GSCE option choices

[TheletterZ]

My 13 year old (year 9) is choosing her options this month. She is struggling as she loves school and wants to continue all her subjects!

With the new, harder/less coursework/ more exam, 9-1 GCSEs how many is it reasonable to take? (she is getting very good grades and her predicted grades are all 7-9s)

Personally I would like her to do 10 and not over burden herself but looking for other people's advise.

Does she have a choice as to the number to take?

She is hoping to persuade the school to support to do an extra language outside of school hours (so giving her the lesson materials, lunchtime etc...)

I'm not convinced.

What are people’s DC being told about Classical Civilisation? In my day (O levels) it was considered a bit of a doss option. DD really wants to do it though, whereas I’d rather she did Latin (she is top 10% in year).
Not sure how it’s viewed these days.

I think it's only on offer in private schools or large 6th form colleges round here.

My DC1 did 12 but only because they did compulsory Ethics in yr10 plus 'dual language' which enabled top set to do 2 languages in the timetable slot for 1.

I would caution against adding in a creative subject just for the sake of it. They still have a large element of course work which takes up a huge amount of time and effort.

Triple science, a language and a humanity or two is fine! Get good grades in fewer rather than stretch too thin.

And please don't ask teachers to give up lunchtimes!

Parents have a legal right in England to remove their children from Religious studies.

The OP’s daughter wants to do RS as an option.
All students at my school do a full GCSE in RE and 10% of timetabled time is given to RE every year. Parents can withdraw them but it would be an odd choice to send them to an RC school and then remove them. No option subjects happen at the same time as RE, so they couldn’t do a different subject instead, they’d just have to study in the library and do 8 GCSEs instead of 9.

She won’t have a choice of how many she does as she will be picking GCSEs that fit in the blocking for the timetable.

If she wants to study another language on her own through years 10 and 11 I would say that would be exceptionally difficult.

I do think she needs to think of where her talents lie. 3 humanities, RE, Geography and History would be an overload of humanities. Creative subjects are fine! Many good pupils take them and if you have a talent, why not? Both my DDs nearly got full marks with Drama. Exceptional teaching though!

If you want two languages and feel this is a real strength, do them in school. Two is a massive bonus for MFL degree applications. Classical Civilisation is mostly done at A level not GCSE.

10 is normal for bright children and a variety is the best advice to include an art, a humanity and another two that you are good at but consider A levels - and even possible careers! No university requires 13 nor do you need lots of similar subjects or ones that are often taken at A level without the GCSE.

Managed to persuade her to stick with 10. So she has selected, Eng Lit & Lang, Maths, Double Science, History, Classics, Spanish, German and Design Technology.

Very glad all her option choices worked out with the columns to choose from.

Thank you for all the advise.