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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

GCSE subject choices

19 replies

Enb76 · 19/01/2022 07:30

Just wondering what your children’s choices are looking like.

We are in a good position of trying to narrow down options. Just wondering about the child doing a ‘non-academic’ subject instead of say geography and history she would do geography and drama. She will be doing triple science and three languages (one early) as it is and she thinks drama would be a nice adjunct to English Lit and doesn’t want to do History given the GCSE curriculum choices of the school. I have no idea about the workload for drama - I am assuming it’s high (like art).

OP posts:

converseandjeans · 19/01/2022 07:36

Most schools are trying to encourage Ebacc Eng Maths Science Humanity Language plus a creative subject.

Drama is great for gaining confidence with speaking & performing.

It looks like there's already 3 languages plus a humanity so pretty sure drama would go well.

Tigertealeaves · 19/01/2022 07:38

I'm a secondary teacher of an arts subject so probably biased but in this situation I'd be supporting my child doing drama if they love it.

Coursework-heavy subjects have the advantage that you can have a good chunk of the subject done prior to exam season, and how you have done in it is more of a known quantity.

Abraxan · 19/01/2022 07:41

Drama is much more like English lit in many ways now, more academic under its new guise. There are practical emergents but there are also essays disguising aspects of plays and productions, and take a similar form to the essays done in English lit.

Gazelda · 19/01/2022 07:42

DD is in a fairly similar position. She's veering towards art for the same reason - something to use a different part of her brain.

PyjamaMamma · 19/01/2022 07:48

DD wants to do all the languages, product design and art… means no history or geography which I’m not sure it’s a good idea. She said she’s thinking of the usefulness of the subjects for her future, bless her. I am encouraging her to talk to her tutors about it. The GCSE choices evening is after half term so we have a bit of time.

StColumbofNavron · 19/01/2022 07:53

DS1 picked drama in amongst all academic subjects. It was over lockdown so hard to tell, but it doesn’t seem that much more significant than Spanish, which he spends a lot of time on.

DS2 is picking this year and his school are EBacc so he will pick (probably) geography and then likely toss a coin for French or Spanish as he would rather drop them both. His ‘free’ choices are art (having been repeatedly courted by the dept which has really increased his confidence) and music. He isn’t a natural worker outside of school so we have had lots of conversations about time needed to complete art and music and plan to have a ‘real’ talk at options evening.

RedskyThisNight · 19/01/2022 08:49

Drama is pretty academic! I agree with your DD that it will complement English very well. DD is very strong in English and humanities and finds that these strengths help her with drama as well.

DD has not found the workload too bad as she's been able to do most of her coursework in lessons and there is less homework/revision than there would be for other subjects.

DaisyTheUnicorn · 19/01/2022 08:52

We don't have to do ebac so daughter is dropping languages altogether. She is terrified of speaking them - if latin had been offered I think she would have done that!

Tripple science (compulsory), history and RP, textiles and music look to be the choice here. I hope textiles and music doesn't look too much like 2 "fun" subjects but I do hope she enjoys them :)

DaisyTheUnicorn · 19/01/2022 08:53

I have the same concern about 2 coursework subjects though - great to get out the way but can be a lot of time spent when need to be doing other subjects. Music and tech are great things to be spending that time on though!

StColumbofNavron · 19/01/2022 09:02

DS2 is likely to go down a creative route post GCSE so as long as he fully understands the time commitment his choices seem sound. Art and music are way out of my comfort zone though so he will have pull his finger out.

Seeline · 19/01/2022 09:39

DD did GSCE drama - not a light-weight subject at all!

They have to be able to analyze plays, much like in Eng lit, as well as discuss set, props, costume etc I think they had set play, as well as having to watch 2 live pieces which they had to be able to deal with in this way.

There is also the practical part - involves lots of group work so that can have an impact if not everyone pulls their weight. They have scripted pieces and have to devise their own pieces. All of this has to have a written log to accompany it. They have to perform a final piece live for the examiner.

CarrotCakeMuffins · 19/01/2022 09:43

DC1 is in yr 11 and doing drama and loves it (mind you it is their thing). We felt it was good to have a creative subject in the mix, and it also complements the English quite well.
A big chunk of coursework (devised piece) was done last term, and there is another practical bit at the end of this term, then 1 exam in the summer. It is good to have some out of the way before the main chunk of exams. I say go for it.

AlbertBridge · 19/01/2022 09:46

DS2 wants to drop language. His school don't make it compulsory. I'm a bit 😟 it'll limit him in the future but every teacher we've spoken to says it won't. (He definitely won't want to study it later.)

Is it bad not to do a language? He wants to do History, RS, Computer Science and Photography.

AlbertBridge · 19/01/2022 09:47

Plus double science, English, Maths, obv. :)

chillied · 19/01/2022 09:51

Drama is a great idea. My arty equivalent (music) are some of my fondest memories of school and most retained knowledge now. Agree it really helps to have variety of brain activity amongst the academia. (tho drama does have lots of essays etc)

Also tbh I don't think it really matters a lot for your future what your GCSE subjects are as long as the choices don't shut down something that you would want to do at the A level/BTEC stage. In the end it's mainly the English and Maths grades that really are thresholds to next stages too.

DD is doing 2 arty subjects at GCSE and she's a very academically strong student. Currently all her potential A level choices are academic.

StColumbofNavron · 19/01/2022 10:20

@AlbertBridge

Is it bad not to do a language? He wants to do History, RS, Computer Science and Photography.

Not at all, and I say that as a huge, huge fan of MFL. I think, at most, and really in few scenarios having a decent MFL grade of a uni was perhaps choosing between two identical candidates and one had an A/A language then it might* swing in that student’s favour as the rigour of languages is appreciated.

That said, I think that this is likely to apply in the tiniest minority of cases so I really wouldn’t worry. If it isn’t compulsory then it’s likely a large number will drop them.

TeenPlusCat · 19/01/2022 11:28

In English Lit if studying a play (e.g. An Inspector Calls) you discuss the words of the play.
In Drama you discuss everything except the words: so the delivery of the words (pace, volume etc), the staging, costumes, props, lighting, sound effects, makeup.

Original poster

Enb76 · 19/01/2022 11:47

Well, that sounds far more fun! In the old days (early 90's) I didn't get the option of drama GCSE. We did drama as a compulsory class anyway up to 6th form but it was about performance rather than anything technical or directorly.

OP posts:

Comefromaway · 19/01/2022 11:50

Drama is an excellent GCSE but it can be time consuming and is reliant on group practical work.

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