Yr 8 Options GCSE Drama, Music and Art. I know, I know...

[NeverPromisedYouARoseGarden]

I realise there is currently a similar thread to this one but I don't want to hijack so thought I'd start my own. DD is 13, Yr8 and choosing GCSE options.

Here's the setup. Selective school, 3yr GCSE programme, not fussed about Ebacc (us or school).
Compulsory GCSEs:
English lang and lit
Maths
3 sciences
MFL (DD has chosen Spanish)
RE (half GCSE)

Three options:
Drama
Music
Art

I'm well aware that this is a poor combination of options due to the insane amount of coursework but it's very difficult to persuade a 13yo who is viewing it with somewhat rose-tinted specs! All three teachers have said they would really like to have her in their class, which isn't helping with the rose-tintedness! Currently achieving 8/9 in all three subjects.

DD is an all-round bright kid, achieving 7 and above in most subjects. Struggles more with maths and physics. She is v creative and highly imaginative but also inclined to be day-dreamy and disorganised, which is linked to the creativity - lots of exciting ideas in her head - but not always easy to live with! She has no real idea what she wants to do careerwise or even for A levels. To break it down a bit…

1. Drama - absolute no-brainer for DD. She loves it although no particular desire to make performing arts into a career. I have never seen her so happy and focused and organised (yay!) as during her involvement with school plays and class performances. Does no drama outside of school but plans to audition for local am-dram youth group this year as previously has not been old enough.

2. Music - Loves the subject and is very talented. Plays two instruments, grades 7 and 5. Very good natural ear. Music teacher outside of school is v experienced and routinely offers additional GCSE support and advice if needed.

3. Art - Loves the subject, reasonably talented, desperate to crack on with it alongside a group of students who also love art and actually want to be there.

I am trying very hard to steer DD away from art and towards history (a subject she also enjoys and her backup choice). I think she will find the art coursework overwhelming and I worry it will suck the fun out of the subject for her. She would actually be fine if a teacher was setting the art as homework on a weekly basis because she is much better working to deadlines. But there is a lot of self-direction and self-discipline required and I doubt she will be motivated to work consistently doing, say, a couple of hours art per week outside of the lessons. She insists she will, of course!

I also favour history because I'm concerned that she will not have a humanities subject (except the half RE) and I think it would be more useful to have another subject area in which to develop writing and thinking skills. There is essay writing involved with the drama (and possibly the music?) but not to the same level.

I have discussed with the school the possibility of dropping physics in favour of history but it would not work in terms of timetabling.
Have also discussed with DD the option of dropping music GCSE as she does extracurricular music and is already very skilled but she really enjoys it and I do think it will be a relatively 'soft' subject for her and therefore potentially less stressful.

Another thought is that perhaps the three year GCSE programme will lessen the coursework burden somewhat and make it more achievable to do all three. Does anyone have DC who have found this to be the case?

So, if anyone wants to tell me that the combination of subjects is not so bad, that would be great. Or if anyone has a compelling argument to favour history over art, that would be good too. And I'll be showing this thread to DD so that I'm not the only bad guy!!

To be fair to DD though, the Drama option is not in contention. She has shown a lot of commitment, and will definitely be choosing that as her first option.

My son feels like that about music. It gets him through everything else.

It was several years ago now, but I seem to remember that my DD had an awful lot of GCSE art coursework - hours and hours of it every week. It totally killed all the enthusiasm she had towards the subject.

History.

She can then do it at A-level if she enjoys it.

As a musician and someone who loved art and drama as a younger person, I don't see the point in taking exams in these subjects unless it's to get an A grade you and you're after lots of As for the sake of As.

From an academic point of view, History is by far the stronger subject. If she doesn't do it at GCSE she won't have that as an option at A-level. Perhaps I'm too old school but those three extra options look like add-ons to me. They're not academic choices.

I'd be adding in another MFL and/or history and pursuing those other subjects in her free time.

