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Secondary education

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Original poster

Which GCSE option choice has your child enjoyed the most?

58 replies

Crispypops · 25/03/2024 13:29

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.

OP posts:
Popfan · 25/03/2024 18:05

My DS enjoyed DT.

One he also really enjoyed and one we had initially discounted during the options talk was health and social care. He swapped onto it as he wasn't enjoying media studies. It's coursework as well as one exam module so easier for him to do very well in it. Not something he wants to do as a career but he's learnt quite a lot about more about the dangers of alcohol and drugs and also about how the more vulnerable people in society are supported. He also likes the teacher which helps!

NewName24 · 25/03/2024 18:16

Obviously it is going to depend on the individual, their aptitude, and the teacher(s), but one option that everyone I know who has taken it seems to have enjoyed is RE - or, as the curriculum is now, Philosophy and Ethics.
So interesting and so useful to set you off into adult life.

EndlesslyDistracted · 25/03/2024 18:16

Both of mine have loved history and taken it for A level. One also loved biology and the other loved BTEC Sport.

MaloneMeadow · 25/03/2024 22:05

NewName24 · 25/03/2024 18:16

Obviously it is going to depend on the individual, their aptitude, and the teacher(s), but one option that everyone I know who has taken it seems to have enjoyed is RE - or, as the curriculum is now, Philosophy and Ethics.
So interesting and so useful to set you off into adult life.

At DD’s school they are forced to take it for GCSE - according to her + the vast majority of her friends it was nothing more than a few boring lessons each week in return for an easy A grade. Uptake at A level is incredibly low so they’re not alone in this opinion.

Personally both she and I would’ve much preferred compulsory British Sign Language or even finance lessons. Much more relevant applications in day to day life than philosophy of religion and I wouldn’t have just had to spend an entire car ride explaining APR rates to a now 19 year old DD…

ladygindiva · 25/03/2024 22:23

My DD loved history and business studies.

TizerorFizz · 26/03/2024 07:25

@JaninaDuszejko My DDs attended a school that insisted on a broad range of GCSEs as you describe. So in addition to core subjects, they had to a chose a MFL, humanity, an art or a technology subject. Some dc did an additional MFL, triple science or music and drama. Generally you don’t need much more than basic subjects because new A levels don’t need GCSEs in many cases. So history is more useful than sociology or politics GCSE for example.

minisnowballs · 26/03/2024 07:48

Drama a massive hit here with both my girls. Also Latin (state school so unusual, and not offered for A). Music hit and miss - poor/no teaching in the state comp made composition a massive struggle, younger daughter has moved and now adores it. History big hit with both of them. Older one now doing politics a-level as well as history - they work SO well together.

Meadowbird · 26/03/2024 07:56

Mine did drama as the ‘fun’ creative option and have enjoyed doing something a bit different from all the sit down lessons. I think it’s been good for soft skills and confidence too.

languages are definitely harder - native speakers scoop up lots of the higher grades making it harder for everyone else.

art / textiles / DT take up lots of time so do t do these unless you are really interested.

PerpetualOptimist · 26/03/2024 08:21

I asked my DC this question. They said their favourite options were ones where the content really interested them, the teachers were inspiring and well organised and the specific assessment structure for that subject played to their strengths.

brooksghost · 26/03/2024 08:27

Astronomy, Environmental Management and Psychology for DD.
Home Educated so could pick and choose from a slightly different range. Also, Human Biology was another one she really enjoyed.

Ifonlyoneday · 26/03/2024 09:11

Environmental management sounds interesting. Shame they don’t have a standard gcse in this.

Hoppinggreen · 26/03/2024 09:15

My 2 both love/loved RE.
Its a lot more ethics and philosophy based than it was in my day and they debate different religions/death penalty/abortion etc.
The teacher is really good though which helps.
DD loved History but again the teacher was great and really engaged her and DS loves Computing but all his mates take it too and the teacher is "a laugh"
I think a lot of it depends on the teacher and who else is doing it rather than just the subject matter unfortunately.
A lot of the DC at their school hated Geography and a few switched away from it and I understand that the languages were quite difficult.

clary · 26/03/2024 09:44

languages are definitely harder - native speakers scoop up lots of the higher grades making it harder for everyone else

This may be an issue at A level it it’s just not true at GCSE. The volume taking MFL for GCSE means native speakers have little impact - plus a 100% grade or even 95% is not needed for a 9.

Examples from 2019 of percentage needed for grade 9 (roughly)
French 85
Eng lit 88
Drama 86
PE 76
RS 88

If native speakers made such a difference there would be a much greater disparity with a 9 in French needing a much higher percentage.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 26/03/2024 09:59

Music definitely the favourite here.

The surprises were the Creative Media Production BTEC which she didn't expect to like as much as she does, and Citizenship.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 26/03/2024 09:59

I think it depends on the student so much. DD loved Psychology and is doing it for A level. She had to do a humanity for EBacc so chose History but hated it, so much content and they struggled to finish the syllabus, every lesson towards the end was just making revision notes from textbooks. She was amazed when she got a 7 but so glad to never have to go near it again. Plus it depends if you like the topics to be studied (they seem very random to me).

She wishes she could have done Textiles instead, loads of her friends did it and really enjoyed it, they said it was a break from all the academic stuff.

ErrolTheDragon · 26/03/2024 10:14

Obviously it depends on the individual. I think my dd enjoyed all hers except German and English lit and Lang. Particularly enjoyed FM and electronics (pre reform, not sure that's available now), also drama for a change of pace.

GherkinsOnToast · 26/03/2024 10:19

Mine has loved Drama, music was her love but a crap teacher for one component had killed that and led her to change her A-level choices.

m00rfarm · 26/03/2024 10:19

Drama was an unexpected choice, but a good one as it has ensured he is comfortable speaking in public (he is extremely shy in social settings with new people, but you would never know when you see him in a work environment standing up making presentations).

ErrolTheDragon · 26/03/2024 16:51

Ha - DD completely froze in her first attempt at the oral exam for German, she was allowed another go which went better because her teacher said "I've seen you act, so act the part of someone who can speak German".Grin

Teachers can make a lot of difference one way or the other- biology went from being a favourite to disliked.

cheapskatemum · 26/03/2024 17:12

Each of my 3 sons enjoyed RE and did well in it. I work with children in care and they often seem to like it best too.

May09Bump · 26/03/2024 17:54

Maths and History are favourites here. RE close second- enjoys the discussions. Absolutely hates Spanish - but dislikes the teacher (1st one he has not liked), which is a shame as he enjoyed it in previous years.

We stirred away from any project assessment based ones such as DT / ART- as he prefers exams at end of course. Hoping to do a computer science degree - which would suit him as quite Maths / Science focused. He's doing 12, incl further maths and triple science (state school).

Medschoolmum · 26/03/2024 18:06

I think mine enjoyed all of her options tbh.

She did sciences and maths at A-level so obviously enjoyed those subjects.

However, she absolutely loved her history GCSE and English as well.

She really enjoyed drama, though it was a lot of work.

And she thoroughly enjoyed French, but think that was as much about the teacher and the composition of the class as it was the actual subject!

hels71 · 26/03/2024 18:14

Drama, textiles and further maths are my DDs favourites..

Shinyandnew1 · 26/03/2024 18:16

Drama
textiles
graphics
business

were some favourites of mine.

Lancelottie · 26/03/2024 18:19

DS1: DT.
DS2: Drama, and also Dance GCSE, as a total novice, 'because no one expects me to be any good'.
DD: Ancient History. Took History A level on the strength of it. Hated it at A level.