Latin GCSE if not studying other languages?

[Strumpetpumpet]

Evening all. My DS (yr 8) is choosing his GCSE options. They currently study French, Spanish and Latin, and school strongly recommend they choose to take a language gcse. Until recently, DS was planning to take Spanish but he's now thinking about Latin as he enjoys it - and, as a geeky introvert he likes the sound of no spoken exam and no overseas exchange programme 😂. I've always assumed Latin is a subject for linguists and think Spanish would be a more sensible option but I wondered if anyone has any advice/experience of Latin GCSE? Thanks in advance x

DD1 chose Latin as her "fun" subject (I made a rule that the DDs could pick one "easy" subject and one "fun" subject for GCSEs from their free choices) and found it really helped with German grammar (which weirdly wasn't really taught at GCSE, it was all learning phrases by rote - DD3 is now start pupil in her GCSE German class as she knows "der, die das" off by heart ). It also appealed to her mathematical brain as it's very logical and has "proper rules which are properly followed"as she put it. In terms of usefulness otherwise, none so far, but was a talking point in job interviews.

OP, do check it counts as a language for the school's reporting (is it Progress 8 now?), otherwise you'll find your DS is "encouraged" to chose Spanish [cynical].

I took Latin at GCSE and got an A* but our teacher was so strict and frankly terrifying excellent that we all did. I loved it, absolutely loved it, and everything I know about grammar came from Latin lessons. I didn't take it any further but it's great brain training as it's so structured, I would definitely recommend it.

Just a quick update to thank you all for your replies which we found really helpful. DS has submitted his options & has plumped for Latin so we will see how it goes! Still amazed that it counts as a modern foreign language for ebac purposes but there you go!
Thanks again x

DS1 did both Latin and German GCSE. Got an A in Latin and a B in German.

DS2 is doing both Latin and French. Likely to get a 7 or 8 in both.

DD (Y8) is currently studying Latin and French. At her school, they have to do a language for GCSE but it doesn't have to be a modern one. At the moment, she is tempted to continue with Latin because she struggles with speaking and listening (auditory processing disorder).

laughing at this one - especially the story of the mock exam translation.

It is the only O-level exam that i still remember in vivid detail ... knowing that 'the rock [lapis] who was the mother of the Mother of the Gods' from the unseen translation made ABSOLUTELY no sense but seemed to me to be the only possible translation... kept my nerve and it all turned out OK!

I am such an old gimmer that we also had to do English to Latin translation - I loved that, it was like a Maths logic puzzle.