Need thoughts on these GCSE options please

[bangersandmash19]

DD is expected to hand hers in next week. She's very academically able and not arty at all.

Despite being top set science she is sticking to double award science as triple takes up 'too many' lessons. She has to do RS as well as all the traditional stuff - Eng Lit, Eng Lan, Maths, etc.

For her options she has chosen:
French
History
Geography
Drama

All her teachers for these subjects have recommended she takes GCSE.

Is this is a good, balanced set? Or should we swap something? She is DC1 so am totally new to this!

Was slightly comforted by talking to the exasperated mothers of her similarly bright friends who are taking stuff like Art, Music, and Textiles.

Anyway just looking for some feedback really, thank you so much in advance

DD's school used to recommend:
core (sci x2, eng x2, maths)
a humanity
a language
an expressive art
a technical subject.

So you get a balanced, all-round education. Except DD didn't like technical stuff so we wriggled out of that and did another humanity. Oh, and she did a BTec worth a billion GCSE in IT.

Pretty much like your list and it has got her where she wanted.

Yes, a great set.

If she's not considering science A levels then no need to do triple. Presumably if she was, then she would be wanting to do triple.

French, History, Geography are all solid subjects.

Drama will develop other skills, and be a break from the sat at desk subjects.
Does she get on with people well? Drama is reliant on team working and on others being available for rehearsals.

Thanks for feedback.

DD does work well with other people, a natural leader, and is confident, so I don't see her having any isues with Drama. She has always had lovely reports from her teacher.

Any others noughts?

Oh sorry - iPad autocorrect is exceedingly stupid! Meant thoughts!

I think she should be taking an IT based subject if it is an option. Perhaps it is in the core ones? It wasn't when I was at school, and I wish I had chosen it as one of my choices.

Drama is a great subject to do.

If she is good at Science, she should do triple. Don't let anyone tell you she can do A level Sciences without this. The jump is enormous. If she wants to do medicine, she will need chemistry A level. The sciences will keep more doors open at this stage.

Bar the sciences (triple rather than double) DS2 (Y11) doing exactly the same combination. No issues so far. And again triple rather than double science aside, almost the same as Ds1, now at Uni - no drama for him, a second MFL instead.

Core subjects here were maths, English, double/triple science, ICT, ethics & beliefs. DD took history, geography & Spanish as her options and hasn't missed the artier subjects at all. She says that as the other kids in her classes have all made a positive decision to take those papers, the classes are all good fun. Let her take what she wants & enjoy it.

It really makes no difference to her college application what so ever. Just let her take what she wants. I don't think I even told my mum what I had chosen.

Thats exactely what one of my dc did , he ended up with 5 offers at RG unis to do a fairly competitive subject , so i'd say thats fine

*If she is good at Science, she should do triple. Don't let anyone tell you she can do A level Sciences without this.

I agree if she's thinking of science a levels she's better doing triple but it is perfectly find to do three science after doing double award. I am a science teacher. There is absolutely no difference in final a level grades between double and triple science students.

So bright children don't do Art, Music or Textiles then? What rubbish. Art is needed for Architecture. Music is rather useful if you happen to be good at Music and wish to study it at university. Textiles is a great arts subject. Not everyone would want to do Drama but choosing an arts subject gives breadth to the GCSE portfolio and some children are interested in art and are actually good at it. They are not second class citizens and I was more than happy for my academic DDs to do an arts subjects at GCSE. Did not appear to stop one getting into Oxford. I still have plenty of hair!

Seven of my eight 'academic' DC did or are doing art/ D&T or drama at GCSE and so far no university appears to have batted an eyelid. Those GCSEs are a very good spread. Doing an art or design GCSE or drama or music is a very good idea as far as I can see - variety and all that.

Oh bojorojo, I didn't mean at all that bright children can't do artsy subjects, I was just saying that some of the mother's of DD's friends are very frustrated because their girls want to ONLY take arty subjects (rather than a mix of more academic stuff like languages/humanities, and arty subjects). Sorry

bangersandmash art and anything with 'design' or 'studies' in its title gets a very bad press on MN, unjustifiably. The received wisdom on here is that these subjects are 'soft' and 'soft' is bad, apparently.

Why on earth would anyone be exasperated at their bright child doing music GCSE? It's a very academic subject. All my kids have done or will be doing music. I did music O and A level and that didn't stop me going to Cambridge or having a fabulous career (not in music).

Apology accepted, bangers. I think schools should insist on 8 academic subjects for those who should be doing them and the other two choices could be arts subjects. Or they could be languages for a linguist. A well balanced group of subjects is what matters at GCSE and for some, Arts are important. If they were not, let's go without orchestras, actors, art galleries, Alexander McQueen (amazing textiles as well as clothes) and all the other arts people we admire. We need them too.