A level choices

[Fazackerley]

Dd has chosen to study Eng Lit, RS (philosophy and ethics) at A level. Her other choice was either Drama or Classical Civilisation. She has decided that in fact she'd love to do Fashion and textiles as a 3rd A level as she doesn't love her drama teacher and thinks English, RS and Class civ might be too dry.

She's fairly high achieving, predicted As for gcse and wants to go to a good uni.

Would Design tech be too soft as a A level?

Do you mean fashion or design tech at A level?

What does she want to do at uni?

She's not sure.

The a level is called design tech but there are two options, fashion and textiles or product design

My Ds is doing product design. It is very coursework-heavy. Most of the theory is based on what he did for GCSE. Don't know how different the textiles option would be.

DS is doing 3 other a levels, but DT is linked to maths and physics with an aim for some kind of engineering. The product design is not considered to be a 'light' subject.

I think there's 50% coursework. Quite nice to break up the essay based final exam type of exams i expect. She didn't do it for gcse. I've told her to go and ask the head of dept if she'd be allowed to do it without the gcse.

English Literature is the only facilitating subject in there. Something to bear in mind as you say she wants to go to a good university.

Yes i did think about that and so is she. Rs is second tier i think so not too bad.

The only subjects that non-science "facilitating subjects" facilitate is themselves. There isn't a single university (including Oxbridge) that requires any of them at all (other than requiring specific subjects for specific courses).

So your DD would be doing two academic A levels and one that's more creative/vocational. That ought to be ok to access top universities if she gets good grades.

She'd be ruling out nothing by not doing drama or classics, as both those subjects are available at degree level without needing the A-level.

Thank you. I did say to her that she could almost certainly do english and drama at uni without drama a level- certainly i got offered places at exeter and kings to do English and drama without drama a level (35 years ago!)