Options: no geography or history, is that a problem

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DD has to choose options this coming year. They’ve got to take: double science, maths, English language, English literature, RE and a modern foreign language. They then get three more choices. Is it odd to choose ones she really likes, so three art/design/music options? That leaves out history and geography, and classics and Latin. It seems so early to be cutting out the wider arts. She will probably go onto study something art or design based but who really knows that at 13?

Subjects she likes and will work hard at is most important, but I would suggest doing art and skip design....then choose history, geography, classics or latin instead to be honest.

I tend to agree, although skipping music would make more sense to me. She really wants to drop the MFL and would quite happily take Latin or classics instead but that doesn’t seem possible.

Music is not all about performing - there is a composing element and a written/music appreciation element as well. If your DC just likes playing, it may not be for them.

I guess RE is the humanity in there? I don't see a problem with your DC's choices. She should be aware that art and design will be a lot of work, though the advantage is fewer exams.

Yes, we’ve gone over the music curriculum with her. I don’t think playing is the most important aspect of music for her.

I hadn’t thought of RE as being the humanities subject, I don’t know why, but it makes sense to.

She has ages to decide but as soon as they’re back at school the year begins to work on choosing options so I thought we should put a little thought into it.

A friend's child, when choosing options, wanted to go into musical theatre, and so did music, drama and graphic design, meaning there wasn't have room for both a humanity and a language. They later changed direction, and got into Cambridge for law, so it obviously didn't narrow their options too much.

Watch the coursework balance, especially with art, which is notoriously time-consuming.

She may find that art/design/music can't be fitted into the timetable. Subjects are usually put into 'blocks' to make timetabling easier, and it would be unusual for all 3 to be available.

Also be aware of the amount of time outside of the classroom things like art and Design require. Much more than the amount of homework associated with other subjects.

Yes, I’m aware that most schools do “blocks” of subjects. DD school doesn’t do this. They let students choose the subjects then work out how to give them what they want. I’m sure it doesn’t always work out.

Yes, we will talk to the school about the coursework balance.

At my kids school you have to do one humanity but RE is a humanity so I don't see any problem with what she's selected.

You can actually drop the MFL for GCSEs. Schools don’t like you to as that is required for the English Baccalaureate- which is not a qualification and has zero impact on your child’s chances for sixth form. It is purely a measure used by the government to assess how well educated its students are.

My youngest dropped MFL for GCSEs because she said the only languages she was interested in are computer languages. She dropped the MFL so she could take computer science and design technology.

My second oldest, did similar to your DD. Dropped MFL to be able to do both Latin and Ancient Greek.

I think if you have a good reason why, and push back, you can convince the school to allow you to drop the MFL. Especially if it has no bearing on their future goals and they hate it enough they will not score well on the GCSE exam. Children rarely do well in a subject they hate.

RE is the humanities but is it the whole GCSE or just half as I know in the olden days it just used to be half.

The school where I work (and where my DCs go/went) does this (and at A level too). It's increasingly rare, as it can be hugely difficult for the timetabler.

I was that timetabler for four years...

Any of those combos would work, with the warning that art/design/music can all involve a lot of coursework (as PPs have said). Go with what they enjoy!

I would not recommend art and design and music ( nor art, drama and music).

DD did art and a design subject.
DS did music.

The idea of the coursework for all 3 makes me feel a little pale. Dd managed, as she us very organised. Ds is an excellent practical musician so the coursework was straightforward. However just quantity of work and deadlines would make a combination of all 3 really tough.

(Unless your dc us a genuinely excellent musician with a really strong grasp of theory and the history of music genres through eg extensive orchestral playing, in which case that gcse really is fairly straightforward if the options chosen by the school match their expertise and interest)

Thanks all.

i can imagine it’s a logistical puzzle to timetable so that everyone gets the course they want. I took GCSES at the beginning of time and we had option blocks then. I was surprised when I realised DDs school doesn’t have them. Of course it doesn’t mean she’ll get her first choices but I think the school aim to do their best.

