'Extra' GCSE ever worth it?

[Hellsmell]

DD is in Y9 and selecting her options for GCSE.
At her school they do either 9 or 10 GCSEs as standard depending on the science course taken.
They have 4 option "columns" but one of these is just French or German and the other is just History or Geography so not real choices. In the other two columns DD has selected Art and Media Studies.
DD is a very capable student, and it's been suggested she do one of the 'Extra' choices. The extra options are Italian, Latin, Psychology and Further Maths. She is a member of the "Italian" club and seems to enjoy it.
The extra subject is offered via 2 30 minute lunchtime sessions and 2 50 minute after school classes. This would mean 2 times a week her school day would be 8.30-4.50 which seems very long.

Now DD has hobbies outside school, mainly tennis, which she has before school training for 3 days a week (6.30-7.30), now we could arrange it so tennis isn't on the long day but that would be difficult! She also plays piano and goes to a once a week recreational ballet class. I think with studying for 10 GCSEs + hobbies an 11th would be pointless?

Is there ever a good case for it?

Right now DD wants to work in magazine journalism but I'm aware that could change.

Just want to put the alternative here that my child did do an art subject AND an extra GCSE, and scored vert highly (it was taken across years 9 and 10) so although there is a lot of work in art please don’t let that sway your final decision IF and only if she has a passion for doing Italian too.

The extra work will really only be worth it if it’s for passion or very focused career needs I would say.

No benefit now in doing 4 A levels

Er, other than learning a slightly less narrow range of subjects at this stage.

Education is an end in itself not just a means to an end.

How did you manage half a GCSE??

Many schools offered RE short course in order to fulfill the obligation to teach RE at the time.

Most dc unless very bright or driven will find it easier to gain their best grades if they take three rather than four A levels.

Universities do not require four A levels - thats what i meant really. I would argue that for most dc the goal of their chosen uni is more important than studying a wider range of subjects. Neither of my two had a fourth they were keen to do anyway!

Starting GCSEs this September so don't have the timetable yet. Quite a few of the subjects started teaching the GCSE syllabus in Y9 though. It's a grammar.

Consider how an introduction to to these subjects could open future opportunities. Latin used to be a way for certain institutions to filter out people in a way that wouldn't be classed as illegal discrimination. Not sure whether it's still used in this way; but keep in mind that Latin is classed as a dead language.

On the other hand, psychology is useful to have an awareness of because everything revolves around interacting with people. You have an advantage in all areas of life if you know how to understand how people think and read their thinking processes through the actions you see of them.

It's not that they're not useful - that's the age old problem of having to narrow down option choices - it's more that losing 2 lunchtimes and 2 after schools every single week for 2 years is actually a lot to ask for more study from any child. Especially for one as intense as a gcse at that age.

Things like for interest subjects/clubs don't have the added pressure of an exam and can be missed without worry and also provide something different to the day. The ops child already does tennis at a reasonable level and music and it would be a shame to drop these for essentially more of the same (I liked the comparisons to collecting scout badges earlier). It's one of those just because you can doesn't mean you should moments. I'm genuinely surprised the xhool is offering them like this.

Consider how an introduction to to these subjects could open future opportunities. Latin used to be a way for certain institutions to filter out people in a way that wouldn't be classed as illegal discrimination. Not sure whether it's still used in this way; but keep in mind that Latin is classed as a dead language.

I'm pretty sure that attitude is deader than the language now - afaik you don't even need to have studied Latin beforehand to do Cambridge and Oxford classics degrees, they offer 4 year ab initio courses. Similar with the less common MFLs, often students do one they've studied at school plus a new one from scratch.

Agree. You definitely don’t need to have learned Latin to study classics at oxbridge colleges (although I can imagine there might be a few raised eyebrows if the option was there and you didn’t take it but are applying for a classics courses, as they are looking for a real passion about the subject).

I know what you mean about dead language but it’s certainly not a useless language. I’m taking Spanish as an adult and there are so many words I already “know” as the root is in the Latin I learned as a teenager. But again, I’d only take an extra GCSE in anything if the decision is passion or future career driven.

One of mine has a ridiculous amount of GCSEs. He regrets it as he feels he would have got 9 straight 9s if he'd stuck to 9 GCSEs. He did fantastically well though.
The only exceptions really are Latin if you feel you want to do Classics at uni and it is only available as an extra, or further maths as it can give more of an insight into whether A level Maths is a good idea.

Some universities do require Latin for Classics, a friend's daughter felt her choices were more limited by not having Latin or Greek, she ended up teaching herself Latin as no local schools offer it.

Certainly not necessary. You can get into top unis with as few as 6 GCSEs.

I didn't realise only 15% did 10 gcses. My daughter is doing 10 but there is 1 subject, possibly 2 we are saying to "keep for fun" and not worry about going the extra mile so she can focus on core subjects.

DS is doing 11 GCSEs including further maths, and plans to do 4 A-levels (or maybe 3 plus AS-level Spanish).

It's not all about ticking boxes for uni, it's also about choosing what you're passionate about and what you'll enjoy.

Allegedly, this is exactly the reason; it's alleged that those universities don't want people from regular backgrounds to attend their courses. They can't outright discriminate based on class background, but the can include requirements like Latin that they know aren't available in schools attended by the working and regular middle classes.

The afore mentioned student is at Birmingham Uni, I didn't get that vibe at all, as they have another classics option for non Latin speakers. A lot of unis will also offer a 4yr course that includes Latin tuition, it is an advantage to study texts in their original language.
I'm extremely working class - all the clichés - yet I was taught Latin at school.

@Islandsmeh I should have clarified in the original writing that it's alleged that this happened years ago; I've no idea if it still happens.

Latin GCSE is offered at my DC's state school but not at their cousins' well known and excruciatingly expensive independent so it would definitely not be an infallible class indicator now.

I did an extra one way back in the day. It was ‘self-supported’, meaning without lessons. It brought my average right down.

FWIW I’d let her concentrate on her extra curriculars. As well as being things she (hopefully) enjoys, they mark her out as an excellent all-rounder. And, they’re things she could continue into adulthood for her own enjoyment and social life.

I am absolutely in awe of the kids doing so many GCSEs. DD is doing 7 (online school) which combined with a demanding hobby feels enough.

I took 13 GCSEs (but back in the old A*-E days) and this was just because I was a mega nerd and enjoyed it / wanted to collect them 😅

I would say a language GCSE is worth because even years later you will retain some competency / grounding in that language which is a nice thing to be able to refresh. Either Italian or Latin would make it easier to learn other romance languages in future, and that can be very useful.

I did an extra language GCSE but I ultimately did languages so it was relevant. I really wanted to though which I think is fairly key.

I did 14, it hasn't benefitted me much. I did get accepted to some excellent universities but I did also have very good A level results so not sure if the GCSEs played any part in that. I learned some interesting stuff and enjoyed it, but it hasn't benefitted me past that.

Er, other than learning a slightly less narrow range of subjects at this stage.

Education is an end in itself not just a means to an end.

Really A levels should be replaced with a much broader post 16 education like the rest of the world but I can't see there ever being the political will to do that.

Magazine journalism is dying and will barely exist in ten years time but if she’s really passionate about media she could get a lot out of it. Art is a hugely time-consuming subject, to the extent that I would suggest either doing the 11th GCSE or taking Art. I don’t think I would recommend doing both.