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Secondary education

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Original poster

My son wants to take GCSE Child development

64 replies

ThePandoricaOpens · 19/03/2025 11:09

My son is in year 9 and has to submit his GCSE options by Monday. He's hoping to take triple science, history and psychology. He had his heart set on food tech as he loves cooking, but the school are no longer offering it and now offer hospitality and catering, which tbh sounds rubbish! He wants a career in health care/science/medicine (not totally sure but he's only 13!) so I suggested sociology or statistics. He thinks either of those with the other subjects he's chosen will be a bit full on, so I then suggested something like DT or photography, which he said he wasn't interested in as he's not creative. He now has his heart set on child development, but the teacher seemed to be trying to talk him out of it as he's a boy! I'm worried that it will be a bit of a pointless subject for him (although I get anything creative might be?) or are A levels more important for getting into university? I just think that History, Pyschology and Sociology would be better, but I don't want to push him into taking a subject he doesn't enjoy!

OP posts:
Zippidydoodah · 19/03/2025 20:15

I think it’s a fantastic idea, and good for him! I have done lots of school tours recently and I’ve seen boys in the child development classes.

LadeOde · 19/03/2025 20:24

Child Development GCSE sounds great. Definitely encourage him to do it, it will definitely help with his applications going forward into healthcare/medicine. I'd add, the fact he also loves cooking and all this at 13! he sounds like a marvellous young man in the making.

seven201 · 19/03/2025 20:27

I think he should do it! Good for him

fashionqueen0123 · 19/03/2025 21:15

FKAT · 19/03/2025 15:41

I wanted to do this when I was at school and was dissuaded by the teachers saying it was meant for the less academic pupils and I was too clever to spend time learning to look after babies, if I wanted to go to uni I shouldn’t pick it.

This was the impression I got when I chose Child Development for GCSE as a straight A student. Teachers were quite shocked but there wasn't anything else I was interested in the option segment. I loved it. It's come in very useful as a parent and generally in life. I went on to get a first class degree from a RG uni so definitely wasn't held against me (although it was a humanities subject). I'd really recommend it - and looking at the world around us - it's a really important area of study.

DS chose Hospitality and Catering and regrets it hugely FYI. It's very basic and uninspiring. He was a complete foodie and great chef and it's put him off cooking for life. He said the other day he wished he'd done triple science instead!

Same! I also got a first from a RG uni.
It was a fairly popular gcse at my school. But no one tried to dissuade me. It was true it did have a lot of the girls in who were at the lower end of the academic scale but they still didn’t get As in it.

As I said before I think they should all do it - much more information than bog standard PHSE lessons!

Original poster
ThePandoricaOpens · 20/03/2025 16:55

LadeOde · 19/03/2025 20:24

Child Development GCSE sounds great. Definitely encourage him to do it, it will definitely help with his applications going forward into healthcare/medicine. I'd add, the fact he also loves cooking and all this at 13! he sounds like a marvellous young man in the making.

Thank you, he really is a lovely boy!

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePandoricaOpens · 20/03/2025 16:57

LittleGreenDuck · 19/03/2025 19:17

When I was at school, many many years ago, some boys took Child Development purely for the "reproduction" element. Basically, they thought they were getting a GCSE in sex. Sounds like your DS is a lot more switched on than the reprobates at my school. Best of luck to him.

That's so funny! He definitely doesn't want to do it for that reason thankfully!

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 20/03/2025 17:01

Boy wants to take subject that is in line with his ambitions.

We wouldn't be asking questions of a girl doing similar but against female gender stereotypes.

It's good that he doesn't feel the need to conform with social expectations.

Support him.

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 20/03/2025 17:06

CarrotParrot · 19/03/2025 11:23

Let him take it. Not only does it fit perfectly well with someone interested in science, healthcare and medicine (paediatrics for example), we need more boys to grow into men who know that children aren't the sole responsibility of their mother. Good for him and for picking something he is interested in.

Absolutely.

greycatmoth · 20/03/2025 17:10

Tldr all the replies but dt is very time consuming, especially if your hearts not really in it! There’s loads of course work and homework. Don’t know if child development is the same?

KnickerFolder · 20/03/2025 17:15

RedToothBrush · 20/03/2025 17:01

Boy wants to take subject that is in line with his ambitions.

We wouldn't be asking questions of a girl doing similar but against female gender stereotypes.

It's good that he doesn't feel the need to conform with social expectations.

Support him.

Wouldn’t we? PPs have said that they were discouraged from studying it because it was seen as a soft or non academic GCSE. OP’s question was about how universities will view it. The Russell Group facilitating subjects list was only scrapped in 2019. My older DC were advised to choose facilitating subjects at GCSE to keep their A level options open.

sanityisamyth · 20/03/2025 18:12

CarrotParrot · 19/03/2025 11:23

Let him take it. Not only does it fit perfectly well with someone interested in science, healthcare and medicine (paediatrics for example), we need more boys to grow into men who know that children aren't the sole responsibility of their mother. Good for him and for picking something he is interested in.

100% this!

Rocknrollstar · 20/03/2025 18:45

I taught child Development and frankly think all pupils should study it. As well as teaching important life skills it also teaches study skills. It is an enjoyable subject - let him do it

LadyInRainbow · 18/09/2025 13:48

Bit of a tangent here but do you know what exam board they use for GCSE Child Development my daughter is home educated and would like to do it but can't find an exam board that offers it.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 18/09/2025 16:51

Teacher is being ridiculous . Equality is not just about women in STEM, it’s about men in caring roles. This is to be encouraged. You wouldn’t tell a gitl she couldn’t study mechanics!

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