GCSE options - music withdrawn - what should child do?

[GCSEmusichelp]

Hello - name changed for this as identifying.

We have two girls at the same large comprehensive - year 8 and year 10. School has always prided itself on balanced curriculum and offered lots of Arts subjects. Both my girls enjoy music and drama and it has been a given that they would be able to study the GCSEs there. DD1 already is in both cases.

During Covid the school lost its main music teacher. DD2 was incredibly sad about this as she loves music most, and wants (probably not definitely) to be a musician of some type. Of course older years were prioritised for what music teacher time they had. Her class has had supply teachers taking music all this year, and it has been very very dull.

The school does its GCSE options picking in Year 8 for Year 9. As a result of the lack of interesting lessons, only four children in the entire school have picked GCSE music, and predictably the school will not run with this number.

DD2 is very sad and angry. She feels that the school deprioritised her favourite subject and now no-one wants to take it. The school has had no concerts or performance opportunities, and has lost its orchestra and many ensembles.

Dance, drama and sport are very 'visible' but music is no longer mentioned or promoted - because no teacher.

A new teacher has now been hired. The school is offering her GCSE music after school as a result. However, they didn't see through their last 'twilight' subject (pulled it after a year) and with four children interested I'm not sure they will see through this one.

She's also worried about the fact that the school's other music offerings are now so underwhelming.

For context, she probably doesn't need the GCSE to take A-Level (though she would need to learn to compose). She is preparing for grade 8 on her main instrument (has grade 7) and is grade 5 and 6 on her two others. She also sings and has grade 5 theory.

She chose the GCSE because she couldn't imagine not having music in her day - so I think will be a bit sad if it continues to decline.

Her options are basically
a) take the twilight option and stay at the school - she's broadly happy but not amazingly so. It is the 'devil you know' in terms of school and her sister has been well served there.
b) find a school with better music nearby - we are in London so have options - and hope she settles and has better opportunities
c) Drop music GCSE and assume she can take A-Level with her instrumental grades and a bit of composition tuition?

What would people do in her situation? She's only 12, so this feels very early to be thinking about A-Levels etc but I guess we have to be realistic.

Thanks for any thoughts!

That's so sad OP. I think if music is a big part of her life (which it sounds like it is, as it is for my DC), I'd look at moving schools.

I would look at other schools abd then decide.

Tough.for your dd to have this happen

I’d also consider changing schools to one with a busy music department so as well as being able to take GCSE music she’ll have other music opportunities too.

If she stays at the school, there's no guarantee they'd continue to run the A level, if only 4 pupils want to take it at GCSE.

Does DD want to take music further than A level? ie do a degree in Music? If so, I think I'd encourage her to change schools. Being involved in music at a school is a great way to make new friends.

If, however, she wants to study Music because she enjoys it, and not because she sees it as a career, I think I'd go with the extra-curricular option. That way, it's an addition to her other GCSEs, not instead of one, and if it does get dropped, then it's not the end of the world educationally, although I'm sure she'd be disappointed.

I expect she already takes part in lots of out of school music activities, but if she wants music to be "part of her day", then maybe you could look at what's available near you. Youth orchestras etc.

Agree that if she’s likely to stay at the same school for A Level, then there’s a good chance of the same thing happening with low interest u less there’s usually a large influx of new students at that point.

Also agree that it’s not just about the GCSE, it’s about the lack of extracurricular too that goes hand in hand. Twilight GCSE May not be massively fun if she doesn’t also get opportunities to play. Not absolutely necessary, but she sounds like a child who wants and would enjoy that.

Do you have realistic alternatives nearby? Looking at those may help her decide whether the upheaval is worth it for her.

could she potentially go to a college/another school to do just music?

Thanks all - she does have lots of music out of school - youth orchestras and choirs and a Saturday School (Sadly not one that offers GCSE music), but nothing seems to be enough music for her.

She likes her peri teachers at school, and is involved in pretty much everything available - so it's not all disastrous, but it is very much less than she had hoped for.

It's hard to know whether it will be a music degree she wants (maybe most people know at 12, and that she doesn't is an indication that it won't be?). She talks a lot about musical theatre - she has a lovely voice, sings with a national choir etc, but isn't that much of a dancer...She is very academic too though.

She doesn't really want to leave her friends - a Covid secondary school transition isn't an easy thing and hers was pretty rocky but she's stable there now, so it's really hard to know whether it is better just to bite the bullet and take her out and hope for better or hang on there.

I think move schools. She’s young enough and on reading your second post it’s clearly her main joy in life!! X

I would say first step is to tour some other schools and take her with you, and ask if there is someone available to speak to about music provision in particular - I wouldn’t move her unless she is on board with it though, if she doesn’t want to move I’d probably go with the twilight option.

Ah OP how sad for her. TBH I would look seriously at moving schools, and I don’t say that lightly. They are surely very unlikely to run music for A level? If you DD is already at grade 7 that is amazing, well done her, she needs better music support in school.

My DCs’ school had a reasonable music dept and DD took music GCSE, played in various ensembles and sang and played at school concerts. She was at G7 standard in sixth form so not amazing, chose other subjects for A levels and now plays for fun as a an extra curricular.

Her friend who was a genuinely talented musician moved for sixth form to a school with a much better offer and was blown away. For example, her new school had an ensemble for those playing at G6 and above – in DD’s school that would have been DD, this friend and the friend’s boyfriend who was also talented. So it is worth it even if it means initial disruption. Yr 8 is not a terrible time to move as well.

