GCSE options - how to help with a choice!

[TabbyTigger]

DD is torn between history GCSE and Spanish GCSE for her fourth option. We’ve looked in depth at the specs and she thinks she’d like both but only has space for one.

Did anyone’s DC do one/ideally both? Can they say how they found them? Her friends from older years either did neither or only did one of the two - we don’t seem to know anyone who did both to make a good comparison!!

DD did them under the old specs (well she dropped History after mocks, but still).

I would say Spanish is more cumulative learning. So they pick up skills and vocab across the two years. You also of course have the Oral side. Now the exams have changed there would be more revision needed at the end than DD had though as she was 60% CA.

History is a lot of facts to learn as well as understanding bias etc. I think it has much more end of course revision needed. If the other subjects are also very revision heavy (eg triple science, geography) then you might want to factor this in.

DD did French and Spanish and the exam technique needed for the two was the same. So there was cross learning between the two, though it was a bit confusing at times as she had the same teacher so sometimes muddled the languages up. But the benefits outweighed that negative.

(DD ended up dropping history as she was diagnosed with dyspraxia Feb of y11 which coupled with mock results lead to agreement to drop History to help other subjects).

Unless she needs them for A level or future career choice, she should just choose the subject she feels she is more likely to enjoy or whichever she is better it.

What other gcses is she taking ?

TeenTimesTwo that’s all very useful info - thank you! Hope everything went well for your DD.

Her other options are art, German, and triple science (they choose that as an option block). Her school doesn’t require history at GCSE if she decides to do it for A level (just good grades in English), but does for Spanish so I think she’s leaning towards Spanish on that basis - it closes less doors. She is genuinely interested in the content of both courses which is making the decision very difficult!

How good is the teaching at her school in those subjects?

If she thinks she may take languages forward then it is definitely worth having 2. However as it stands she doesn't have any humanity subjects so it is a difficult one.

Lonicera history’s hit and miss - apparently there are two really good history teachers, one okay, and three not so good. Languages are strong across the board.

She’s been considering taking languages forward, but we speak a few languages at home and she sat a GCSE exam in French in year 7 and is sitting the A level this summer, and is going to be sitting GCSE exams in Russian at the end of year 10 (but doesn’t think she’ll study the A level). We also speak some Dutch but again, no plans to take exams in it - it just makes German very easy for her! I thought Spanish might add a bit of variety, and she loves the lessons at school. She just also loves her history lessons!

Her school does allow you to take philosophy, history, geography and religious studies at A level having not taken the GCSE, so I can’t imagine not having a humanity at GCSE would massively disadvantage her. It’s a difficult choice really!!