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

[Titsend]

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

@Titsend
My DD is also an aspiring medic.
Her super selective insisted that they picked one from the ‘creative’ block (Art, Music, Drama, Design Tech, PE).

She ended up doing 2 Eng, Maths, 3 Science, History, Geography, French, Latin, PE. (Only Eng Lang and PE included any coursework).

PE was not a soft option, but it was different from the others and the practical sessions helped to break up the week’s timetable.

I'm struggling to understand why any parent would encourage their child to take subjects because they are not considered 'soft'! .

Because you're worried that all your friends will turn out to be in the “Soft” is a little pejorative but I think all the non-Ebacc subjects would fall in this bracket camp and stop inviting you to dinner parties?

(Sorry, OP, I'm sure that doesn't come into your reckoning - and one hopes that the DC equivalent doesn't come into your DD's. This is the first chance for her to have a real input into her school day / week / year - she is not other people and they are not her).

Unless the school timetabling allows for all the 'options' slots to be filled by spare EBacc subjects, perhaps one should insist that one's DC will only take the core subjects, then?

Or, one could just let them decide for themselves from the available subjects, based on what they enjoy and what they feel they can do well in? Obviously with a little guidance / reality checking (GCSE PE has two compulsory 7.30am starts a week, are you sure you can manage to be up before six twice a week, when I can barely get you out from under the duvet in time for the last possible bus, normally? That kind of thing).

I have a child about to go into Year 9 and pick options too. I also have an older one about to get her GCSE results.

I would say look at what your child might want to do in the future and pick subjects that are needed for that.

For example, if they want to be a fashion designer, then Textiles is more useful than Art. But if they want to be an Architect then they must have Art. And take triple science if you think they will want to do a science A-Level and Computer Science if they want to work in IT.

@BlueMarigold

I have a child about to go into Year 9 and pick options too. I also have an older one about to get her GCSE results.

I would say look at what your child might want to do in the future and pick subjects that are needed for that.

For example, if they want to be a fashion designer, then Textiles is more useful than Art. But if they want to be an Architect then they must have Art. And take triple science if you think they will want to do a science A-Level and Computer Science if they want to work in IT.

I'd suggest the opposite of this! Pick subjects they actually enjoy learning as they will WANT to study and do well in them. This will lead naturally to a job they actually want to go to every day and want to do it to the best of their ability.

Picking a career/vocation and fitting the subjects in is illogical - what if they then don't enjoy those subjects? They won't enjoy the career.

OP what subjects does your DD enjoy at school?

I would say look at what your child might want to do in the future and pick subjects that are needed for that.

On the basis that all (?) schools will insist on maths, English, science and a humanity, I suspect it's pretty hard to pick a choice of GCSE subjects that will exclude future career choices. I think it would more work the other way - if you're interested in being a fashion designer, than Textiles will probably be at the top of your list of options to choose - and if it isn't, maybe you need to rethink your career choice? (Of course there is always the chance that the school doesn't offer Textiles, or it can't be studied due to other choices, but this still doesn't rule out fashion designer as a future career choice).

Some children do know what they want to be when they grow up. And if certain subjects help them along the way then what’s wrong with that? Obviously if a child wants to be doctor but doesn’t like Biology or says they want to be an accountant but doesn’t like Maths then conversations need to be had. My point was, a lot of subjects like Art and Textiles and even Computing might be seen as “soft” subjects but can be helpful later so shouldn’t be discounted.

Ultimately it is about what interests them. GCSEs are a tough time. The top schools in the country spend a fortune on the arts and sport so I don't see why children in comprehensives shouldn't benefit from a broad education as well.

Our local community would be delighted if all we offered was STEM as that's where the local jobs are, but it wouldn't be the right thing to do.

You only normally get around 3 or 4 options at most. If academic, do academic ones. You might find them easier than more coursework heavy ones. I’d call academic ones history, geography, RE, MFL, computer science, upping double science to triple, etc.

But it’s nice to do one thing on your timetable that you do for fun, or enjoyment. There aren’t any easy options these days, but if you love art, music, drama, food tech, PE etc but you might not get a 7, 8 or 9 in it, one out of 10 isn’t going to matter and if it makes you a more rounded person, all to the good. Creative industries in the UK are pretty successful on the whole and where is the joy in life without sport, music, art, drama, good food etc?

The Chinese do STEM better than we do. Creativity is an area where the UK excels. The film industry is massive. No need to be a slave to STEM.

the worst thing my dc1 did was choose drama. they hated it, it's completely different to what it was like the year before. there's a lot more sit down and write work, and because of people refusing to work as a team, when they did have practical work, they had hardly any time after the teachers had rounded everyone up

Drama is probably most like English. If you want to focus more on the performance aspect you should probably be doing the Performing Arts BTech.

