GCSE Option choices

[magentadreamer]

At DD's school they are now doing a 3 year KS3. Option subjects are done one a year over yr9-11. DD has to put down 3 choices for this year and in following years will choose again for the year after. An option is done for six lessons a week - just over a day in her timetable.

Dd this year has two firm favourites and a couple of I wouldn't mind choices.

First Choices is Geology - DD is top set for Geog and Science and is very enthusiastic. It is assessed by one end of year exam (75%) and a controlled assessment could be lab based (25%).

Second choice is Geog This is done via 3 modular exams and a coursework assessment. As was explained to me DD would do a unit do an exam do a unit do an exam etc.

I wouldn't mind choices:

Astronomy - One end of year exam untiered from the leaflet given to DD and Coursework (75% exam 25% coursework) Teacher is fab and very enthusiastic - DD had him for Science last year.

History - again a modular system of do a unit do the exam approach with 3 exams and coursework each worth 25% of the marks.

Sorry this is a bit long winded. I'm biased towards DD doing Geog in Yr9 due to the modular approach ie DD wouldn't have to revise the whole years work aged 13 for one big exam. She would also be doing Statistics in Yr9 which I believe is one 75% exam in June plus 25% coursework and even though she is organised and would put the work in to revise I just feel she would be better off doing smaller chunks of revision then having to do the whole years work IYSWIM. I'm guiding her towards not putting History down this year incase she ended up doing it as I think a more mature writing style is needed. Geog isn't the most popular subject so she stands a good chance of getting it but the one subject DD is bouncing about is Geology which if it didn't prove popular might not run next year. The teacher who will run the course is a Geology Grad and very enthusiastic.

Core subjects are Triple Science,Maths,English and MFL

So wise Ladies of MN what would you do?

I think that Geology and Astronomy are quite odd options to have a GCSE.

I would stick with more traditional subjects.

I don't see a problem with doing one or two slightly more esoteric subjects along with the traditional ones I really enjoyed doing Classical Civilization at O level, and got my best grade at it too. But I think it should be balanced against more broad subjects. So not Geology and Astronomy. I see your concern about History, but I think this will be true for all the subjects she does early.

Will she be doing Statistics and two others? Would Geology and Geography be too similar or would there be lots of synergy? I think that taking at least one course that you really enjoy is important. What are her teachers recommending?

I rather recall telling my parents what I was going to take (although my school had some principles about breadth which we had to follow - you had to do at least one science, one humanities and one arts O level)

I think you mean a 3 year KS4.

Ds has just chosen his options for year 10 and will be doing IGCSEs.

His core subjects are:
2 x English, Maths, double award science, French. His options choices are History, Geography, Dutch and food and nutrition. His back up choices are IT and Drama. As his school doesn't do RE he will be doing that one at home.

What you need to be steering her towards for GCSE are those subjects she will want to carry on with at AS/A2 level, or those she may do if she does IB. If she doesn't know what she wants to do at AS/A2, then I would go for a couple of humanities, plus another MFL if she is interested, and something she enjoys. You haven't mentioned any creative/technical subjects at all? Ds has chosen Food and Nutrition (proper cooking, not design a fishfinger packet) as he enjoys it; it is a life skill; and he'll be able to pull when older as men who cook are sexy!

She needs a broad spread of subjects imo to give options for sixth form. Will the astronomy run after school? It seems strange to me to see that on a timetable.

Thanks for your thoughts. DD has spoken to her Geography teacher who told her the best thing to do was to do Geography in Yr9 and then if she was still interested to take Geology in one of the other years. Her reasoning for this was the modular approach to assessment plus if she decided for her yr10 or yr11 to completely change from a Sciencey/Geog type pathway Geog might be seen as a better subject to have done only one of. Mind you there is 10 days before she has to hand in the forms so all could change before then.