Whether to drop English Literature (Year 11)

[Retrecir]

DD will be taking her GCSEs in under a month and we are in two minds whether to suggest she drops Eng Lit.

In her February mocks she got 9s in everything except English Literature. A couple of the 9s (including Eng Lang) were a bit borderline. However in Literature, she got a 5! She's hated English since she was little. She's a scientist to the core and cannot see the point of analysing poetry. In fairness, the 5 was a bit unexpected - she usually gets more like a 7, even an 8 on a good day, but we are worried that a rogue 5 or 6 on her CV could put paid to some of the most selective universities (Oxbridge, Imperial, Durham etc).

She's currently taking 10 subjects. Should she stick with the Eng Lit, bust a gut for an 8, but potentially neglect other subjects in doing so, and risk a couple of them also dropping to an 8? Or should she drop it, and focus on getting 9s in the remaining 9?

There's a bit of me thinking it's a completely pointless GCSE for her (almost certainly going to to study STEM at University) but on the other hand, I don't want her to learn that you should just avoid things that are hard.

Please advise!

Are you allowed to just drop it?

She should just take it. It will help with her Language exam.

The school may have a view on that. Discuss it with them.

I don’t think you can just drop it, can you?

They won't allow her to drop it.

The exams have been paid for, something may happen in the other exams that means she will need that second English qualification for Progress8, plus she will still need to attend all her English lessons.

Years ago when I was choosing my A levels, I wanted to do French, German and History. I was told it was 'too difficult to timetable' and had to do English Lit which I had absolutely no interest in. Results were good in French and German, abysmal in English Lit. Let her drop it if he doesn't like it.

It's all paid for now. I'd be very surprised if the school let her drop it.

It will almost certainly be too late to drop it now. She'll have already been entered for it with the board, which will have cost the school.

And it will be part of their entries so a no-show or fail on their results,

eng lit is pretty much compulsory.

schools sometimes agree to dropping other subjects if a student is struggling to pass English/maths and the time is usually spent on extra English and maths.

Just tell her to take the exam, she might have a good day, and see what she gets but not to spend too much time revising.

She should do it, but focus her revision where it's going to be most beneficial.

If she pulled a 5 at mock she'll do ok without cramming and she can always leave it off her CV post A Levels. Noone will care.

If she is at a state school she needs to be entered for both English for progress 8 purposes. (I think, may be wrong).
I would be very surprised if a school let a high performing student not enter just in case she has an off day.
And if I were a university who cared about GCSE results I think I would care more about not entering EngLit at all more than a rogue poor result. It would be an obvious missing, not like dropping eg History.

Thanks everyone. I have discussed with school and they have said that it is possible for her to drop it - we won't be refunded the exam fee, but that's fine! It's an independent school, so not needed for Progress 8.

I haven't mentioned this to DD yet. She's got the second mock later this week. I think we'll see how she does and then re-evaluate. She's so miserable about it - I know it would feel like a massive weight lifted if she dropped it.

I agree that if it is missing then a uni might look askance. I also am not keen on the idea of editing your GCSEs so you get all 9s while missing off a key one. She is clearly an able student. I do think that the Eng lit GCSE is not fit for purpose for some students – but not one who is going to get 8s and 9s in other subjects.

It’s not a bad thing (I see you agree really @Retrecir) to tackle something you don’t enjoy or find challenging, and try to improve. You’ll have to do it a lot once you are working (IME anyway).

I guess I love literature and it makes me sad that an intelligent teenager hates it. She doesn't need all 9s or even all 8s and 9s to go to Durham or the other unis you mention. They would find it impossible to fill their courses if they had that stricture. I've said it before but a mate of DS's got 6 in Eng lang and went to Cambs (not to study English obvs). Yes, for some subjects (medicine for example) and at some unis (Oxford for example) they will look at perhaps your best 8 GCSEs and expect 7+ in them. But it sounds as tho she will tick that box even with a 6 in Eng lit.

I wouldn't suggest she puts all her effort into it at the expense of subjects she likes; but from what you say a 6 or 7 is surely very much possible with some targeted work. The one to work at is the one you find challenging.

You do know that 8 isa really good mark?

Wow it’s another world in the private school sector isn’t it.

She should do it, she is likely to pass it, and universities will not care about it in the slightest.

DS’s best friend got either 5 or 6 (I can’t remember which) in his maths GCSE and has an offer from Durham. Not English Lit but still a vital subject. Hope this is helpful.

I think if it became the norm for able pupils to drop
English lit just because they weren't going to get an 8 or a 9 it would be a pretty sad state of affairs. It's a core subject, and there is something to be said for a rounded education with a degree of cultural richness, which English lit brings (I say this as someone who loved English lit so may be biased!) She is clearly capable and can easily improve to a 6 or 7 in the actual exam. My dd went up
steadily from a 5 in the lit mock in November of year 11 to an 8 in the actual GCSE.

I absolutely agree, however, that the English lit exam as it stand is inaccessible for many students, and can see that in these cases it may be beneficial to drop it and focus on language, but not in this case. If she is great at science she will still have a good chance of a place at prestigious unis without a 9 in English. Have seen on here several examples of this, including people getting into Oxbridge with a less good English grade if they want to do maths/ science.

I also think that maybe accepting 'non perfection' now may be helpful to MH later.

I would let her drop it. Yes, it is part of a rounded education but it has been part of her education! She has done all the lessons. Education does not have to involve an exam. I think unis don't really care about GCSEs unless she is applying for medicine. I mean, that is a risk you are taking but if she is applying for STEM degrees I don't think admission tutors will bat an eyelid to be honest. Caveat: I don't know anything about it.

its my sons weakest subject as well - it’s not something I’d be willing to drop. Not least because it’s good for him to have something he finds hard -
sailing through life with constant 9s can be bad for the ego after all. but I’ve told him to “treat your children all the same” - ie spend the same proportionate time on each subject.
not to overcompensate because he’s just not a natural English lit person and that’s fine.

Id agree with this. She won't always be able to just drop something that isnt perfect or in line with all the rest or that she doesn't like
There are plenty of areas in everyone's line of work that you like less (or not at all) but have to be done
She isnt failing the subject.

(I think GCSE exams are stressful enough - 20+ exams in one month. I would generally educate pupils in all core subjects and then allow them to do exams only in their best 8/9.)