Advice on DD dropping GCSE?

[CuriousReputation]

In a bit of a fix! DD is in Year 11 and takes Art as a GCSE. Mocks are coming up and she's just realised that she doesn't have enough time to do Art and revise at the same time. She's definitely more dedicated to art than other subjects - she's stayed up till 3, 4 am finishing her homework but she's realised now that she's doing it at the expense of her other subjects. She's also constantly stressed about it and has come crying to me several times. DD now wants to drop Art as a GCSE and concentrate on her other subjects instead. However, I think it's be difficult as she's currently performing the highest in her art class predicted an 8/9 and is doing moderately well in other classes despite slacking, as ability wise the school isn't that great. DD has many other obligations as a member of various clubs and as head girl - but I'm afraid that the school will refuse to let her drop art in which case she tells me she'll just sit in the class and do nothing. Is there anything the school can use as an excuse to keep her in? Legal issues?

DD and I also don't want to risk her overall GCSE's because of art. Doing it, she'd probably get 6/7s across the board but without she's guarenteed to get 8/9s - which we both think is the better deal.

I think you and your Dd need to talk to the HoY and the teachers involved. Most schools try to work with students to ensure a balance between subjects. Art might be pressurising now because they know the core subjects will weigh in after Christmas. It is too early for your Dd to start dismissing subjects.

The school will probably have already paid to enter her, will have nowhere else for her to go, and art is a subject that is usually done by Xmas.

Stick it out for now. Speak to the school by all means but be prepared to hear a big fat NO. How is it fair on staff that have busted themselves for a year teaching a course and then your child drops it. She can cut back on art by all means and encourage her to put her effort into all her subjects.

Surely art is coursework as well as exam...even if she just submitted the coursework she’d get some result? It seems a shame not to follow through on what’s she’s already achieved?

She is not managing her time effectively. It really doesn’t need that amount of work! My DD did Art and Photography at A level - now those required work. She needs to be more methodical, plan what she needs to do and maybe spend weekends doing a bit? My DD didn’t do Art mocks. They just kept working! There’s lots of time until the work really counts. Why drop something she’s good at?

If she’s predicted an 8/9 then the school is unlikely to let her drop it simply because she’s stressing. The advice would most likely be to start rowing back on other commitments.

So many issues here.

That’s total nonsense about her getting 6-7 in all her subjects except art unless she drops art when she will be miraculously guaranteed 8-9 in all her other subjects. Don’t be so silly.

Do the pair of you honestly think her two options if she continues with art are to stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning and neglect all her other subjects or to attend the art classes and sit there not doing anything? Sensible compromise, hmm?

She could resign from being head girl, or she could reduce her obligations as a member of various clubs.

The school may not want her to give up the art gcse because if she’s likely to get a good grade, they’ll want that for the league tables. But if she’s doing enough other subjects to meet the minimum requirements, they can’t stop her.

However, I think the two of you are using this as an excuse for her underperformance in her other subjects. There’s a lot more going wrong than one gcse subject here. She’s struggling and dropping art isn’t going to fix it.

What’s really going on?

Whilst she needs some relief from studying, it's very normal for DC in exam years to cut back on their extra-curricular commitments - so I would think that would be the first option rather than dropping a subject that she is likely to do well in and (presumably) enjoys.
What does she want to do post GCSE? (doe sshe want to continue with art or move into a creative career, for example)?

I agree with the others. This seems to be more about sensible time management than needing to drop a subject.

• pull back on extra curricular
• portion up the time better between art and other subjects

I can't believe I'm reading this. Shocked at OP's attitude. Why would you even entertain this idea or indulge her for a second, with the idea of dropping art.

She needs to take a close look at herself, her time management and generally.

Has she has been winging it for awhile? She just needs to knuckle down and get on with it.

Agree with pp that the idea Of her getting 6's or 7's, or 8/9's if she drops it is just ridiculous, did a teacher actually say that?

