Triple science or French Gcse?

[Lilyray89]

Dd only has a few more weeks to choose option and thought she was going to do triple science but now she’s not sure.
The compulsory subjects are :

• English lit and Lang

-Maths -Science ( 5 hours a week) -R.E And then they get 3 options.( Was quite shocked at how few options they get )

She wants to do Geography and art and then isn’t sure between triple science and French. She’s a very bright and able girl , 7/8/9s, and she’s thinking about going into a medicine career but not totally sure.

She enjoys both subjects a lot and on a recent French test she got a 8 & 9 but she also got a 8 on the recent science test.While she’s considering a science career the French department are really pushing that she needs a MFl as they’re much wanted and needed especially with brexit.

So which one is more important and what are the courses like? Also has anyone got advice on how the courses are on Art and geography?

daisypond well I think for other schools all students may take languages at our school only 30/200 pupils went to the options morning and even less will take it.And all the pupils but a few were in top set.

HundredMilesAnHour She would love to do a language but they have so few options and she really loves art so I want her to take at least one thing she wants to do and like a lot.
She is also considering a design but not necessarily art career.Like working in advertisement or something so similar and I taking out art would rule that out completely wouldn’t it ?

Also if medicine is a real possibility have a look at GCSE requirements. Some courses are asking for the equivalent of 6+ A*s. So it’s worth thinking about which subjects she is likely to excel in.

Cardiff school of medicine GCSE requirements

^“The first thing the School of Medicine will do on receipt of an application is score the top 9 GCSEs. These 9 must include English Language (and/or Welsh Language), the Sciences and Mathematics.

We award 3 points for A*, 2 points for an A and 1 point for a B. We do not award points for short courses. Applications will be ranked according to their score and a cut-off point is decided. The cut-off score can change from year to year as it depends on the overall standard of applications we get in any one year. Over the last 5 years the cut-off score has ranged between 24 to 26 points.”^

Other medical schools are more forgiving at GCSE eg Keele I think, although my research is a couple of years out of date.

Art GCSE will have no bearing on any future art or design career, just as music GCSE has no bearing on any future as a musician. If your DD can take triple science and a foreign language that is the best option. I really think languages are important - learning a language stretches your brain and makes it work in a different way to many other subjects and it shows that you are generally academically capable - that's what universities would like to see.

I would encourage her to do triple science and french and not do art. She can still enjoy it as a hobby.

Both triple science and French. Geography is also a great course and very scientific.

I'd drop art out of those options. Art is something that can be enjoyed easily outside of school.

My daughter had exactly the same dilemma with Triple science and first decided not to do it in favour of another subject. She also is very bright so after two weeks of doing 'double' science with less able pupils she knew she had made the wrong decision luckily the school allowed her to swop.
On another note French A Level is not all about language it includes a lot of history of the country etc

Art GCSE will have no bearing on any future art or design career As a designer, I would disagree with that as it hasn't been my experience at all, nor that if friends or their older DCs who have gone into similar fields.

Meant to add though, my own DD went with photography over art, as she felt it possibly more relevant to Medicine & she was told the Art GCSE covers a lot of photography anyway, which she didn't fancy as it sounded too "bitty" to her. She also has a small leaning to something creative instead of medicine, so wanted to keep her options open & the photography GCSE looked like quite an easier one for her to do well in

I meant, regarding art GCSE, that as long as you can come up with a portfolio of work, you would still be accepted into college with that if it's good enough. It's not the GCSE itself that will help.