Perhaps you should do some early careers testing for her like ISCO is it? I can't remember the name - to help her work out where her strengths lie and what sort of subjects she should consider taking forward.

Unless she wants a career in music, drama or art, I'd probably not bother with any of them. They're all notoriously underpaid unless you're one of the 0.1% who happen to make it.

As a music and drama graduate and married to another music graduate I know plenty who earn a very good living from music and the arts.

Sometimes it's about more than just grades, its about doing a subject you absolutely love and that helps you get through the week.

My DD is an art scholar at her school and like other posters before she feels the GCSE has managed to (almost) kill her love of art. Hers is a 2 year course though and she sits her GCSE this year (hopefully, Coronavirus aside) but she spent a copious amount of hours throughout the whole of the summer holidays on her course work as she felt if she didn’t there was a significant chance her overall grade would fall and she just wouldn’t have had the time to rectify it during term time. She said that lots of her friends who took art and were good at art but not particularly gifted in art have really struggled. The upshot is that she has absolutely no plans to continue with art to A level.

AtomicRabbit I hadn't heard of ISCO. Will have a browse and see what I can find. I too am concerned about the lack of academic choices and about how many doors that might be closing. The school have said they might allow her to take A level history without having done GCSE but obviously it would depend on her grades and I assume it would be hard going. Also, I'm not sure other schools would be so flexible so she might be closing some sixth form doors.

I will 100% support DD in pursuing two of the options though as I agree with Comefromaway that doing something you absolutely love can get you through and also give you confidence in your abilities.

motherstongue I'm sorry for your DD. It makes me to hear that and it mystifies me why a syllabus would be constructed in such a way as to destroy a love for the subject. Art especially seems to have an awful reputation for this. Why not fire our amazing young people with enthusiasm instead of shooting them down? So frustrating.

Just a thought about music GCSE, my understanding is that grade 7 is equivalent to level 3 in the UK qualifications framework (ie A-level standard), so in terms of music qualifications she is already performing at a higher level than GCSE. If she has already got lots of music in her life - orchestras, ensembles - maybe there is no need to do a GCSE, unless the syllabus offers something she is not already doing and wants to do like composition. Ultimately it's about picking what she loves and what she will excel in. I didn't pick art many years ago and it was always a bit of a regret as I didn't manage to keep it up out of school.

Thanks, ilovesushi. That's one of the possibilities we have discussed over the last few evenings. Although it makes a lot of sense, we felt that over time, with the pressure of coursework and GCSEs in general, DD could easily end up neglecting her extracurricular music or even dropping it altogether. Also, it is the subject in which she is most talented and has the most support outside of school (music teacher and family) so, in theory, it ought to be one of the least stressful ones. Interesting that you regret not taking art. Although we impressed upon DD that extracurricular art courses and clubs are readily available but history clubs...not so much, I do feel that the best way to improve art skills is by quite intensive learning. When DD was much younger and we ruminated about secondary schools, I always imagined her in an art room, wearing a paint-splattered apron, deep in concentration! Obviously a romantic notion, especially since I don't have an artistic bone in my body, but it really resonates with me. And every time we discussed the possibility of dropping the art option, DD ended up in tears .

Anyway, the decision has now been made. We have gone for the three creative options with history as a backup. DD still a little conflicted because she does love history and the syllabus really appeals to her. But, rightly or wrongly, she's followed her heart rather than her head. We shall see. Maybe timetabling-clash issues will intervene.

Thank you again to everyone for your replies. DD was v surprised and grateful that so many of you took the time to share your opinions. And good luck to the other posters who are going through the same!

Just a thought about music GCSE, my understanding is that grade 7 is equivalent to level 3 in the UK qualifications framework (ie A-level standard), so in terms of music qualifications she is already performing at a higher level than GCSE.

That's is correct and is the reason why dd's school stopped offering GCSE dance. However with music (I have a music degree) the set works/listening paper is very different to what you get in ABRSM type exams and those written, analysis skills prepare both A level/Btec and ultimately degree courses (even most conservatoires have a written musicology/music history part to the course.