Is all course work a problem? When GCSES came in they had a large coursework element to them and I don’t remember it being problematic. We will take advice from the teachers on that. I imagine it’s the sort of school who’ve had children interested in the arts so it will be good to know if they’ve steered them away from too many art courses.

The thing with art / design / music coursework is it is open-ended and therefore hugely time consuming.

Art ... create a portfolio. How big? As big as you want. Is it finished? Nothing is ever finished.

Music... create 3 compositions and a group performance. What do I need to include? It's a composition, include what you want to. Is it finished? It's a piece of music, they're never finished....

They're different by nature from e.g. the non examined assessment (NEA) in a subject like history, which IIRC was simply a longer piece of writing, completed almost entirely in school. the latter is much more like 'old' GCSE coursework. In art / design / music, IME almost all work on them is done outside lesson time, and to do well, the hours spent can be enormous. DD, for example, would finish all homework for other subjects during the week, and then spend 90% of weekends working on her Art and DT coursework.

About the coursework thing... GCSEs ages ago did have a lot of coursework. But it tended to be quite a few relatively short things. Art and Design courses have BIG projects, which the students work on over the whole course. That means that they can easily expand to fill all available time. (Possibly music too, but I don't have experience of DCs doing that!)

Those subjects are like that at A-level, too. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's hard to spend lunchtimes in the Art Studio if you're also expected to be in the Workshop!

@cantkeepawayforever Jinx!

We must have been typing at the same time.

DS and DD both did very well in their art / design / music subjects, partly because they had natural aptitude, but also because they loved them enough to put in the endless work required (and bright enough that it didn't affect their grades in other subjects too badly).

I still would not advise doing all 3. I don't think there's enough time in the world to get really good grades in all 3, except if the music is something someone pretty much already knows from extracurricular music theory, orchestral playing etc.

I completely agree with @cantkeepawayforever. Three would probably be a bit much (and that includes drama although that wasn't on OP's list). My DS (currently going into Y10) does DT, but he's good at time-management. My DD rather let GCSE Art take over her life. With A-level Art she limited her time a bit more, mainly because she decided that she didn't really like abstract/"fine" art, where it's all about documenting why you did what you did. She's starting art school next week (!!!) but on an illustration course where it's normally obvious why you did what you did -- because the client asked for it!

(DS going into Y11, typo. So halfway through his DT course and already the project is big and sprawling.)

Dd did Art AND a DT subject. Then Art A level as one of 4, plus an EPQ.,,,,

Very, very good preparation for her specific degree course.

Oof, I take my hat off to your DD (and to you for managing the inevitable stress)! Architecture?

My DD did two Art A levels (plus another) snd it was intense.

DD did drama and art gcse as two of 10. She did RE, History, Maths, double science, English Lit, English Language, French, drama and Art. I really would do a humanity that’s not just RE. I would t do 3 art subjects. I would highly encourage MFL.

It limits choices at A level if there’s no humanity as History is such a good subject to put with others such as sociology, politics, economics snd others and Geography goes with sciences and maths. If she’s not doing triple science, then humanities, and especially history, might be more useful in the future when looking at A levels.

I think if you have a good reason why, and push back, you can convince the school to allow you to drop the MFL.

That really does depend on how the school’s timetable is set up. If it’s timetabled alongside option subjects and some or all students are just told that they “have to” take it, then a parent could negotiate for their child not to do it and another option instead. That’s pretty much how it works in my school.

However, if it is timetabled like a core subject then dropping it wouldn’t allow you to pick another option instead. RE is compulsory at my school and timetabled like a core subject. If a child wanted to drop it there wouldn’t be any option lessons running at that time for them to switch to. The only other lessons on at the same time would be more RE or English, Maths, Science, PE. If the school timetables MFL they way that we timetable RE then dropping it won’t be possible.

DD's school only allowed one coursework heavy design type subject (music doesn't count) she did food tech which was very time intensive due to coursework, her friend wanted to do textiles as well and was told no, you couldn't do textiles and art either (a makes sense combo)