GCSE options - DD still can’t decide

[mrsapollo]

DD is in Y10, she weekly boards. She is the type of kid who seems to be naturally good at everything which is making subject choices hard!!

We send her to a quite pushy high expectation boarding school, she likes this environment but the timetable is demanding.

She will be training for her sport every day, 3 days a week before school, every day after school. Plus on Saturdays at home for a few hours. She attends Saturday school for her German (she is bilingual this is her dad’s first language). Sundays we try to keep free.

We pay for piano lessons before school starts on the other two days where she isn’t training her sport (school offer this).

Her schedule isn’t unique lots of kids at her school do sport as much as she does and instruments on the other mornings, many compete on Saturdays or train more.

In Y10/11 they have allocated 2.5 hours on the 4 week nights for personal study so she will get 10 hours of study time every week guaranteed.

Now here is the problem, as DD moves into Y10 she doesn’t want to drop any sports time of the instrument or Saturday school. School won’t let her have German as one of her GCSEs (well they have said she can sit it at the end of Y10 as they got her to do some practice papers and she passed with flying colours). So she has to pick between doing 9 or 10 GCSEs, subjects being so far DD is certain she will do

• English language and literature
• Maths
• French
• History
• Geography

Possible combinations for remaining spots are

• Combined Science, Music & Latin
• Triple Science & Latin
• Triple Science & Music

School have said she needs to make a choice ASAP, DD is leaning towards combined science and both or triple science and Latin but then I’m thinking why am I paying for music lessons twice a week if she isn’t going to do the GCSE, DD says she will still do the ABRSM grades.

Any advice here? I worry her schedule isn’t maintainable at all?!

What about PE GCSE? Is that not offered?

Let her do what she wants, they are all great options. If she gets overloaded then scale back training or piano.

I would say triple science but it really doesn't matter much between music or Latin so would just let her pick whichever she prefers.

Agree. If she's capable of triple science and is willing to do it, I would choose that first and then let her choose between Latin or Music.

It doesn't really matter about paying for the Piano Lessons and not taking Music as an option of playing the Piano is something that she enjoys doing.

Has she not done any piano grades yet? Has she just recently started piano? I wouldn't do music GCSE I'd just let her do the piano grades if she wants to do music. Then she can do triple sciences and Latin.

I would have her do the German in Yr 10 as it sounds like it will be very easy for her.

She has, she’s just done Grade 6 now.

I would say triple science and Latin, as she will still be studying music and getting qualifications anyway, just in a different form.

I’m thinking why am I paying for music lessons twice a week if she isn’t going to do the GCSE,

Errrr because she's enjoying it, because playing an instrumental is a wonderful enjoyable relaxing thing to do, because activities are about more than GCSEs

Besides GCSE music isn't simply playing, it's playing, composing, listening, history etc.

Does she like science? If not don't do triple as that would be a LOT of science lessons.

She does not need gcse music if she is taking extra curricular lessons. If she is bright taking triple science might be better. Will she be taking gcse German?

Does she have any idea what she wants to do long-term thinking towards A levels, degree, career etc at this stage?

From my own experience, I would encourage a less-is-more approach. By saying yes to everything I ended up doing 14 GCSEs. Never has it been more useful to me than if I had just done 8 or 9, it was just double the workload and a whole load of stress. I wish I had done less and given myself more grace to rest and train for my sport. If she isn't likely to do a science A level and she's equally good at all three sciences, combined science may suffice (I did triple as I was in theory better at biology and was considering it for A level). On the other hand, if she knows she wants to do sciences, triple science will help her have broader knowledge going into the next stage.

Similarly, if she might want to study classics, languages or botany, and maybe a very limited range of other things, latin may be useful, but otherwise it's probably not in the big picture of things.

Separate music for enjoyment to music for academic purposes. She's allowed to have things that she loves doing without pressure! I stopped all formal music lessons when I started GCSEs - I still played my instruments in multiple bands, but I did it on my own terms and for fun. I had no interest in taking music GCSE: I just liked live performances to audiences. It was absolutely the right decision for me.

The higher grade ABRSMs carry UCAS points in themselves comparable with A levels, so no need to fill up extra hours outside timetabled lessons to get fewer points for a lower level qualification in the same subject.

Triple Science and Latin makes sense with all her other activities and subjects.

Grade 6 ABRSM is equivalent to a low grade A-level.
Music GCSE isn't needed, unless she wants it. She can just keep playing for enjoyment.

If she might want to do STEM A levels, I'd do triple science. If humanities or languages or arts are likely to be her pathway, maybe combined.

None of those choices are bad, unless she doesn't want to do one subject.

Things like grade 6/7/8 music exams may well carry UCAS points but lots/most(?) courses at more academic institutions want the UCAS points to have come from A levels (or maybe / BTEC/T-levels) not from random other qualifications.

Sorry yes of course. If she's not thinking of taking a Science A'Level she might not enjoy triple science.

Come from a science enjoying family so sone times forget it's not for everyone

Music GCSE is a lot more than ABRSM piano exams - if she would enjoy composition and music history/analysis then it's a great subject. If your DD is already G6 then the performance part will be easy for her.

I would do combined science, Latin and Music.

You don't NEED triple - many schools only offer combined - and it keeps her options wide open.

Also you may get UCAS points for music exams, dance exams etc but I don't know of any university that takes them into account unless that's the subject you are applying for. Want to do a music degree as a mature student and don't have all the A levels required, then sure they may well take G8 in lieu, but when you miss your offer for History by 3 points, they really don't say that your LAMDA exam will get you over the line.

You only really need grade 4 piano to do well at music GCSE, because playing is only a small part of it. Depending on the exam board her school uses, composing is a huge part and often the part a lot of advanced players hate. It's very very time-consuming. If she doesn't want to do music GCSE I wouldn't personally advise her to. Playing the piano is irrelevant to her choices and I'd stick with that, maybe drop to 1x a week.

Triple science and Latin.

I forgot to say, why not PE? She seems sporty, lots of the theory is very useful.

The science choice boils down to: does she like science? does she want to pursue science post GCSE (either as A Level or career)? is there no other subject she'd rather use the option on?

If the answer to all/most of those is "yes" then she should choose triple science. If it isn't then she should go for combined.

Music GCSE is also about music appreciation, theory and composing. If your daughter mainly likes playing, she might not enjoy it (although as an accomplished musician she will likely get high marks in the performance section).

Like others, I wondered why PE is not on her list (not offered?).

I took GCSE music because it was expected as I played piano and 2 instruments. Hated it! Let her go for what she thinks she will enjoy.

Triple science and let her choose the final subject.

If she's bright and learns easily, it won't be too much of a stretch.

I agree with this. DS is thinking about A levels, and has decided against Music as he can work through grades (+ theory) and save timetable space for his other subjects.

but then I’m thinking why am I paying for music lessons twice a week if she isn’t going to do the GCSE

That is really sad to read.

Music GCSE isn't really related to music lessons, except that they are expected to play something as there's a performance component. It's much closer to Grade 5 music theory.

I'd also recommend triple science.