DD is taking Drama and Art. We had very long conversations about both before she selected them (particularly the time consuming nature of Art). But it came down to the fact that she loved both subjects and would rather take them and cope with workload (Art) and possible group issues (Drama) than take another subject she didn't enjoy so much.

She's on track to get high grades in all her subjects, but tbh I'd be happy if she got lower grades in some but enjoyed them over taking them because someone thought they were the "right" subject to do.

My fairly academic school tries hard to steer students towards the following:

English x 2
Maths
Double or Triple Science depending on ability
Humanities or social science x 2
A modern foreign language
Plus one free choice of something they enjoy - usually a technical or art subject with some practical element, but sometimes a second language or a third humanity.

This way they all end up with 9 or 10 GCSEs depending on the science option, most will get an Ebacc and they still have the opportunity to pursue other interests.
It's not set in stone though; if you wanted to do say both art and music, you could drop one of the humanities if timetabling allows that combination.

It gives them a good general education and leaves most options open to them at A-level as the majority of kids in Y9 won't yet have a firm idea where they want life to take them.

I have two academic daughters. They both did English Language, English Literature, Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and French. The eldest then chose to study History, Geography and RE for her optional choices while the youngest chose Economics, Geography and Music.

For my eldest daughter, doing three humanities was the right decision because she excels at writing essays. While the workload was immense due to the volume of content in each humanity, she didn't mind trying to learn it all because she enjoyed them. She would have found a creative subject much more of a slog.

The only subjects at GCSE which I'd view as soft are Media Studies, Film, Psychology, Criminology, Sociology and BTECs like Health and Social Care. However, if your daughter really wanted to do one of these subjects it wouldn't disadvantage her enormously, the disadvantage comes if you do more than one soft subject at the expense of other, more academic options.

IAmTheBFG that's interesting. I know people who work in media. They earn a decent wage and all have stayed in work during covid in one form or another.
The ologies you list would lead to careers in jobs that are never going to go away. Unless a miracle happens we will always have crime etc.
Health and Social care is poorly paid but it's probably one of the most important jobs society needs and is constantly crying out for more workers.
I certainly wouldn't call these subject 'soft'. If anything they are more importantly than geography or English lit.

She wants to do Medicine at Oxford/Leeds etc. and is capable of doing so.
The trouble is that a lot of other pupils are also capable. She needs to be thinking about what will make her stand out.
It would be nice to have proof of the 'caring' side of medicine. Not "I shadowed my dad, a consultant, for a week" but a more hands-on involvement in a less glamorous environment. This sort of thing is hard to organise before age 16.
Also, proof of being able to work in a team so music, sport.

In summary: get the academics at school (like everyone else) and don't pick time-heavy subjects so that she leaves herself enough spare time to do the extra-curriculars (that appeal to her and will help at UCAS time) and to have a life, too. The extra-curriculars also help because they are an arena where you can 'fail' and it doesn't matter (it's good for Oxbridge hopefuls to learn how not to be perfectionist).

The practical subjects are not the easy option they once were. Drama can be dependent on group work as pp said. Art is a LOT of work.
For other subjects it's worth trying to suss how good the school is re teaching them as things like photography and graphics can be a bit niche.

There aren't any decent options left for less academic DC.

A shame if that's true TeenPlus.

At my DCs school they haven't offered textiles at all for the last 6 years which is v sad imo.

They do offer graphics but struggled to teach the gcse ..

I do know one person who did medicine at university who had no science or maths A-levels at all. Had just humanity subjects. They did an access to medicine one-year course later, and that was enough. Is now a doctor.

There aren't any decent options left for less academic DC

I agree. I suppose there are BTECS.

Yogi Especially hard if your less academic child also has bottom 1% motor skills.

V academic Neice doing usual suspects not drama re group reliance but doing PE as good athlete as her 'different' subject not doing art as perfectionist and her mum couldn't handle the stress:)

I do think threads like this bring out the worst in people

Children should choose primarily what they enjoy and preferably with a broad base. The school will advise if necessary. My eldest is applying to University and the only real comment they make about GCSEs are that they are looking for a range of subject choices. Some (Bristol is one) give 20% value to GCSEs when making offers on some courses.

So tgey should do what they enjoy. My only comment is that music is much harder if they don’t read music and have c. Grade 5 theory.

Just waving the flag for drama and music! My very academic teen took both and is off to uni to study a science. The team work and communication skills of drama and music are invaluable for all areas of life and we are sure gave her a v strong ucas form. She got 5 offers from top unis. But they have to love the subjects as hard work!

Food tech. One of the areas we need more people! Food production at uni is so undersubscribed and so many jobs in it. Would also help you get part time work etc. I would argue we need more food tech students than history students at all levels.

Newgirls snap my dc is doing music and drama and plans to do drama at A level before studying Biology at Uni. A student from my dc school recently went to Cambridge after having done A level dance - they thought it showed a breadth to her other students lacked.

TLDR don’t get caught up in “aspirational” subject choices - do what you enjoy