Options thread

[streathammum]

Hi everyone in this forum.
My DD, in Y9, has to choose options for GCSE. She is in top sets for almost all subjects, but she has been given a pathway, which she has to do a language (which will be Spanish) and then History or Geography. Now, she doesn't want to do history nor geography but Art. Her options would be: Spanish, PE, business and art.
Now, I am happy with her options, and I do believe that a student will do better doing subjects that she/he enjoys that doing subjects that she/he doesn't want to do, and we are happy to "fight" her corner so she is not "forced" to do History nor Geography.
However, do you think that those subjects will put her in a disadvantage at Alevel or university? She still doesn't really know what she wants to do after A'levels... She might want to become a teacher or a CEO
TIA

I'm not a teacher but I would think you may need to prepare yourself for disappointment over the history/geography issue. I believe some schools offer pathways in order to assist with timetabling - it may not be possible within the timetable to accommodate your DD's choices. The school may also be reluctant to set a precedent that other students may want to follow.

Is it not possible for your DD to do art within the pathway she's been offered? Or is it that she can only choose one or two out of PE, Businss and Art and she wants to do all three?

[Tinkers]

I think some schools insist on either history or geography for the EBacc stats sadly.

My DDs school gave them a choice of history, geography or RS though.

[loobylou]

What do you do if your dc is choosing an option you really think he is unsuited for?

Engineering: he wouldn't listen to talks on any other subjects. The teacher mentioned before/after school work. I can't see him doing this. He is very good at making things but in his own way; he hates being told what to do when he considers he has a better way of doing it (and he sometimes does). I didn't think engineering sounded great. He is stubborn and won't consider any other subject. He is not doing well at dt.

He is doing two languages. The head assured me they wouldn't have recommended this if they didn't feel he was able to do so, and I can see that would suit my ds. I am amazed at this but reassured by teachers.

We have older children, we encouraged ds1 to do IT (which he hated, and blamed us for encouraging him do it). Our dd2 chose art, which she regretted owing to the amount of coursework. We encouraged her to do what she wanted - art - pointing out the coursework element - she went on and got a 5. But 8's in everything else.

We feel our ds2 would enjoy business studies - but as soon as we suggested that, he wouldn't consider it.

I think he may be our third dc to regret choosing this option. Should I do anything about this? He is stubborn and will not listen to us at all. Or do I just leave it, and hope it works out - he can make things, as I say.

Options in year 8! Too early for him.

So difficult.
Dd picked subjects she loved but we knew they would suit her. We did get involved but only to support her in not doing two languages (at the time that was an expectation of the school).
My main feeling was that ds shouldn't do identical subjects to his sister because there would be an obvious direct comparison (and however hard we work to minimise it, he does feel a negative comparison with her much of the time). However I didn't want to tell him not to do RS because of that (there was no question about the others - he definitely wanted to do the other three she did). I was very glad he picked a different one but I really didn't want to give him any scope to complain that he picked something because of us so we kept quiet!

[kenyancowgirl]

Hi everyone in this forum.
My DD, in Y9, has to choose options for GCSE. She is in top sets for almost all subjects, but she has been given a pathway, which she has to do a language (which will be Spanish) and then History or Geography. Now, she doesn't want to do history nor geography but Art. Her options would be: Spanish, PE, business and art.
Now, I am happy with her options, and I do believe that a student will do better doing subjects that she/he enjoys that doing subjects that she/he doesn't want to do, and we are happy to "fight" her corner so she is not "forced" to do History nor Geography.
However, do you think that those subjects will put her in a disadvantage at Alevel or university? She still doesn't really know what she wants to do after A'levels... She might want to become a teacher or a CEO
TIA

GCSEs rarely impact hugely on life beyond school however, key to me is that she doesn't know what she wants to do after A levels - what is she thinking about doing for A levels - if it is three of the 4 options you have listed, it will have some impacts on what she can study and where as, for example, PE/Art and Business are none facilitiating subjects - it is usually OK to do one with two facilitating subjects (for more competitive universities) or possibly 2 with one facilitating subject for less competitive unis, but doing 3 none fac subjects will restrict what sort of instituion she can apply to. Ironically, History - and particularly Geography would keep her options open longer (at A level) - especially if at this pint she is not sure what way she is going (at A level and beyond). Geography at GCSE is relatively straightforward and ties in with both sciences and humanities - a bridge between the two. History would give her research and writing skills useful for further study. I suspect the school pathway is set with the EBacc in mind, looking at the brief options information you have given.

[CeciC]

In her form, there are 4 blocks and she has to choose one of each block. Her choices work well with the blocks, is the note on her form that says that she "has to" choose one language and either history or Geography. She would like to do REPS aswell (I think is like philosophy) which in previous years was consider as an Humanity in her school at least, but no any more. She is not the only one that is not happy with doing history or geography, and I know a few kids that they are going to try to get away with not "following" the path that the school has set up for them.
I have an older daughter just finishing Y13 in the same school, so this "path" that the school have for the kids is a new thing for us. 4 years ago, they had the core subjects, and then 4 options, no pathways or paths for the students to follow.
Well, the school holds an GSCE option evening after half term. We were not going to attend as she knew what options she wanted to take. Now we will have to so we can ask questions.

[CeciC]

Kenyancowgirl, what you said is what is worrying me. That the options she chooses may not allow her to do Alevels that she might need for University. I think, she might have to think what she might want to study at university and work back to A'levels and then GCSE. My eldest knew exactly what she wanted to do after school so it was easy in that way.
thanks everyone for your input and any more opinions are welcome!

[Daogroupie]

Both my dds did a language and History and Geography and Music and then dd1 did RS and dd2 did PE.

These choices gave them a lot of scope at A level and then degree study. They would also both fitted in Economics if they could have.

I would definitely recommend History or Geography.

If there is a strong interest in Sports science then PE is the right choice.

But if unsure the traditional subject keep more doors open. DG

[Flash]

Hi CeciC

I think your DD choices sound great and she will be fine with them as she will be taking plenty of other facilitating subjects. My daughter is year 11 and was feeling pressured into taking history or geography and was very miserable about that. Some teachers at school were saying they had to. We queried it as did DD and she didn't have to at all. She took art instead together with music, computing and a language. Art has been one of her favourite and best subjects. I would go with what your DD enjoys if possible.

[CeciC]

Hi Flash, she really wants to do Art, and she knows the amount of course work she'll have to do.. her older sister is in Y13 doing Art A'level, but she is enjoying art a lot in her secondary school. We will let the school know about not doing History or Geography, and I know she won't be the only one telling this to the school. Hopefully, they'll be fine with it.
For what she wants to do after school is either sports science or probably economics. PE and maths are her favourite subjects and she is very good at both, so hopefully she won't need geography nor history. She won't change a language for history or geography either as her Spanish is good or very good as she is had Spanish lessons since age 7, and it will be an "easy" subject for her to get a good grade.

[Surferfish]

Hi CeciC,

Is your DD really insistent on doing Business Studies? If not I would suggest switching that for one of History/Geography.

This would allow her to do the subjects that she loves (Art and PE) while still doing the humanity that the school prefers.

My understanding is that you don't need Business studies in order to study Economics (or anything else) and that its generally regarded as a bit 'soft' and less valuable than the more traditional academic GCSE's.

Is she already doing triple science?