Y10 options - DD very unsure which subjects to pick...

[LaineyW]

Is anyone else struggling to help their child with Y10 GCSE options?

My DD is being pushed quite hard to do both a dual language GCSE (French and German which will give her two GCSEs, but they're expected to do that in the same amount of time as if she'd chosen just one language) alongside accelerated science (GCSEs in Y10 then AS science in Y11) and I'm concerned that her workload will be pretty high.

She quite fancies a less academic option, something like Travel & Tourism, or Health and Social Care but is getting vibes that she should take more mainstream "serious" subjects.

Any ideas? I think she'll do dual languages and History for definite, but the other two are fairly wide open.

She seems to be going in a medical direction so I can understand that science push.

I can't comment on options (my eldest still only Y8) but I can tell you that the Travel & Tourism/Health options are not well thought of at all. I agree with the push towards more academic subjects tbh. I think if she wanted to do a more 'fun' subject there are plenty more that are better thought of.

I agree with the push towards academic subjects, but agree that the double language in the same teaching time will push her workload right up.

Is she interested in anything like music or art (or drama or dance), which might give her a relaxing break from the academic stuff, but still be a respected traditional subject? I would certainly veer away from T&T or HSC. Or what about a tech subject like Engineering or Electronics as a break from the more academic study?

why can't she just do a single foreign language?

I'd have thought two languages in the space for one would be tough and I wouldn't opt for it unless your dd is reasonably confident of achieving top grades in both - otherwise she'd be better advised to do just one and get a higher grade.

The GCSE sciences seem quite straightforward to me, though I don't know much about AS science. If your dd is scientifically inclined she may find that option easier. (I'm assuming here that AS Science is a single AS and not AS Chemistry, AS Biology AND AS Physics which would be a lot of extra work on top of GCSEs).

As for the whole GCSE choices thing we agonised over it with ds last year, but came to the conclusion that 9 or 10 GCSEs was as many as anyone needed (quality over quantity) and that having one or two 'softer' or more fun options within that didn't do any harm either.

I think a one or two 'softer' options can be a good idea, but I still think the softer options need careful choice.

I'll probably get flamed for this, but in the school I work at 'certain subjects' attract 'certain types of students', and that whole class environment, behaviour/attitudes that you don't tend to get in the academic subjects or higher sets for core subjects can be very difficult for a motivated academic child to cope with.
That's why I would think very carefully before opting for subjects like HSC or T&T or Motor Vehicle Studies or similar.

It is tricky to get the balance right isn't it? I am working on the basis that if your child will be doing a levels or equivalent she needs maths, english, perhaps a mfl plus whatever she wants to study later. Given a reasonable number of a-cs the rest will be forgotten by the time they are 18.
Out of interest my dd has chosen:
maths, Eng lang, eng lit, german, physics, chemistry, biology, 2x ict, drama and music.

Thanks everyone - she's sitting down with her form tutor tomorrow morning to discuss her options in a bit more depth. She could drop one of the languages but likes both of them and feels she is better at German, but that French would be more useful, so wants to do both...

The school is a specialist science one so they push the science thing quite hard I think. And no, snorkle, in Y11, the more able students are offered AS science which covers all three subjects. I'm still not sure how this fits in for them if they then do one of the three pure subjects at sixth form level. The school tell us there won't be much duplication but I'm not convinced.

She already does piano outside of school and attends a youth theatre school every Saturday morning but has no desire to do either GCSE Music or Drama (which I thought she might opt for).

If she is clever enough to be doing 2 languages and separate sciences she should not be doing travel and tourism or health and social care. I say that as a teacher, year 10 form tutor and a parent,

Imho the non-traditional subjects like tourism are a waste of time and (also at the risk of being severely flamed) I agree with roisin that she would run the risk of being with pupils who have little interest in academic achievement which might run the risk of demotivating her.

Although two languages would be more work, bear in mind that the subject areas covered are the same - so for example, the aural exam would require her to talk about her hobbies in French and German. Although the vocabulary is different, the concepts are the same. If she's bright and hardworking and has inspirational teachers she'll cope with this just fine. She could always drop one of the them later if the going really became too tough.

My dd will be sitting 13 GCSEs this summer (because of the triple science and it's a Welsh medium school so they sit English and Welsh language and literature) - it is a lot of work and sometimes very stressful, but (fingers crossed) she's coping fine with it.

Good luck!

I know how you feel OP.

My DS will have to choose his options in the next few weeks. At the moment, we don't have too much of a clue as to the suggested 'pathways' on offer at his school, which is frustrating as most of his friends -who all have older siblings that have been through KS4 - seem to have firmly decided what they are going to do.

DS is currently thinking; ICT, Business Studies, Geography and one other? maybe French or History. He definitely doesn't want to do Music, Drama, Food Tech, Art or anything like that. So we are really struggling to come up with four solid choices!

