GCSE options..very baffled!

[seeker]

Can anyone shed any light on what my dd thinks are the possiblities for her GCSE options?

The choices seem to be Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, then two more chosen from Spanish, German, French, Latin and Classical Civilization, then one from History, Geography and Re, then one from DT, Textiles, Food Tec and Art, then one from Music, Dance and Performing Arts.

Is this what most people have to do? I am very new to this - when I was at school, we just did O level everything unless there was a timetable clash. I am particularly puzzled by having to choose between History and Geography. And having to do 2 "non=academic" subjects, even if you don't want to. This bit suits my dd, actually, but surely a non-musical, non-arty child might be better off with another couple of academic subjects instead?

It varies from school to school, but I would think that 3 compulsary separate sciences was unusual.

Also unusual to have to do one from each of the last two blocks.

Has she brought home anything on paper for you to look at?

dd1 had this last year.

Her school do things slightly differently, she had to do:

english
maths
science
re

then she had to choose four other subjects, but she could pick anything it didn't have to be arty or sporty. But there were some things that she could only choose one of, eg: product design OR textiles OR cookery, not all three. Some academic subjects were like that too.

I think that the school itself can set the rules, dependent upon what kind of school they are/want to be

That does sound very restrictive tbh. I only had to do one arty subject, doing two would have been a disaster for me grades-wise! And I did History and Geography.

Mind you, that was several billion years ago. [feels v old emoticon]

dd1 couldn't do History AND Geography, she chose to do Geog but they are taught at the same time in her school, so it was one or the other.

Sounds similar ot the choices I had, except we had to do RS.
WE then chose a "humatity", and an "arty" type, then an extra from either group.

No, Raven,she hasn't so she could have got it wrong. But she's usually pretty good at this sort of thing - but as I said it's all new to me!

You should DEFFO get an explanatory letter/booklet explaining it all to YOU (not to the children, to you, the parents)

If one is not forthcoming in the next week or so, ask the school.

I would have been stuffed if I'd had to have done either Music, Dance or Performing Arts. That is SO not up my street.

And at my school we HAD to do RS.

Apart from that, sounds rather similar.

I'm sure we will. She's only in year 8, but they had a talk from the Head about starting to think about it, and dd takes all this sort of thing very seriously!

My DD took Maths, Eng Lang & Lit, 3 Sciences, Philosophy & Ethics (Posh RE!)as compulsory and could choose ANY 4 more (she did Geog, History, French & German). PE & ICT continue as compulsory but not examined.

DS's school have Bands to choose from. Band 1 is French or German! His other 3 are Latin, Geog & History.

Both successfully dropped all Arty stuff! They both play an instrument but did not want to take anything like that to GCSE level.

DS's school does 10 GCSEs.
Compulsory: maths; 2 x English; one of two double science options or triple science; a language.
then one from: humanities (Geog/Hist/RE); one technology subject; one from art/music/performing arts/PE or business studies. If you do double science then you get to choose an additional subject. DS does triple so couldn't do PE or a second humanity

Our school sent home a booklet - something to watch out for is the % coursework/exams - my DS NOT good with coursework for example.
We also had a parents evening about it.
Am sure you will get something sent home.

It seems weird to have to do an expressive art, especially as Drama isn't one of the choices.

Most option blocks, especially in large schools, have duplicates - ie the same subject in more than one block.

It sounds very restrictive tbh, I wouldn't be happy at all with that for my ds1.

I don't agree that all children should have to do an expressive art and a technology subject.

Options policies can change from year to year. Do you have a parents evening or something this year where you can query this and whether your dd has understood it correctly?

At our school students 'have' to do a Tech subject (it's a Technology college) but in practice if they object, it is possible to do an extra 'academic' subject and not to a Tech option.

It seems a fairly standard choice tbh. The only thing that surprises me is that they HAVE to do Music, Dance or P Arts. Often schools would put an extra Humanities subject (to allow History and Geog fro example), or GCSE PE, or something in that slot.

And it seems that they have to do two languages, or a language and classics, which seems a bit excessive for many children I'd have thought.

At my DSs selective school they have to do:

English Language
English Literature
Mathematics
Science
Additional Science
Religious Studies

A modern foreign language (French or Spanish)

History or Geography

• 2 options, eg:

Triple Science
Geography or History
A second language (incl German, Latin, Greek)
A tech subject
An expressive arts
and probably something I never thought of.

What amazed us was the number of subjects o offer that they had never tried before!

On offer was:
Ancient Greek (they did a 6 week taster course)
Classical Civilisation
Business Studies
Economics
Manadarin
Spanish (only French German & Latin to Yr9)

Made the final choices more confusing.

Actually, I've just realized that she must have got it wrong because there's no PE or Sport or whatever it's called. Unless that's a choice in the Drama, Music, Perf Arts block.

Can I have permission to forget about this til next year

They might be gauging interest in options for a year and a half away. If your DD has no other info and it looks like these are the choices, it gives you an opportunity to clarify (and disprove).

I would be very surprised if this were the end of the story.

I would hope that your DD gets careers guidance too before making her final choices.

I wouldn't've thought PE could muscle (as it were!) the other expressive arts out by being one option in that block.

POSSIBLY she's been told that a balanced curriculum choice would be something like your OP & has assumed that's the deal?

What about diplomas, collegiate etc? Most schools these days do run various alternative/vocational options alongside GCSEs.

At dd's school it's GCSE's only, Raven. I think they'd probably still be doing O levels if they could get away with it! Oh well, wait and see. The only conflict for dd in this lot would be history and geography - she's like to do both. And she's like to do Perf. Arts and Textiles too, but you can always sew!

ds1 is at a Performing Arts College and they don't require all students to do an 'arts' option.

DD's options were supposed to be:
5 core (maths/eng lit/eng lang/dble sci)
1 humanity
1 language
1 expressive art
1 technology.

However there must have been some wriggle room because she got out of the art and tech.

Seeker- your list only has one English: is this right? And what about IT?