a lot more concerned about doing RS in the Humanities slot - aren't History and/or Geography available? Or another MFL?

Balletgirlmum · 26/02/2016 18:00

Why concerned about doing RS? I think it's a great subject & dd really enjoys it whereas she hates geography & gets low grades in history?

Marmitelover55 · 26/02/2016 19:15

My DD is doing triple science plus French, geography art and music - just hoping it's not all too much work...

TheSecondOfHerName · 26/02/2016 20:57

It's fine to do RS as the humanity. It seems to be taught particularly well at your DD's school, and if she enjoys it then she should do that. I think Music & Drama are fine as the two free options. I know of two children in Y10 who chose that combination and neither are regretting it.

Presumably she has only been learning Spanish since Y8. What made her choose that rather than the MFL she started in Y7?

TheSecondOfHerName · 26/02/2016 20:58

PS I have a son who has just chosen his A-level options and STILL has no idea what he wants to do as a career.

Balletgirlmum · 27/02/2016 11:04

Incidentally did you know the percentage of students accepted to Russell Group universities with A level theatre studies is really high.

clary · 27/02/2016 11:10

My DD does drama and music and enjoys both.

She also does French and Geography so pretty solid subjects there.

Thesecond OP's DD may have done Spanish since year 7, why do you assume she hasn't? DS1 and DS2 both did Spanish from year 7, not all schools start everyone with French now.

Balletgirlmum · 27/02/2016 11:17

Agree clary. Dd only had a choice of French but ds could choose from French, German or Spanish in year 7 with the option of taking up an additional language from year 9.

ohtobeanonymous · 27/02/2016 13:06

Spooky - these are DD1s exact choices, too (but her school insist they do an 'extra' choice so she is also doing History).

Seems our girls are in for a LOT of reading, essay writing and creativity. Bit jealous I can't also take the courses...

ohtobeanonymous · 27/02/2016 13:07

Spooky - these are DD1s exact choices, too (but her school insist they do an 'extra' choice so she is also doing History).

Seems our girls are in for a LOT of reading, essay writing and creativity. Bit jealous I can't also take the courses...

TheSecondOfHerName · 27/02/2016 13:12

Thesecond OP's DD may have done Spanish since year 7, why do you assume she hasn't?

Because the OP's DD goes to the same school as my DD, and they learn French or German in Y7. In Y8 they can choose a second MFL, including Spanish.

clary · 27/02/2016 21:33

Aha! Grin you had insider knowledge then

BackforGood · 27/02/2016 23:21

DS did both and enjoyed it. Be warned though that her mark for the performance part of the GCSE drama will depend a bit on the flakiness or otherwise of the rest of her group

This. With hindsight, dd wished she hadn't chosen drama - it was too influenced by stuff she couldn't influence. If your school has a fab teacher with an excellent reputation then you might not need to worry however.
It is seen as a good GCSE though - all sorts of presentation skills can be improved through doing drama, which help in all sorts of careers, plus, of course, interview and assessment situations.

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 28/02/2016 08:44

Ha, have just come back to this.
Yes TheSecond does have insider knowledge. She just prefers Spanish to French. She's on a good pathway in both.
I'd prefer she did another humanity tbh, but she's balking a bit at Music, which I really think she should do, so we may have to use that as a trade off. Choosing GCSE's is very stressful.

OP posts:
Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 28/02/2016 08:45

'She' in the second paragraph refers to my DD, not TheSecond btw!
Sorry, only halfway through my cup of tea.

OP posts:
Katymac · 28/02/2016 08:52

I think a taleoftwokitties is right - it can be dependant of your peers (so bojorojo is right too strong teaching can help)

DD got a pass at BTEC drama & a place at performing arts school in the same year Wink

Music is often thought of as very academic but DD managed a B in it (along with her B in English) everything else was a C (apart from dance Wink)

TheSecondOfHerName · 28/02/2016 15:23

'She' in the second paragraph refers to my DD, not TheSecond btw!

Grin Brew