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Secondary education

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Original poster

What are 'good' and 'bad' GCSE options?

105 replies

Titsend · 08/08/2020 19:18

Hi,
Dd is moving into Year 9 in September and is already set on three GCSE options. She is very academically able and works hard. I don't want he choices to disregard her capabilities because her option choices are deemed 'soft'. I am not going to disclose her options as I do not want that to sway any replies!

Could anybody give me a list of GCSE options you would deem soft and those you would view as academic?

This thread was initiated by Dd btw. Any replies gratefully received!
Thanks

OP posts:
HasaDigaEebowai · 08/08/2020 19:20

DS1 should not have taken drama. He is very bright and was hoping for straight 8s and 9s but drama is partly group based and so the work (or lack of work) of others in the group will affect the final grade. He's finding it very frustrating.

OverTheRainbow88 · 08/08/2020 19:23

Secondary teacher here... I wouldn’t deem any soft since all the changes a few years ago! I would say go with what they enjoy the most... if you enjoy it/interested in it you are more likely to do well at it!

Depends the kind of job DD fancies, if unsure they maybe a variety is better.

DonaldTrumpsChopper · 08/08/2020 19:23

I don't think it's a simple as that, it depends on the overall mix she has.

Both my Dc's stuck the the EBAC idea (ds1 by choice, DS2 because his school insist on it). So, English, maths, science, a mfl, a humanities. The last choice/choices could be anything (- just something that they are good at and enjoy.

DS1 too the other humanities. DS2 chose music and computing.

What does she enjoy?

TW2013 · 08/08/2020 19:25

drama is partly group based and so the work (or lack of work) of others in the group will affect the final grade we avoided drama for this reason. Art is a very time hungry subject. Although subjects which are coursework heavy mean less exam time, art does seem extreme and can mean you don't have as much time to keep up with work.

user1497207191 · 08/08/2020 19:25

Design tech. Our DS is academic and wanted to take a second foreign language, but the design teacher and form teacher both recommended a "tech" to make his GCSE options more rounded. He was never any good practically, but they told him it was all about design and the actual "making" would be mostly by CAD/CAM and laser cutter etc, so he fell hook, line and sinker. In the end, his design teacher left and the class had a succession of cover teachers, none of who were "qualified" to use the computer suite so all the design/making had to be done by hand. Instead of a grade 9 (the grade he got in the other MFL he did take) he ended up with a D (Old syllabus last year).

GivenchyDahhling · 08/08/2020 19:25

EBacc subjects are academic - or, from the government’s definition, the subject that most lend themselves to higher level academic study. “Soft” is a little pejorative but I think all the non-Ebacc subjects would fall in this bracket.

Pollyputthepizzaon · 08/08/2020 19:28

I would be steered by future career choices but avoid philosophy, media studies, art (unlesss a passion or future career), drama (ditto), film studies and anything else of that nature.

elliejjtiny · 08/08/2020 19:29

My ds (just going into year 10) is doing art, computer science, creative imedia and music. Plus the ones that everyone has to take wh eich are English language/literature, maths, science.

He is academic (predicted 8's and 9's)

elliejjtiny · 08/08/2020 19:30

Which are,

Sorry, had to wrestle a roll of sellotape off my youngest and forgot to preview

Twigletmama · 08/08/2020 19:32

Very few universities will care what GCSE options she takes, they will however look at the grades, so she should choose the ones she is likely to do best in and obviously carefully consider her A Level choices.

bookmum08 · 08/08/2020 19:32

Depends what she wants to do after GCSEs and what she enjoys really.
That's the important thing.

HappySonHappyMum · 08/08/2020 19:34

I'm struggling to understand why any parent would encourage their child to take subjects because they are not considered 'soft'! Surely you want your child to take subjects they enjoy, that they are engaged in, because then they will put the effort in and enjoy the learning process. How awful it would be if you had to make A level choices from a bunch of GCSE subjects that you're not engaged in. You have to take Maths, English Lit and Lang and at least Double Science, most schools encourage a humanity and a language - which a well rounded selection before you start. Take subjects you love to fill your timetable!

AnotherNewt · 08/08/2020 19:38

The only really bad choice is a subject your DC doesn't want to do.

I'd be wary of doing too many with substantial coursework/performance elements, because of the way they can eat up time.

Mommabear20 · 08/08/2020 19:40

I took p.e, food tech, textiles and health and social care. Unless you actually plan on a career in medicine or caring, I definitely wouldn't recommend h&s, it's very coursework heavy and useless in any other careers.
Food tech is a good option as it's practical in everyday life as well as as a career choice.
P.E is one I absolutely loved BUT like h&s, if you don't plan on a career in sports or as a physiotherapist it's pointless in the future. The gcse focuses heavily on the human anatomy rather than sports itself.
Textiles, however much I enjoyed it is in my opinion completely pointless. Very limited career options where it would be useful and very time consuming, and lots of redoing bits which gets old fast!

