GCSE Options/Sociology

[HangingRock]

Dd had an assembly on options where they had to rank ebacc and option subjects (parents will have a meeting and info next month.)
Think she has to do 10 and as well as Maths, Eng x2, compulsory RE GCSE and Triple Science has picked

French
History
Sociology

Is that an ok mix? I did look up an old mumsnet thread where people said they thought Sociology shouldn't be studied until degree level, but if she thinks it looks interesting it's ok with the other subjects isn't it? Is it a subject kids pick as an easy option and mess about in or not?

I don't know much about sociology itself but as a whole she has selected a nice range of options.

Maybe chat with her about who else is doing sociology and if you think it may be a class that doesn't want to learn then would she perhaps be able to do e.g.. geography instead.

My DD has chosen exactly the same options and is in her first year studying them. Her teachers thought that is was a great mix and sociology is her fave subject at the moment.

Yes, a couple of students chose it as they saw it as an easier option but it so isn't and she has had more h/w in sociology than any other subject. She sits away from the slackers / muck abouters and if she is near any of them she quietly asks her teacher if she can swap seats.

Good luck with your DC and their options and go for it 😀

Thanks for your helpful answers.
It's quite a big year group (240) so i don't think she'd be able to find out who else was doing it. She sometimes gets very good exam marks in Geog (other times they dip) and the teacher was keen for her to take it but she just doesn't find it interesting which is fair enough. She gets good grades in Spanish and again they were keen for her to take it but she thinks it would be too much vocab to learn if she did both MFL. They do both tend to get them to learn pages and pages of vocab before the exams so i can see what she means.
Glad your dd is enjoying Socio Anne. Sounds promising for my dd.
I guess your dd wanted to drop all the creative subjects like mine. Dd can't wait to drop drama!

Just remembered Sociology was one of the 2 subjects the grandson passed in the brill Maureen Lipman ad from the late 80s if anyone is old enough to remember it?
"Pottery? People will always need plates!"
"Sociology? He gets an ology and he says he's failed! Anthony, you get an ology you're a scientist!"

DD2 did Sociology - tbh it was a subject that people picked when they didn't really have much idea what they wanted to do and had to pick something, but the teachers were fantastic, and DD sailed through to very good marks in the GCSE. Id suggest looking at what exam grades previous years have got, that will tell you if it's considered a "mucking around" option at your school.

FWIW, if all the other subjects are "properly academic", then one which might be regarded as softer won't make a lot of difference, provided you get decent grades in it.

DD really enjoyed it, followed it up with Psychology at A level, and now at degree level.

Thanks Visions. That's a good idea about looking up previous grades

Sounds great options. I did Sociology O-level (yep I’m that old) , alongside my 3A-levels in 6th form. I absolutely loved it- really interesting and a nice change from the normal academic subjects we did.

Thanks. I think I'd find it interesting too.

And yes - I remember the Maureen Lipman advert - very funny 😄

It came out the same year i did my O levels. (87)

I did it years ago, it was actually my favourite subject at GCSE. I had to get special permission as it was in our humanities block of subjects and I also did History and Geography, and I'm still really glad they ok'd it. Genuinely interesting, u carried on to A Level and I found it useful years later when I did a social work MA.

Thanks since. Looks like she'll be doing those subjects then.

If your DD is a people person then she'll love it. My DD just "gets" people / situations and has a wonderful sense of what to say and act when I would have floundered. Her teacher loves her as she's a good debater too and not afraid to say her opinion.
There seems to be a fair bit of project work so prob just as well she's not doing geography as DD always had project work in that too in KS3.

Funnily enough she had another two options and chose dance and drama as well as the obligatory Maths, English x2 and sciences.

I have loved reading and hearing about what she's done in sociology and would have loved to have done it at my school - wasn't offered. She'll probably do it for A level too

Same. It wasn't offered at my school. We just had a narrow range of traditional subjects. Couldn't even do PE as an exam subject. I think it would have been better if things like Sociology had been offered to us as some people who left with hardly any quals might have done better with a non traditional subject. I'd liked to have done it. Will definitely look at her Socio homework. I find some of her Geog projects interesting as i dropped this at 14, but she doesn't!
My younger dd (10) has the social skills you describe. Dd1 slightly more quirky, although she has a nice group of friends. She does contribute well in class though as that's been commented on.

I think it’s a great subject for building awareness about the world. I loved it! Feminism, crime and deviance, education etc etc. It has great potential to steer towards future A levels/degree in politics or law.

sociology is great and the gsce level is wonderful, its perfect for people who like the more "phycological" subjects. its an amazing spring board for A levels

Great! I hope she enjoys it. Glad i posted. Fingers crossed she gets the subjects she's picked.

Was telling a friend about dd's Gcse options and she said triple science doesn't count as three GCSEs and English isn't 2 GCSEs (lang and lit.) Is that right? If so I've misunderstood it. (Parents not had the meeting or info about it yet.)

Triple Science is three separate GCSEs and English is two: Lit and Lang as you have said. Double science is two GCSEs. Not sure where your friend has got that from but that is what I am aware from my daughter's school. You'll know more at your school meeting but if it's unclear definitely ask.

Thanks Anne. She has a child in year 10 but in another school. It's possible she's got triple and combined science mixed up. Thanks for clarifying it's as i thought

It’s not such a strong GCSE as History or Geography and is not a facilitating subject at A level. It is a bit limiting regarding future A level prep. What is she interested in at A level? I assume she wants an easy life if she cannot do two MFL. DD never thought this!

She wants to do Maths A Level. Not sure which other ones. She is good at Science

My daughter has done sociology for A level . It is a very interesting subject that makes them think more critically about the world . Go for it ! School is boring enough . Choose subjects you’re interested in !

Sociology would be a last resort, tbh. Are there no other subjects that she currently studies that she would want to do?

I imagine the school is offering A-Level sociology and wants to bump up the teacher’s timetable with GCSE work.