Which GCSE option choice has your child enjoyed the most?

[Crispypops]

Dd is in year 9 and just picking her options.

She's set on most of them apart from one. I'm just interested to hear which option did your child enjoy the most? Were they happy with their options?

My dc now age 17 did all gcses apart from a Music Diploma. He's so pleased he picked Music and really enjoyed it. On the other hand he wished he had picked German over History. History he found a huge workload.

Dd school are offering quite a large range of Btech and GCSEs.

DS1 enjoyed history and music. DS2 food tech and geography. DD only started in September but her favourites are sociology and computer science.

DD loved media studies most

Not art!

My DD loved art :)
She hated Spanish

Mine didn't really enjoy his gcses but then absolutely thrived doing his A level choices (one of which was a subject he hadn't done before) plus humanities as he was able to go into more depth and also write in a less formulaic way.

I think as long as there is a range of subjects covered which allows them to reach the next stage of their education with a choice then schools are quite good at making sure they study a variety of things.

After compulsory subjects go with what they fancy. Many subjects seem content heavy but if they enjoy it they mind less. Some of the practical subjects such as art or even PE can be more time intensive actually.

Dc1 hated PE and loved history and geography (HUGE content amount though...)
Dc2 is enjoying all their options, but especially media and textiles

Ds1 loved music best and Ds2 loved design technology. DS2 hates geography with a passion but has been doing really well in it, just got an 8 in his mocks.

My ds did that one. Really talented and was on schedule to get a high grade. The teacher said the exam board made it almost impossible to get a really high grade. Also it was a lot of work!

This is what I was meant to add to my post. Dd was set on PE Although a few of our friends children did the BTECH PE and they all hated it and have told dd not to do it. Wasn't sure if it was the teaching at the school or not.

History. Hated art, partly the workload but mainly due to the teacher.

They say to pick subjects they enjoy but it really does depend on teacher too!!

Surely it depends so, so much on the individual!

My DC loves French, history and media, enjoys French the most. Was particularly delighted to give up DT, art and geography.
Regrets not doing music.

DC’s best friend loves art and DT, I think DT is the favourite. Was particularly delighted to give up both French and history.

They are united in a shared horror of PE.

Despite each being totally unable to imagine what the other could possibly have been thinking when they chose their GCSE options, they are otherwise very similar characters (and get on like a house on fire).

My DD chose drama which ngl I was a bit doubtful about but it was her fave; she says now it was like a safe place to go in the day where she knew she was among friends. Caveat: obvs this relates to some extent to the group – she was in a very helpful and proactive drama group.

She also enjoyed geography and took it for A level. Music she found more challenging. All her GCSEs (apart from maths and English) were pre-reform as she sat them in 2017, so specs have changed. Her other choice was French which she also took for A level tho tbf I don’t think she was ever a massive fan. She was good at it tho. Spec on this has changed a lot tho (my subject so I know about it). New spec much better prep for A level as it goes.

DS2 enjoyed PE (GCSE not BTEC) for sure, also sciences in general but obvs those are compulsory. He also liked history and considered it for A level. He had to take an MFL and was not keen on that (Spanish).

He sat the new specs in 2019. A lot of his peers took DT (this was the first year of the new DT spec) and found it disappointing with a lot of design assessment and not much actual making. His other choice was CS which I think was only OK.

DS1 struggled with choices but enjoyed catering – again, old spec so probs not much use.

Mine was in the very lucky position to have a comp that offered both ancient history and classical civilisation. Both have become a real passion - they would never have learned any of this from us so I’m so grateful to the school.

Mine both enjoyed History and RS the most.

It depends on the individual surely? My dd loved Sociology and ended up also choosing it for A level.

History and Computer Science.

Was literally counting down the art lessons in Y9 as couldn't wait to finish them!

I came on to say that GCSE PE is my DD's favourite subject! She's in year 11.

DD adored geography, ending up taking it at A level + even considered it as a degree subject. She had a fantastic teacher who made lessons exciting and engaging, not like school at all! This was definitely a big part of her enthusiasm for it.

History, went on to do it at A level, then a degree, really enjoyed all of them, has a great career now.

Dd only got 3 options
She liked DT but didn't like her teacher, if she had had the other teacher this would have been her favourite option.
She enjoyed art and liked the teacher but didn't like the format of the coursework. In hindsight she would have chosen PE instead.

How many GCSEs do they sit are your school? Mine do 9 and only have 3 options because all do Eng Lang&Lit, Maths, Double Science, MFL (which they choose in Y8, mine do Spanish). If want to do triple science that uses up an option slot.

I'm a mean Mum with academic children so insisted on triple science (school strongly encouraged as well), both love science and are now planning on doing science A levels. I also insisted on geography or history to keep options open, one did history, the other geography and both love those choices.

Then one is doing art and the other is doing music. Art takes up a lot of time, DD1 is expected to do very well but she has done art for pleasure for years so it's not been too hard for her and she does love it. But agree with a PP, they've been repeatedly told it's incredibly difficult to get a 9 in art.

The musician has two music tutors (piano and singing), sings in the (excellent) school choir, performs in the school musical each year and plays the violin in a regional string orchestra. So does a lot extra, I think music would be very hard if you couldn't read music and didn't have an understanding of how orchestral pieces are put together.

Incidentally a friend of DD1 did 3 arts subjects as her options and now regrets it, particularly that now she's a bit older she's getting more focussed and sensible career ambitions. I think if you have academic kids the best thing to do is encourage a good mix of STEM, humanities, MFL and arts to keep their options open.

Dc1 enjoyed geography and photography.
Dc2 triple science and economics (although in hindsight wished he'd done a more practical subject for one as had really heavy subjects (I did tell him this at the time but was adament he had chosen right).
Dc3 sociology, history and biology (doing separate sciences and happy with the choice but wished could drop physics).

DS loves History (but knew that before taking options). One that he's enjoyed way more than he thought he would is Physics, Particularly astro physics. This is the module that isn't covered in combined science so he's pleased he opted for triple.

On the other hand he loathes psychology and wishes he'd taken PE.

Very surprised to read so many schools offering Sociology GCSE! My dd1 is doing Politics GCSE and loves it, but is thinking about adding in Sociology at A Level.