If I had my time again, id probably try and have a wider variety (most of mine were 'practical' based with course work and exams) I'd definitely take a language, they come in handy in so many situations and can help in everyday life as well as most careers.
I'd definitely do food again as like I said before it's always gonna be useful.

One final thing is, while studying is important, take breaks, go out with friends, have a life! If you don't, you'll spend your last 2 years of school miserable and over worked. Your life and mental health are more important than a grade.

AnIckabog · 08/08/2020 19:41

Teacher here at an academically selective school. Get a good range. Obviously English lang, Maths, Science - either double/triple science if sciency and add on Eng Lit if if that's their thing. Then one or two languages, one or two humanities (History, Geog, RS/Philosophy are all equally good options regardless of what a previous poster seems to think), then it is good to have a more artsy subject too - DT, PE, Art, Drama, Music. I'd strongly recommend steering away from more than one of these because they are really coursework intensive. A lot of pupils think they will be easy but they aren't and they drain time and every year we see sone crash and burn who thought these would be easy options.
The only things I'd think 'soft option' over are things like media studies, digital media, food tech.

BoxhillBertha · 08/08/2020 19:44

My academic dds all did
Triple science
Maths
English x 2
French
RS
History

One then did
Design Tech
One Art and one did Drama

Drama was deffo the most stressful because of the group work but she got an 8 so it was fine.

All gcses are hard these days.

Probably wouldn't bother with btecs at gcse level.

BoxhillBertha · 08/08/2020 19:49

also think about A levels. You can't do some A levels without the gcse at dds school
Geog
Hist
Sciences
Languages
Art/textiles off the top of my head

Sports science
Psychology
Classics
Comp sci
Film

All fine without the gcse

balloonsintrees · 08/08/2020 19:54

@GivenchyDahhling Religious Studies not Ebacc due to stupid government; definitely not a 'soft' subject. Would you like to answer exam questions explaining why there is a dispute over understandings about the Trinity or that religion has no place in 21st century society?
As a pp says, following the 2016 there is no such thing as a 'soft' subject. You have to consider coursework/ performance expectations at the same point in the year (very heavy pressure) and which subjects are most helpful to your DD going forward.
Someone with little interest in IT would find it pointless taking Computer Science (also not Ebacc btw) but someone considering Law would find RS incredibly useful.

BoxhillBertha · 08/08/2020 19:59

RS fabulous subject!

OverTheRainbow88 · 08/08/2020 20:02

@balloonsintrees

Are you a fellow RS teacher?

Embracelife · 08/08/2020 20:07

Dd did double science and drama gcse. Science a level and Has offers for medical school.

Obviously if she might study history at uni then do history. Otherwise a range aNd subjects she likes.
Don't stress. She will do English sciences maths. A language is good. The rest whatevwr she chooses is fine.

MothershipG · 08/08/2020 20:13

I agree with the PP who said drama is a risk because of the group work. DD was getting all As for individual work but had a couple of kids that refused to learn lines or rehearse so got marked down for group work.

And she didn't take art because it is so time consuming.

As all the essential subjects are mandatory I'd be fairly relaxed about letting them choose their own preferred options.

netflixismysidehustle · 08/08/2020 20:16

Depends what she's interested in and where her strengths lie.

DT may be considered soft by some but if she's interested in Engineering, then I'd say that it was a good choice.

My dd is academic (got 7-9 in all her GCSEs) but in retrospect wishes she'd done at least one easier subject. She did History and Geography which she thinks was a massive mistake as they were her most content heavy subjects. If she could go back in time she would have replaced Geography with Business or Food Tech.

clary · 08/08/2020 20:20

So no GCSE option is really soft. Obviously everyone does the basics. The ebacc is nonsense but the thinking behind it - a good range - is sound, so I would hope an academically able child would pick MFL and a humanity. But if they were dead against one or the other, the world won't end.

After that, choose what they enjoy. If that's drama or food tech, great. A creative is a good idea. DD did drama and I know it was a safe haven that she enjoyed (nice group which helped). Ds2 is very bright and he did PE because he loves it.

A pal of Dds in a school somewhere else (maybe a private school) did dance, drama, art and textiles which did make me go 🙄 a bit but tbh she acts in films already so good luck to her.

daisypond · 08/08/2020 20:26

At GCSE it won’t matter what she picks. EBacc subjects, plus whatever else she fancies. One of mine did Art, and it was very time-consuming. It also depends on what is on offer and what is compulsory. All schools vary. My academic DD did Maths, English x2, 3 sciences, French, Geog, History, RS, Music, Art. And I think there was another one, but can’t think what. She loved RS and took it for A level. My less academic child did fewer subjects, and soft A levels, and it didn’t matter at all - still found getting into a top university straightforward.