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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

How much of a say did you/do you have in your Yr9 LO's Options?

54 replies

MaureenMLove · 24/02/2010 22:06

I just keep being told, they are called yr9 options, not parent options!

Did you push for them to take the right ones (in your opinion!) Did you guide them into the right ones or did you say 'you do what makes you happy?'

Just received DD's mid-term profile and it would be a crying shame, judging by the comments and results, if she didn't do a couple of the ones she is dithering on!

Do tell. I'm about to face another hurdle on the racetrack of parenthood and I fear I will not be Colin Jackson!

OP posts:
saggarmakersbottomknocker · 24/02/2010 22:14

Thankfully dd and I had similar ideas so it wasn't too traumatic. Now if you ask me about A-levels...........

Good luck

elvislives · 24/02/2010 22:15

My father chose my options and I wasn't allowed any say in it. I ended up dropping 2 subjects in my final year and flunking a 3rd, because I wasn't interested.

DH insisted that our DCs be allowed complete free rein with their options. When I expressed concern to the Head that they would make the wrong decision he said that they have so many compulsory subjects now that they don't get much choice. His advice was to pick subjects they enjoyed and not to worry about the combination.

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 24/02/2010 22:18

Oh god!!! That's what bothers me more, tbh! She seems to think that she's not going to bother taking double or triple science at GCSE, because she'll pick up Biology at A level! It just so isn't going to happen!!

Trouble is, mummy dearest knows nothing! (I only work in a secondary school and speak to the head of Science for advice every bloody day!)

She can't be arsed, that's the problem. I want her to do French as well, but that means two hard core subjects as far as she is concerned and wants an easy life!

Childhood is so wasted on the youth!

OP posts:
Original poster
MaureenMLove · 24/02/2010 22:21

She had very clear ideas about what she wants to do in life Elvislives. She really, really needs A level biology and she is going to be mightily pissed off, when her teachers tell her she'll have to do at least double science!

OP posts:
MarionCole · 24/02/2010 22:22

We have told DSD to do what she enjoys but tbh we are blessed as she is picking all the right things. 12 GCSEs.

magentadreamer · 24/02/2010 22:22

Dd who's 12 chose her options by herself - Geography, Geology and History. She was rather scathing about some of the options availale to her.

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 24/02/2010 22:25

Why was she scathing? Sounds worrying!

OP posts:
whatdoyouwantfortea · 24/02/2010 22:36

My dd is in Y8 at the moment and we are in the position where she is good at everything have been to her parents evening the other day and is high achieving in nearly everything except PE where she is on target and Music where she is also on target. I think it will be hard next year to know what to pick and what to drop.Have been reassured by school that by the time they cover the compulsory subjects she will only be able to pick 2 anyway.

maggotts · 24/02/2010 22:38

DD1 has just chosen. Mostly compulsory but she got to choose which language plus 3 more.

ALMOST all her own choice. Chose German as language despite better grades in French (plus I know exactly no German) but just enjoys it more.

Chose Music, Drama and Geography with only input from us being last minute dilly dally about whether to add Textiles (new subject for school). Advised against as really rushes Art homework and Art GCSE seems like hard work. School wouldn't allow 3 "creatives" anyway.

BUT her friend in another school is doing a BTEC in Health and Social Care. If this was an option for DD1, would have been firmly steering her in direction of traditional GCSEs.

Slartybartfast · 24/02/2010 22:39

hmm, we have options evenign coming up.
they are deciding in year 8, but dd doesnt now seem very fazed by it, thankfully.

like another poster pointed out, there are so many compulsory subjects, they then chose what they enjoy, i.e. not many subjects to chose really.

Slartybartfast · 24/02/2010 22:40

oth her history teacher said, they shoudl take history as it opens up many jobs for them (?)

EvilTwins · 24/02/2010 22:41

When I was doing my GCSE options (eons ago) my Dad told me that Physics would be more useful, in the long run, than Drama, which I wanted to take. I duly did Physics.

Fast forward 20 years... I'm a Drama teacher

I ALWAYS advise students to take the subjects they most enjoy because
a) Inevitably, kids do better at the subjects they have an interest in
b) At Yr 9, it doesn't make a huge amount of difference anyway - it doesn't always follow that a degree in a particular subject has to come after a GCSE and then an A Level in that subject, as I happily proved by doing English & Theatre at university, with no GCSE or A Level in Drama.
c) Very few kids have definite ideas about what they want to do eventually, and therefore choosing GCSEs based on what will be useful in later life is a bit pointless

Save yourself the battle, I say.

Slartybartfast · 24/02/2010 22:43

i dont remember having a disucssion with my parents about it at that age however. i seem to have chosen myself

NonnoMum · 24/02/2010 22:53

Just to warn you all that some of the more unscrupulous teachers will be strongly encouraging your bright students to take their subjects (hence comment above from history teacher promising that GCSE History will open up many jobs). Different departments are ranked against each other within schools just like school league tables and it makes life a whole lot easier for the teachers if they have your bright and sparky students taking their subjects.
So if your bright DD or DS really wants to do Birdwatching GCSE rather than Latin, just let them. They will thrive if that's what they are passionate about.

