Choosing Options this year?

[gillybeanz]

Just thought I'd start a thread to share opinions and ask questions/ advice on option choices.
Hoping it gets more than the few responses that individuals get.

Mine has to choose hers in April, I believe and will take 8

Compulsory: Music, Maths, Eng x 2, single Science, German or French, and a choice of History/ Geography or Art/Drama/Citizenship

and an extra subject of either French, or Double Science.

Didn't want to start a new thread, so continuing:

From the pov of time what do these subjects look like?
I know they aren't broad, but that doesn't matter.

Music, Drama, Eng Lit, Eng Lang, German, French, Italian, Single combined science, Maths.

I don't know anybody who took Greek, Latin, Mandarin or Economics

Gilly A Latin one here! He's in y11 though, so only a few months left. He's taking 10: Engx2, Maths, Triple Science, French, History, Latin and Music.
He only had to start in Year 10. I think it's great that schools offer the possibility of dropping heavy subjects, but I think making choices in y8 is way too early!

Gilly that list sounds good for your DD, very language heavy but that will help her in her international career I would've liked DS to do IT because these days musicians need two know a lot of tech and internet based self-promoting. He wouldn't hear of it.

Oh sorry, you were asking about time. Music is very manageable for those who are at an advanced level like your DD. The compositions will require work but not like art. Languages are not very time consuming if you're good at them and they come easy.

DS3 (Y9) chose last year (three year KS4):
Maths
English language & English literature
2-3 science (decided by school)
1 language: German
1 humanity: History
2 free choices: Computer Science & PRE (RS)
So he'll be doing 9 or 10 GCSEs, depending on how well he is doing in Science.
He is really happy with the options he chose: Computer Science & PRE are currently his favourite subjects.

DD (also Y9) is choosing this year (two year KS4):
Maths
English language & English literature
2-3 science (decided by school)
1 language: Latin
1 humanity: Geography
2 free choices: definitely Art & probably Music
So she'll be doing 9 or 10 GCSEs, depending on how well she is doing in Science. I'm hoping she'll be allocated to combined science rather than triple.

gilly none of those subjects have the reputation of being especially time-consuming.

Oh, thank you.
it was a toss between Drama and Art, she does prefer Art, but after looking at the spec realised Drama was better for her and different to what the class had done previously.

I don't think computers is especially important for music unless they want to go into programming, and Music Tech is a whole different subject.
Mine isn't very good at computers, has never been a gamer and only uses social media for networking stalking potential future tutors
Even she manages to plug in her keyboard for composing, but they can do this by hand anyway.

Hi, I think I'm a late poster but I was just wondering if any of your children continue to do IT as a compulsory subject after the options lessons commence?

We have compulsory lessons as
MFL (for top and middle set)
English Lit & Language
Maths
RE
Double Science

Options are
Geography
History (only one class full will be allowed as only 1 teacher)
Materials technology BTEC
Catering and Hospitality BTEC
Health and Social Care BTEC
Business GCSE
PE GCSE
Triple Science

All set out in a way where options are very limited and the children have to chose either History or Geography and MFL if in too or middle set so leaving 2 to choose.

We don't have IT or performing arts for our year group due to not enough children which I find baffling as lots of my sons friends would like to do IT.

whoops forgot to add, loving the Latin drummersmum
Does your ds have social media, my dh promotes himself through facebook.
It's great as there are all his peers and colleagues on his pages, plus regular audience members who can see where he's playing.
If your ds can manage to keep it going it's the most useful tool according to dh.
he has it linked to his website, which is very simple and somebody else did this for him, for a small cost/lessons.
Honestly, it's not that important and certainly not worth taking a subject up if he had others he preferred.

gilly DS1 and DS2 both have friends who've done Art and it seems v.time intensive (5+ hours per week outside lesson time).

Phew, seems like she has the right idea then
We haven't had any meetings yet, and they don't have to decide yet, but as I don't always see her every week, had an idea it would be info given then quick choices.
So, really doing it for myself, although know school will have a meeting organised.

Ds has made his choice

Maths, English Lang, English Lit, Physics, Chemistry, Music, Computer Science, Food & Nutrition, Business Studies (reserve choice 3D Design)

dd1 has just put in her choices.

She has to do
english x2
Maths
Re
Single science

then her 4 options were
History
Geography
Buisness studies
Pe

shes very pleased to be dropping a mfl.

Kimlo

Do they not have the option of double science?
My dd is doing single, not many schools still offer it. Mine thinks she's so lucky as is hopeless at Science. They do offer it as a double though instead of another subject.

Oops forgot DS took Spanish last year so will end up with 11. School would not allow 11 in the same year though.
gilly does her school offer triple science? Just curious as some students go in to do medicine. DS not on social media yet as he's too busy with school and jd. He will use it in the future sure. He has a Youtube channel but as he gets better he deletes oldies He composes with Sibelius and is very good with computers but as a musician it's great if you can set up your own website etc without having to pay anyone, hence the IT idea.

no it's triple or single, but there is only one class for triple so it's only offered to the top of the year. Which dd1 isn't. She is bright and in higher sets, but not top 30 out of 300 bright.

kimlo are you saying 270 kids are forced to do single science?

drummersmum

Some take the double combined which allows access to A level.
The single doesn't as it hasn't got the depth that is needed.
They do make this perfectly clear, and the clever ones take this
I think dd will be happy with the single so she can take French.
She was a bit worried that she hears some kids saying they wish they'd taken the double, not sure why?

drum yes, I talked to one of the science teachers about it and he said for most children triple science isn't worth it and they are better off doing a wider range of subjects by using their options to do diffrent things. I would have thought that anyone wanting to do an a-level in a science subject would need the 3, but apparently not.

Dd1 isn't intrested in science anyway.

unless I have misunderstood due to dd1's intrest being in other subjects, and it's actually the double they are doing?

Just scanning the thread. I am intrigued by home any (seemingly state) schools have bought into the whole EBacc thing which is purely a government measure. I do agree that it provides a broad education for brighter students but can't believe how many students (and parents) buy into it without question!

I have not seen any uni prospectuses mention it!

The school I work in does not force it at all and yet our numbers doing EBacc are slightly above average,

DS2's school is doing a weird thing of making all students choose either history or geography - but not and MFL, so, form a league table point of view, I can't see why at all!! He likes history , so not an issue for him.

On another note, I am not convinced some posters understand the difference between single, combined and triple science. I reckon some who are saying single science actually mean the standard combined as single science is very rare these days Science is so confusing for parents! I'm glad I went to school in the Stone Ages as I loved biology but hated the other tow. I would have done much worse if I had had to do a bit of all of it.

My DS is doing the usual core (and RS) and history, Spanish, business and either French or music . No info sent out yet and options evening in about three weeks.

Sorry, first lien should read how many !

"Just scanning the thread. I am intrigued by home any (seemingly state) schools have bought into the whole EBacc thing which is purely a government measure. I do agree that it provides a broad education for brighter students but can't believe how many students (and parents) buy into it without question!"

My school had compulsory subjects back in the 1970s which was essentially the same as the EBACC. Don't confuse something that was briefly government policy with a perfectly normal school-level choice that has been around continuously for years.

I think u16 is too young to narrow the curriculum and an EBACC-type core plus a couple for free choices seems as good a way as any to have reasonable breadth for most pupils.