DD wants to do Anthropology and Archaeology.
She is also is doing A level Geography , Biology.

She got 9s in RS, Geography and Biology but an 8 in Eng Lit but her English teacher has persuaded her to drop RS for English Lit but I'm not so sure , for the universities she aiming for it's all about grades .

I think although RS is not as respected as Eng Lit but she is already doing 2 robust facilitating A levels and judging by her gcse results is more likely to get a higher grade in RS than English Lit.

She wants advise but these airy-fairy subjects are not our specialty-> for myself, OH or her brother...we are all STEM orientated

BTW there are no specific A levels requirements for the potential degree she is aiming for although it all be change this time next week

Is really our child ? Anthropology and Archaeology..indeed

What is an 'airy-fairy' subject exactly? your comment comes across as dismissive and patronising. Was that intentional?

I'm assuming catseye you were tongue in cheek

I"m not totally up with new grades but imagine there isn't necessarily much difference between 8 & 9?

Having said that I did have reason quite recently to look at RS A level and I would say that the skills that it develops could be useful for the chosen degree course.

Has the school got a teacher for RS who is experienced and up to snuff with the current requirements? I've seen situations where the subject is not given sufficient resources by schools.


Teachers are always trying to get good students to take their subject whether or not its in the pupil's best interests. Has DD looked carefully at what's required for each, including format of exams?

Which subject does she prefer? I think that is the bottom line here.

DS2 started with both of those subjects as well as 2 others (school encourages a 4 start with one dropped by half term). He dropped RE and was very glad to do so. He also says that his friends who carried on with it don't enjoy it. What does that tell you? Not a lot really. I think your daughter should decide for herself based on what she enjoys. Perhaps she can start 4 and drop one like my son did.

Good for your daughter for bucking the STEM genes I say! Power to her for her independence of thought. STEM is fashionable but it isn't everything.

I’d suspect child getting a good number of grades above 7 will have the ability to cope well with either subject with a bit of effort and application . It really depends on what she wants to spend her time reading and writing about given both are going to involve a lot of essay writing.
I find it a bit sad that a grade 8 is preceded by a “but an” it’s still a very high grade and one to be pleased about...

From a complete ignorance of all such "airy fairy" A levels myself too I can see the virtue in RS as much of Arch & Anth will be looking at artefacts from past times (and societies today) which are very often religiously influenced (and a lot of unknown objects are blithely labelled "for ritual purposes") but it would I imagine depend on the exact syllabus.

The very fact that there are no specific subject requirements for this course at the universities to which your DD intends to apply should tell her and you that the third A level (in fact, all of them) should be one which she enjoys as well as is good at.

Btw, not getting a 9 in English Lit GCSE really should be a barrier to doing well in the A level. Some of our DC are doing just fine, thanks, even with having only achieved an 8 .

(Yep, other folk can do TIC as well ).

_________________
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

not getting a 9 in English Lit GCSE really should NOT be a barrier to doing well in the A level?

Oops

Absolutely .

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Their mother, on the other hand.......!!!!