GCSE options - how does this selection sound?

[hoping2016]

My dd is currently year 9 and is thinking of choosing Geography, Business Studies & Computer Science.

I’m a little unsure about Computer Science as they are currently struggling to recruit a teacher for CS since the last one left. Also with this combination she wouldn’t have any coursework at all? Would it be better to select a subject with some coursework to ‘lighten’ the exam load ?

Other options would be Music, Textiles, Food & Nutrition. She is currently working towards grade 3 piano. She enjoys hand sewing, crochet & also cooking.

Her other subjects would be English x 2, Maths, 3 Sciences & Spanish.

Please let me know your thoughts!

Geography and CS both usually have coursework?

Those options are fine - humanity, MFL, two other subjects which presumably are of interest.

Very few GCSEs have any coursework now so I wouldn't worry too much about that aspect. Nothing wrong with art or food or textiles, but I would say they should be done because they are enjoyed rather than bc a cw element will make things easier. It won't really tbh.

The CS teacher issue is a concern - does the school ask for a third choice in case of issues there?

Wrt music - DD took this (old spec) and found the composition a real challenge even tho she aced the written exam. So have a careful look at the spec before your DD takes that. Has she done any music theory? DD says that was really helpful.

My daughter does these but PE in place of Computer Science. She wasn’t interested in computers but was very keen to do PE as she wants to study medicine and there is quite bit of human anatomy in the theory.
I think they sound good choices.

My ds doesn't have oursework for these two. But it may depend on exam boards.

Thank you all. Geo & BS are both AQA and don’t have coursework.

I did my GCSEs in the 90s and we had a lot of coursework, good to know that not having any shouldn’t cause too much of an issue.

Yes the teacher situation is a concern, will monitor the situation and possibly switch out to food & nutrition if required. The school don’t ask for an extra one.

DD enjoys piano but has to really make sure she practices regularly it doesn’t come naturally. She has done some theory but doesn’t enjoy it that much.

I mean I don't know about lack of cw not causing an issue - it's more that it's not really an option apart from things like art and drama (and even drama has an exam).

It's been got rid of for a number of reasons tbh - one being that it was widely abused sadly. I say sadly bc for some DC it is the best way for them to show what they are capable of - if for example they freeze in exams.

BTW the GCSE is business now not business studies. https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/gcse/business-8132

I would be very concerned that they don't currently have a computer science teacher. DD lost hers during year 10 and never got another one as they are even more difficult to recruit then science teachers. Since then school has pulled the computer science option as they still haven't been able to recruit anyone.

The same has happened at the school I work in and again we can't seem to recruit anyone.

I would be asking what the schools plans are if they can't fill the vaccine. If she wanted to do ot at A-level it wouldn't be a problem as most colleges/schools seem aware of the problem and are only asking for maths for computer science.

Outside of English x 2, maths and the sciences, our school advises
A language
At least one humanity
A practical subject (ie art, drama, music, or a DT of some kind).

That’s really interesting about Computer teachers - my son’s school has got an excellent one and I’m so happy because my son loves computing and has a real aptitude for it. There was a school we had wanted him to go to but which he couldn’t get him into and a friend of mine whose son is there doing A levels, one of which is Computing, says that the teacher is not very good and he is not expecting a good grade. Makes me feel glad he has gone to the school he has! My daughters go to a different school and are not interested in computing - maybe because their teachers aren’t too good either?!

I wouldnt expect grade 3 music to be good enough?

Is she good at maths as most schools seem to only let top sets do computing?

Im not sure gcse business studies would be much use (having done a degree in it)

That's a very traditional approach. Our school suggests taking whatever you fancy

When my DC were choosing GCSE options, we googled the AQA specifications and, in the case of Business GCSE which they had not studied before, bought a study guide from the likes of WH Smith to get a better feel for what was involved.

One of mine did CS at GCSE and found the quality of teaching was important in determining progress (there was one very good and one very poor teacher). Another did DT; whilst they got a good grade in the end, they did find the coursework element stressful at the time; it might be helpful if your DD talks to older students about their experiences of the practical coursework.

Think carefully about Music.
DS is Y11 doing Music GCSE. He was grade 4 standard when he started Y11 and is taking g5 next month. For the performance element, you need to be G5 performance to achieve the higher grades.

I think he's doing AQA.

As already said, it's only GCSEs with a "practical" element that really have coursework these days.

However, I'd suggest that DC's choice is quite heavy academically, and they might like to choose one of the alternatives to give them some light relief? I would strongly say they should study what most interests them though.

I'd be wary of music (indeed all the alternatives you list for similar reasons) as it's not just about playing- is your DC also interested in composing and interpreting music?

I definitely wouldn't recommend Music if she's only G3 and doesn't like theory much.

The course is basically 1/3 composition, 1/3 performance and 1/3 theory and appraising music (to generalise).

It's a lovely GCSE if you are very into music, at high grades on 1 or more instruments and really enjoy composition. But I can imagine a total nightmare if you are not that way inclined.

Textiles might be a much better and more fun option as a more practical addition.

I always warn our students that if they drop a language it may harm their chances of doing history at some universities.
I had to suffer through years of German to get a passing grade so I could get into UCL. I failed their language requirement once I was there and had to do another year of German at UCL in my lunchtimes!
I was so lazy and at the same time rubbish at German.
I would advise against taking any subject that the school has no specialist already in post for. Courses are cancelled and all the students have to take what ever is left or whatever the school can provide.

@Notgoodatpoetrybutgreatatlit thats no longer true so maybe stop warming anyone.

UCL was actually the only uni to ask for a language element at KS4 and even they have dropped it. MFL obv very useful and worth studying but not needed for any uni course (apart from MFL haha).

Huh. Made my life awkward for literally no reason. If only I had waited for 40 years.
Still wouldn't advise anyone to take a subject in a school that hadn't got a teacher for that subject.

No, I deffo agree with that.