Shodan · 24/02/2010 22:54

We-e-e-lll, I wouldn't say we've pushed ds1 into any choice exactly. But we did point out the downsides of each pathway, particularly in reference to the career he has in mind (law).

Basically he was desperate not to take any languages as he hates them so much so veered wildly (and without reading the booklet/getting advice from teachers/careers advice people) between the three pathway offered which didn't require him to do a language. Unfortunately there were bits on those pathways he didn't want to do either so in the end he came back to the straight GCSE pathway. This includes 8 compulsory subjects (including one language) and up to 2 options.

DH and I both felt that this was the right one for him, re career choice, although we are concerned that as his study record up till now hasn't been stellar, he may struggle. Having said that, he seems very determined to do law and is well aware of the amount of further study required so who knows. He is improving so fingers crossed.

It was so much easier in my day!! (wail, lament). You just did O-Levels at my school, although CSEs were available for Maths and English.

lazymumofteenagesons · 24/02/2010 22:56

If she has such a firm idea about what she wants to do in life and it needs biology A level, then she's got to do double science. Surely the school will not let a girl who is capable of a biology A level take only the single gcse? Other than that tell her to make sure she doesn't close any doors to future study by choosing easy options now.

There is a theme going through these 'options' threads with kids being warned off subjects cos they are hard. Why aren't they being told by teachers they are capable and can do it, a bit of hard work will pay off in the end. Exams are not THE END they are a MEANS TO AN END and if kids are capable of it the exams open up more options in life later.

Rant over.

bruffin · 24/02/2010 23:15

Our school seems to want the parents to be involved in the options process ie options night tomorrow which includes a presentation to parents plus a pathway interview to which we are invited.

DS doesn't actually get very much chose in the end ie just two subjects plus a choice of 3 technoogy subject. He did come home tonight saying he wanted to do drama, because he wants to learn about back stage but I think we will be discouraging that one!

scaryteacher · 25/02/2010 09:20

DS chose his options last half term, but we had discussing them from the end of Year 8. Luckily, he agreed with me on what he should take and I have very strong views on this.

His core subjects are 2 English, maths, double science and French. No choice on these whatsoever. His option choices are history, geography, Dutch and food and nutrition. He will also be taking RE with a tutor (me) as his school doesn't teach it, but I do.

I don't agree with let them do what they want, as this rules out some A level choices and can also have an impact for university.

ShrinkingViolet · 25/02/2010 09:31

DD1 had a great long lecture from school about putting the same effort into choosing options as you woudl into buying a car - made her LOL as I'd just bought a new car based on the fact that it had a happy face, and the wing mirrors folded in when it went to sleep locked.

caykon · 25/02/2010 09:55

my dss didnt really get to choose much.
It is compulsory to take triple science, maths, eng lit. eng lang, pe,IT and humanities
he then had the choice between food technology or woodwork/metalwork. the choice between which of the 2 languages he wanted to continue. One art subject from dance, drama, music, textiles, ceramics or drawing and painting. Which humanities subject from history, geography, RE and business studies.
I think that was it so we let him choose his own as no matter what he chose he would still end up with a good all round education.
I think there was a choice for students who didn't feel they could cope with so many gcse's to drop a language, individual humanites and technology and do a GNVQ instead.

DecorHate · 25/02/2010 10:07

Dd is in Y8 and won't choose till next year but I am following these threads to get a heads-up!

I thought History would be a good non-lightweight option to take until I read this about the GCSE course:

2 pieces of coursework are set on twentieth century American history. This represents 25% of the final GCSE grade.

Year 10: Prohibition and the Jazz Age.

Year 11: The impact of Elvis Presley upon U.S. society in the 1950s.

I'm sure that's very interesting but is not quite what I was expecting from a History GCSE... [old-school emoticon]

Slartybartfast · 25/02/2010 10:40

elvis presley

DecorHate · 25/02/2010 10:51

Give it another 20 years and they'll be setting questions on Big Brother and X-Factor!

GetOrfMoiLand · 25/02/2010 11:14

OOh this is my fave topic of discussion at the mo (sad but true).

DD's school option evening is next Thursday. Her school is pretty piss poor to be honest (she used to go to selective school, was badly bullied so moved her last November. The new school is a crappy comp but she is happy there). DD has come home with info about BTEC and Diploma courses which they are 'encouraged' to take. I think it is because they count as x amnount og GCSEs, are easier to pass than traditional academic courses so will push the school higher up the league tables.

I do not want DD to do anything other than GCSEs. She knows how I feel and to be hoenst it might be a bit of a battle. The school is doing a diploma in engineering which d is really interested in. My view is that if she wants to be an engineer (as I am) she is best off doing GCSEs, A levels in maths subjects and a degree. Not a diploma which won't be viewed by universities and employeres as anything worth having.

But there again she wants to join the RAF at 18 and not boither with uni. That is the latest row in the house.

I think parents should have a say in what options are chosen tbh. However the pamphlets and advice available are all printed to say that it is a child's choice only.

Slartybartfast · 25/02/2010 11:27

i have no idea what dd shoudl do though. except she likes art and english.