Btw, I would have thought that Drama would have been perfect for your DD and am really surprised she doesn't want to do it. But having two languages would be great if she can manage it - I would love my DS to do just one but don't think he will.

at DS's school they have to do one of the technology subjects. He is doing Food Tech and loves it. As far as I know, it is taken seriously (DS is at a selective grammar, so don't think they'd insist on a technology subject if it wasn't taken seriously. They don't offer subjects like T&T or H&SC.) It helps develop and understanding of nutrition as well as practical skills so very useful in day-to-day life. DS also doing performing arts which is more than just performing - they examine scripts and production etc.
It would be worth looking at the balance of coursework & exam elements of the subjects she's already chosen to make sure she is not over-committed. DS is doing triple science, it is also a specialist science school, he's very good at science but there is a huge amount to cover if your DD is doing it in one year. There's a lot to think about isn't there?

Often you don't get all the information you need. As lilolil says some subjects are very demanding in terms of coursework, others are more/totally exam-based. If you have a balance it's fine.

I don't have kids (yet) but am an ex-teacher (English and Head of Years 9 and KS4)so have some experience with options.

I agree that taking fewer but achieving better grades and a more rounded education is better, especially if you're thinking of the more traditional universities in the future. I know Oxbridge (for example) prefer only one 'soft option' at A level, so it's worth projecting ahead if this is a possibilty. If your daughter is keen on doing both languages in the shorter space of time, and there isn't a natural option to fill the remaining slot, it might be worth asking if she can have these as self-directed study time, where she works in the library/computer room. We used to offer this to students who were doing non-timetableable subjects as twilight.

I would advise against subjects such as travel+tourism considering the circumstances you've described for the reasons other posters have given.

Please ask if I can advise any further - definitely give her HoY a call to discuss it with them too - I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help (I always was!)

My Dd is in year 7 but next year will have to choose her options as they start doing GSCES in Yr9. I would steer your DD away from the likes of Health&Social care and Leisure and Tourism. DD's school offers a motley bunch of options -they have to choose 3 and will study one option per year taking the exams at the end of the year. I wonder how many 13 year olds will choose Biz Studies?

DD looked at the available options last night and came up with Geography maybe History and rather fancies photography or Art. I just wish she didn't have to start them till year 10 and did the options over two years and not a year. According to the website she will do An option, Stats and either Media or film studies t the end of Yr9!

All very good advice here.

I would just like to raise a for leisure and tourism though. DS more maths and science based and def heading that direction, totally useless at langs Bless him. He was given option of giving up "compuls" lang to do L&T, it IS a soft option but it is a lot of fun and relevant to the leisure service industry. He finds it his relaxing subject and I think it is good to have one of those if you are already doing 10 or so academic ones, how many gcse's do you need after all.

Of course it may not be right for your DD and I wish her luck in whatever she does. I just wanted to say that there is a place in education for these "soft" options like L&T, media/film studies, drama etc etc. Another downside of choosing one is that the less able and more disruptive children tend to gravitate to them.

Good luck

Fascinating to hear all the different slants on this!

We think she's finally decided on her options now, after lots of consultation with her form tutor, head of Y9, an open evening for KS4 choices and generally chatting with people who have done the different subjects.

Her four options will be: Dual Languages, History (Modern World), ICT and Fashion & Clothing.

We decided that since she is already heavily committed in the compulsory areas (accelerated science starts this year and she sits her GCSE exams for it in Y10 plus her piano grades etc. etc.), and she'll also do early Media Studies GCSE in Y10, it would be good to have an option which is more creative and without exams, hence Fashion & Clothing.

Also a good life skill, I can't really sew a button on and am in awe of people who can make their own clothes...

This will, if she passes them all, give her something like 13 or 14 GCSEs. It's mad isn't it. Glad I'm not 13 in 2009.

Our DS4 has just chosen his options for year 10.

He has to do,

English
English Lit
Maths
Statistics (only for those in top maths set)
Science X 2
BTEC ICT (worth 2xGCSE all coursework no exam)
Personal Development
Core PE

He then had 4 more choices from a vast list. He chose,
Extra science (to give him 3 separate subjects)
French
Product Design
BTEC PE (2xGCSE all course work no exam)

He made the choices himself. There may be some easy options in there, but there is enough academic stuff.

Just had another look at his option booklet.
Any pupil wishing to up their GCSE tally can stay for enhancement after school to do,

Full Re GCSE (they do short course in PD)
Mandarin
Astronomy

I'm sure some parents/pupils will be up for this but DS4 will not!

They all seem good sets of choices to me, though I too am amazed just how many they do. Fashion & Clothing sounds like a brilliant 'lighter choice' subject Lainey.

Hope they all enjoy their courses.