GCSE Options

[teenmum13]

Youngest is about to take her options and is being told she needs to do a language and a humanities subject alongside the compulsory ones which only actually leaves one subject to choose.
Eldest had more options due to being on a different pathway to the youngest.
Youngest really wants to pick two options that will help with their career more than only one option.
Anyone been told that their child had to do certain subjects and if yes did they end up doing those picked for them by school or were you able to get school to agree to them doing a different subject?
If they were on the next pathway then they would have two choices which would allow them to study what they want.
When talking to the form tutor last week she told them something about having to do the pathway school put them on which DD said but that pathway doesn't give me the option to study two subjects I'm interested in and want to study and hopefully do well in.

Not studying it at GCSE probably won’t be a barrier at all to do it at college. Colleges are aware schools are limited on the options they can offer. Check the admission criteria for the courses she is considering.

Yes what are the subjects she wants to take but can't (well, only one she can't take)?

It's not unusual for schools to make this ruling and leave few choices. I know a couple of ppl who successfully argued against raking MFL for GCSE but they had issues such as dyslexia as a reason.

Not that many subjects are essential at GCSE for your career. Those that are, are usually compulsory anyway (science, maths, Eng lang).

There are few “vocational” subjects at GCSE. Some are necessary to do the A level but it would be easier if you said what the 9(?) subjects are. A broad education is always a bonus for more academic dc who can achieve highly. They should not specialise at GCSE.

What do you mean by pathway - is it being put with a triple science group?!
Best share the subjects she wants to do, and what she’s interested in doing later, and get clearer advice there.

It’s normal to need to do one humanity - and that covers quite a lot of options usually - and while our school didn’t specify you had to do a language, many do. But we still got 2 other “free choices” alongside that - everyone did, regardless of science options. I don’t think there were any “pathways” that would have meant fewer choices.

What does she "have" to do and what does she want to do?

The reason schools do this is that there will always be a sizeable proportion of kids who change their mind about their pathway whenever they get to GCSE level. It can be different teachers, content or even just changing interests.

A wise choice by the school to ensure pathways are not closed off at age 14.

Are the different pathways dependent on what set they are in? You might find that due to timetabling it's not possible for your child to choose two subjects because it won't fit in with their other subjects. So they might have to drop down a set for maths and English and do combined science rather than triple to be able to choose an extra subject - because otherwise the time table won't line up.

Very little at gcse supports a particular career path or narrows down future options. What does she want to do compared to what she may have to choose.

What are the 2 subjects at GCSEs? Some A levels need to have GCSEs to take them.

In theory my DS had 4 choices, but in reality he had to chose one language, one arts subject, one humanities and then one extra. If he had chosen triple science (he didn't) that had to be the extra! Are her choices more limited as school has decided she has to do triple science - I know some schools don't give pupils any choice between combined/triple.

We moved school to get round this issue. Then the original school realised we were serious and tried to jig things round to make it work for us, but it was too late. As it turned out, DD dropped one of the "essential subjects must move school to do it" more than half a term in but is doing well and actually is at least not carrying massive resentment about not being able to do what she wanted to do.

That's true, but the list is pretty much:
Maths
Bio, chemistry, physics
Eng lit
MFL
Geography (ideally)
History (maybe)
All of which will be covered by @teenmum13'school dd's compulsoriles.

Then I guess you could add art, PE maybe but not essential IMHO, music not essential if done outside school, DT probably; but that could be the single option.
I think what we are trying to say is that there is no need to take H&S GCSE to be a nurse. For example.

It's probably because of how they teach. While in theory every subject combination should be possible, it is really unlikely that the timetable would work so that each lesson, all of year 10 & 11 were either in one option or a mandatory class. There won't be space on the timetable for there to be classes of every option taught when no other option classes are taught.

Compulsory: Maths, English, Science (Discussions about her doing triple)

Pathway 1: Spanish or French & History or Geography and one option

She wants to do both dance and drama due to taking these outside of school for a number of years and wants to study these at college.

If she were on pathway 2 then she would be able to do both dance and drama because only humanities would be compulsory.

Neither dance nor drama gcse are required to pursue a professional career.

That's only 8 GCSEs if she does combined science. That seems odd?

Talk to the school. They say no swapping to different pathways to deter the masses but my school does allow swaps with good reasons like yours. It's definitely worth a conversation!

Presumably if she did combined science not triple she would get one more option?

I know they aren't but that's the career she wants and spends every night taking activities related to it and so with them being on the timetable wanted to study them and if she was pathway 2 or 3 she could.

Our school only do Maths, Science, English and then 3 options.
No unfortunately even if you do triple science then your options would still be a language, a humanities and one other subject.

They want the brighter pupils to meet the EBacc measure.

If she does drama and dance out of school she doesn't really need GCSEs in them too.

Is she looking to do eg Musical Theatre at college or continue drama and dance as A levels with one other?

OK well @teenmum13 as you know dance GCSE is not essential fir a dance career. Anecdotally at my school it got really poor results, like great dancers scraping a,pass. No idea if that is generally true - anyone else?

Lots of schools don't offer it.

I would also say, if you do a lot of dance outside school, doing the GCSE might make it all a burden? Tho you could say that for PE too and ds2 never seemed to think that 😆

I mean you can ask the school and see what they say. BTW 8 GCSEs if taking double science is not at all unusual now.

And what's the rationale for not moving her onto the other pathway? Is it, as others have suggested due to timetabling because of the sets she is in?

Does she realise that dance and drama are not all about the performing aspects - there is quite a lot of written work as well?

This will be about the EBacc which is a measure the school is judged on in performance measures. Bright kids are told they have no choice but to follow it - core subjects plus a MFL and a humanities subject (not RS - doesn't count!). I told my son's school that he'd fail the MFL if made to do it so they backed off! He made his own choices.

Check previous GCSEs grades for dance and drama. Also, they involve a lot of marks for groups and not just solo so see if current year group have enough pupils doing this and their level. If too high, your DC has to really push herself and if too low her marks will get impacted. Talk to the school and the dance and drama teachers to get a feel for it as option. Careerwise, the outside drama and dance will have more impact. Check drama schools etc and see the types of A levels they required.