But if she moves to a different school, what guarantee is there that the same thing won't happen there in the next two or three years - teacher leaves and can't be immediately replaced, or opportunities for orchestra, performance etc are reduced for whatever reason?

Presumably OP would research a school with a stronger music offering. DCs' school is rareish in our area in that it offers music A level (many do not) and as I said, DD's friend moved to somewhere with an even better focus. They are not going to drop down their music as they are known for it locally. Friend is now at music college in London btw wow

The Sixth form (just to make this even more identifying but I'm a bit past caring) is mixed between DDs school and the local boys' comprehensive school, which makes the A-level a possibility, but I agree not that likely.

As I say I can't really get my head round her thinking about her A-Levels when she's only 12, but I suspect the assumption is now she'll move for Sixth Form anyway.

Both dd and ds had a non negotiable subject. For ds it was music. No music GCSE and he would have changed schools. It made school bearable for him.

She doesn't really want to leave her friends

This move would have to be driven by her. Unless another school can offer amazing provision, and wows her, just let her decide. It sounds like she has masses of opportunity in her out of school time, you’re in London so there’s plenty to get involved with and current school is offering twilight club. Perhaps she could make it a mission, with the other interested kids, to get the school to take notice next year with new teacher and do some grass roots campaigning…

To be honest, given your DD's achievements on her instruments, both practical and theory, she would find GCSE music boring and far too easy anyway.

A Level is much better, and I found it quite challenging - a HUGE step up from GCSE.

I went into it with similar qualifications to your DD (so she will be even better when she gets there).

I would suggest maybe having a look through the syllabus online and seeing what's involved, just to make sure she's up to date with the knowledge, but honestly - she's so far ahead she would find it boring.

If you possibly can, please move her to a school with better music provision.

I went to a school like your DD's where few kids pursued academic music. The school 'orchestra' was a hodge podge of 5 flutes, 2 clarinets, a trumpet, drums and a guitar. They did hold concerts twice a year so at least there were performance opportunities. GCSE music was a group of 6 kids, with only one other actually interested in music.

I left because I would have literally been on the only pupil taking A level music. There are parts of the syllabus you can't even cover if you don't have other musicians to play music with.

I moved schools and it was an absolute breath of fresh air to go to a school where music was a thing that loads of them did. Having been a big fish in a small pond I went to being a medium fish in a bigger pond and all of a sudden had to strive to keep up a bit.

I went on and did a music degree and was a tiny fish in a big pond and had to work really hard to get my playing up to the same level as everyone else.

If I had my time again I 100% would have moved schools earlier, for my GCSEs. I was so much happier after I moved. Music is a very social subject and moving to a school full of other musicians meant I fitted in much better generally too.

It's not just about GCSE though, its about the whole ethos of music provision. At a school where music is taken seriously then GCSE music will not be boring or easy.

I would 100% move schools as it's your DD favourite subject. I was taking Grade 8 on 2 instruments by GCSE and it wasn't boring at all. It's about all the rest - orchestras, ensembles, choir etc. Then did A level and degree.

Thanks all.

I think, having realised they've messed this up they are trying very hard to return the music to something better. They've started a Grade 5 plus ensemble this term (very much a rag tag band of flute, trumpet, one piano and a violin at present, but it is something and shows willing), and there are supposedly now two choirs (though DD2 seems to be the lynchpin of both of them despite the fact she isn't technically old enough for the senior one and it only has five people in it).

It is a start - but anyone who knew the school's music pre-pandemic would be really shocked I think. There are musicians in other years, some of whom are exceptionally good, and children have previously taken A-level at this school and gone on to serious universities and conservatoire to read music. Maybe they can get it back.

The school have just confirmed she can do her other GCSE options, which are frankly weird. Her backup option was Dance BTEC (which almost no-one else offers), and they've confirmed that she can do this, Latin and Drama as well as twilight music. It would be hard to get that combination in the state sector anywhere else I think. I was expecting they might not offer the latin, but the music was a shock.

I've emailed other local schools with known music departments - at least we will then know if we have options. I shouldn't imagine the school will want to lose her, and I don't think any other school will not want to have her - she has never had a behaviour point and gets great results in all her subjects.

We know she's lucky to have great music elsewhere - it's just whether that will end up being enough for her.

Do Grade 5 theory. If she is planning to go beyond Grade 5 on an instrument she will need it and many sixth forms will accept it instead of GCSE Music

The OP's dd has Grade 5 theory. Assuming ABRSM she would have had t take it t be taking her Grade 8

I think you need to go and look at some other schools. Either other schools will also be lacklustre - in which case she may as well stay with her friends. Or you might find one that has 60 doing GCSE, 30 doing A level, 3 orchestras, monthly concerts, musical theatre shows etc.

I am assuming that private schooling is not an option? What about with a music scholarship. The only secondary that I know of that does the above is private.

Thanks - we will also look at private schools, though I don't think many offer scholarships out of the usual entry points. One of her instruments (not her first) is a serious shortage instrument though, so maybe that is in her favour?

She has grade 5 theory - not that she remembers all of it as she took it in year 6 over lockdown. She certainly hasn't continued brushing up her theory knowledge since then, except insofar as she has needed it for practical work.

re other state schools wanting / not wanting her.

What they 'want' is broadly immaterial, if they have a space they have to take her. if they don't have a space you'd have to appeal (using better offer of music as the reason).