Options thread

[PettswoodFiona]

Hi,
My DS is considering taking Engineering as a GCSE. Does it involve lots of drawing? He is not very creative and his drawings skills are not brilliant. I'm afraid that this might be a set back.

I have been looking at the various exam board syllabi as that has been helpful in understand more about what is involved, but otherwise letting DD make the choices and only chipping in with comments where she has been on the fence.

DD is going to do Engineering too but not GCSE, it is the Cambridge Level 2 Certificate which is a GCSE equivalent and that does involve some design. It has 30 hours of practicals which seems a lot but as all her other subjects are exam based so will actually be complementary to what she is doing. I have added all her exams up and it is 34 hours of exams - yikes and that is just for the 9 exam based subjects. Her school used to regularly have girls taking more than the standard number but the message now with the new linear exams is please don't and if you really want to it involves a sit down chat with one of the senior teachers. Whilst they don't pick their options until year 9 some of the courses like Maths they are already teaching the GCSE syllabus as they say there is so much more to get through.

[Moon unit]

I think the only good advice from a teacher should be along the lines of if you want to do this subject at gcse you are capable of doing it.
Both of my children were pressurised at parents evenings to change subject choices.
One was told “ it will be a tragedy if you don’t do xyz at gcse”.
On that basis choices were changed ( and later regretted).
One teacher requested to see my dd at our year 9 parents eve specifically to get her to change her mind about the choices she had made.
What I find most annoying about this is that we were told at options evenings at both schools to let the children make their own choices!

[silverysea]

That’s my worry about it, Moon Unit, that the teachers obviously want to promote their subject and who can blame them, but it isn’t really tailored to the kid. Both of mine were pressured to do Art but refused due to the work load, and sad as I was that they had no time for it, the truth is they don’t pick up art materials for pleasure. They do music, sport and read for pleasure and that fits better with what they wanted to do academically.

[chimera-ma]

DS is in Year 9 and keen on Geography and Geology as GCSE options, with a self-motivated direction of travel towards Biology, Geography or Earth Sciences at university.

For his third option, DS was planning to take History - because he enjoys it - until a recent Options evening: he now thinks Statistics would be more helpful towards A-level Maths and his preferred university options. A Geography teacher at his school has said either would be a suitable companion subject for Geography athough Stats better if planning a science degree.

Would DS be disadvantaged coping with the A-level Maths curriculum if he chose not to take GCSE Stats? His Year 11 Maths target is a 7. He scored As in each termly assessment and year-end in Year 8. His Year 11 History target is also a 7.

Any thoughts appreciated!

[helen0209]

DS is in Year 9 and keen on Geography and Geology as GCSE options, with a self-motivated direction of travel towards Biology, Geography or Earth Sciences at university.

For his third option, DS was planning to take History - because he enjoys it - until a recent Options evening: he now thinks Statistics would be more helpful towards A-level Maths and his preferred university options. A Geography teacher at his school has said either would be a suitable companion subject for Geography athough Stats better if planning a science degree.

Would DS be disadvantaged coping with the A-level Maths curriculum if he chose not to take GCSE Stats? His Year 11 Maths target is a 7. He scored As in each termly assessment and year-end in Year 8. His Year 11 History target is also a 7.

Any thoughts appreciated!

I can’t see why he would be disadvantaged by not taking GCSE Stats - a lot of schools don’t even offer this and pupils go on to do A Level Maths.

[skipsmash]

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.

[PerpetualStudent]

Hi skipsmash,

I really feel for you with this - you really can't win. Do you know why he is so set on it? Is it because he wants an engineering career of some kind long term? Does he want to see if he does enjoy it as much as he thinks he does? Or is it his fun option and a change of pace?

Perhaps if he's thinking long term you could look into what other pathways there are?

What are the long term consequences if the course doesn't go as well as he hopes? Perhaps it will be a useful learning experience even if it turns out not to be for him.

DD submitted her choices the other day and is already wanting to change one of them.

Good luck
PS

[skipsmash]

Thanks.

I suppose he thinks he may become an engineer - which is not impossible, from his interests and abilities now. He likes making things at home, in his own way, and does not like being told what to do - hence he is not very good at dt at school.

I think I am going to leave him to learn from his own mistakes. It's his stubbornness and refusal to contemplate any others subjects I find really frustrating.

Who knows, he may enjoy engineering, and all the extra before/after classes. I really can't see it! But I don't want him blaming me if any alternative does not work out. This is his decision.

I have a tiny hope that maybe school will not let him do engineering, as he is not getting good grades in dt. Fingers crossed it will work out. He's so stubborn.

Thanks.

[Blue_Marigold]

I agree that Year 8 is a bit too soon to choose options but it had a load of benefits too. DD1 picked hers in Year 8 and was very happy to drop the subjects she didn’t like. She is much happier going to school knowing that she no longer has to sit through certain lessons.

Our school doesn’t offer Engineering GCSE but I think it’s good to have at least one creative subject as it gives you a break from revision and it helps to do something you love. DD took art which is time consuming but she loves it and it gives her an outlet for her emotions.

[CeciC]

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