I feel like I’ve phrased the statement wrong. DD spends about 70% of her time doing art and 30% doing everything else. She’s incredibly capable and to say that art is stopping her from getting 8/9s isn’t an excuse for her lack of work/revision etc. The course doesn’t end until June - and I’m worried if she spends so much time focusing on art then she won’t be revising for anything else. Plus, DD is a perfectionist and cannot stand to half arse anything, so simply pulling back on the time isn’t a solution either.

DD’s clubs are also all during school and apart from the odd match every 2-3 weeks she doesn’t have anything after school

DD does art, a coursework-heavy DT subject and 10 hours of extracurricular dancve per week. Yes, Art takes longer than her other homework BUT she is utterly disciplined about it - X needs to be done by time Y, mounted, annotated, done.

Sort her time management. Sort out a daily timetable - an hour of art, then an hour of other things. Also encourage her to swap to something else as soon as she is not producing art - so get as far as she can, stop, do something else, come back to it. DD used to spend time staring at her art work in despair - now she goes and does 30 mins of something else, and comes back again to her art if needed.

Also get everything together, take it to her art teacher and, if needed with you, go through and decide what MUST be done, what COULD be done, and what ISN'T going to be done and it's fine. DD has swapped several pieces beteen e.g, work she did over the summer and preparation for her GCSE mock - not what they were 'intended' for, buuit she has too much in some areas and not enough in another, so a little readjusting worked well and meant that art she had done wasn't wasted, and time was saved..

DD WAS an utter perfectionist. Working on 'good enough within the time allowed', and discovering that there was no catastrophe, has been an excellent life lesson and critical to her mental health.

Arts endlessness is horrible for perfectionist people. Setting strict 'good enough' time limits becomes really crucial for them.

Arts endlessness is horrible for perfectionist people. Setting strict 'good enough' time limits becomes really crucial for them
I agree.
And it's also a useful life lesson.

I wouldn't be asking go drop a subject when the obvious solution is to manage time effectively.

Maisy, please don't quote my missing apostrophe ! I stand by the principle, just not the grammar!

70% Art: 30% everything else is utterly ridiculous! You know this is not a good use of time. I would see her art teacher and sort out what she needs to do and what isn’t necessary. Then map a pathway of work and stick to it.

cantkeepawayforever
Oops.
As an off duty English teacher I couldn't care less about rogue SPaG on forums and find it awful when people resort to spag policing anyway

Its common for perfectionism to end in giving up/downing tools.

I understand you wanting to back her and listen to her, and ultimately if she doesn’t want to continue then that is her decision. However, it seems odd to drop the thing she is excelling at and currently prioritising? And will have banked some coursework for. Suggest she gives it a few weeks thought, and uses those few weeks to work in a more strategic way, balancing the subjects.

Op you're really not getting it, are you?
We are all telling you the same thing, but you just can't see it.

You need to address her time management and her perfectionism. Because both have got totally out of hand. I'm puzzled as to how you can't grasp this? 

Op basically the 70% is wrong from what everyone is saying. She is spending too much time on it. A timetable would be useful speak to the school for guidance on balance.

I did art at gcse and a level. Got a* in both and screwed over my other subjects. It’s all well and good saying “time management!” but sometimes it’s just not psychologically viable. I will always be shit with time.
She shouldn’t drop it now though. If she’s staying up all night and it’s only gcse she will probably do very well even if she starts slacking now.

Thinking about it I definitely didn’t have to put that much effort in at gcse!

DD has many other obligations as a member of various clubs and as head girl

These other obligations would be first to go in my book if only to free up head space and feel less burdened by commitments. Could she possibly use this time at school to work on art or to spend on other subjects. The school should be in a position to help her manage her time better. Do they run study groups before or after school in the subjects she needs to improve in? Lots of kids have extra curricular stuff to juggle as well as GCSEs. It’s about prioritising and time management.

It would be such a shame to drop something if she is good and has already worked so hard at it.