GCSE choices

[shreddies]

DS school has just shared their list of GCSE options. DS is pretty bright, he's in top sets for maths and science, but doesn't enjoy studying.

I am just wondering how much GCSE choices matter when it comes to university entrance. They have three which are a free choice out of ten, she wants to do food tech and DT and given the choice she would do art or music for the third.

I have two older children, and ime GCSEs are one long slog and it's far better to do subjects you enjoy. Am I doing him a disservice in not advising him to do more academic subjects? Do universities really care?

I should add, if he does go to university, it won't be eg history at a Russell group, I imagine he would do something more practical, possibly business studies. My older two were much more straight down the line academic

You're absolutely correct to say do something you'll enjoy!

Can you start by listing what is already mandatory?
3 'tech' subjects could give coursework overload, and would mean not doing subjects that otherwise might be done at A level.

Art in particular is know as a time eater.

That's a really good steer on three tech subjects being a lot of coursework

Compulsory - triple science, english lang and lit, maths, RE.

He hates languages with a passion. Could probably be persuaded to do history or geography

GCSE Music isn't too onerous if DS already has G5 theory and performance (or comparable).

Are you able to see last year's results for the practical subjects? DD didn't do Art, but her friends spent A LOT of time putting their portfolios together.

So he's got stem, English and an 'essay subject'/humanity in the RE so the main academic bases are covered.
But 2 tech and art or music might indeed be coursework overload. What are the other possible options?

Have a close look at what art actually entails. At our school, an awful lot of the marks are for researching artists, writing up findings, talking about techniques etc. Not so many for the actual drawing and painting. It’s not an essay subject but it certainly has some elements of one!

I'm admissions tutor for my course (arts area) and the only time I'd remotely care about GCSEs is if they'd picked the wrong A level or BTEC course and then wanted to go back into my area so a good GCSE would reassure me along with portfolio perhaps.

And if course a decent maths and English grade is needed.

I definitely think go for what they like. Always.

My memory of friends doing Art GCSE and seeing friends’ kids doing Art GCSE now is that you should only do Art if Art is your favorite hobby and you want to spend lots and lots of time doing g Art coursework.

This is really helpful, thank you. Other options are business studies, PE, design technology, computer science, drama, photography and then languages which he can't wait to give up

We're in a similar position OP but we've been told that a foreign language is compulsory.

Dd did food tech last year. I wouldn't say it was in the same ball park as Art as a time sinkhole. There were 2 NEAs but much of it was done in the classroom. The only bad point was the weekend immediately before the second NEA where she cooked the same 3 course meal against the clock 3 times in 24 hours to practise...

Most schools make students do a pretty broad range.

Foreign language is no longer needed for entry to any uni and hasn't been for a while.

Most unis just say you need to have maths and English gcse and then they look at a levels/btecs for entry.

He should do ones he likes because doing ones he doesn't is a slog.

DS did art and DT and was a lot of coursework but the school did extra sessions at lunch / after school so it was manageable and doing both keeps options open for later careers in art / design / engineering etc.

Something like Business Studies may make a better 3rd rather than Art if they like the look of the spec. (DD's food tech had a fair amount of theory ...)

I don't think it matters for the 3 optional choices, he'll have all his core ones.
My DD is academic too and is also choosing her GCSEs soon, she is thinking art, food tech and history. DH and i would much prefer her to take Spanish instead of food tech but she is insisting she hates it and hates the teacher! So probably better to leave her to it and let her get a good grade in food tech than a poor grade in Spanish and 2 years of misery!

Agree do what you enjoy. My DS enjoyed PE and there was quite a lot of extra practical outside which he liked. My DD loved food and nutrition but it did take up a lot of time and effort.

I think what he needs to think about is what he is going to do after GCSE's. Would he do any of those choices for A-level? Might GCSE Business Studies and Comp sci be better choices as he could then do those for A-level alongside maths perhaps. It's all very well doing the 'fun' subjects for GCSE but where will it leave him for A-level?
Food tech is definitely one of the easiest GCSE exams IME lots of multiple choice questions, GCSE art is a real time eater and can easily side track from revision. Music is difficult unless you've done grades outside of school IMO. Out of the 4 I'd go with DT.

So I'd go for Business Studies, Comp sci and DT as best choices when thinking about what he might do at A-level and what would be most useful for a Business studies degree.

Echo what others have said re time needed for these coursework subjects. I definitely wouldn’t worry in terms of uni entry but eg art, dt and food would be a massive time drain. If they already do music to a decent level then that’s a good option, and I would suggest only choosing 1 of art, dt and food. ( teacher and parent to lots of dcs, one of whom did do art and dt and it was a killer, the others did art only) .

is the consensus that an academic dc should not do art?

I thought it would be nice for balance (something to immerse yourself in)

my dd is tracking 8/9 in all academic subjects without really trying, but has also turned out to be freakishly good at art (I didn’t see that coming).

She is clueless about A levels at the moment (fine as she is only y9).

She desperately wants to do art gcse and I think her teacher would cry if she dropped it…. Is it really such a bad idea? I don’t want her to take on too much as she is capable of spending 4 hours on an art assignment as it is, so goodness knows what would happen at GCSE!

I wasn’t worried until I read this thread.

@Cloouudnine my academic DS did it. It was a lot of work but it was also a nice change vs other things and he is glad he did it

Music is a good one if he’s capable(grade 5ish ideally) in at least one instrument

art only if you really like art

I wouldn’t do DT AND food tec though

business is ok, it was quite easy when I did it and is useful if he is likely to end up in a commercial environment

Are DT and food tech both a lot of course work? I know they are the ones he wants to do most

@shreddies I would agree with everyone that it's a good idea to take subjects you enjoy and thus will most likely do well at.

And universities are not going to mind what GCSEs you have beyond maths and English.

That said, I am slightly surprised that the school will accept these choices; most schools IME want you to take at least one of the Ebacc subjects so it counts towards P8 – history, geography, MFL, CS.

I would also suggest that three subjects like that is going to be quite a bit of project work. It’s not common tbh to take more than one or two tech or creative subjects – but then that is often bc of the school’s P8 concerns (see above) so there are no slots.

Wrt his choices – does he love art? Is he really good at it and does it all the time for fun? Does he want to keep up art later in life? If no I suggest a rethink on that. Art is known as a massive thief of time so unless a student loves it and loves doing it then it’s tricky. I know a number of YP who loved art, took it for GCSE and ended up hating it bc it was all they did.

Look carefully at the DT spec – and bear in mind that it changed for 2019 GCSEs so only YP aged 21 or younger will have sat the current spec. A lot of DS2's mates took it (GCSE 2019 cohort) and were disappointed that the practical element, the thing they made, was less important than endless analysis of the design and why and how.

Music – does he play an instrument? If not I don’t think this is the best idea either. DD took music and was grade 5 in GCSE year; she found it not her easiest GCSE by a long way tho that was the old spec. Again, worth looking at the current spec. Drama which DD also took was quite a bit of external work with the group. DS2 did PE and that involved quite a bit of sport outside school – does he play sport – footy team, athletics, horse riding, swimming club? For DS this was not an issue as he did it anyway.

Would he be open to geography, history, business, CS instead of art/music/drama/PE?

Edited to add: @Cloouudnine no reason for an academic student not to take art btw – but note my points above.

Apologies for the essay!