Options evening

[debih]

Oooo - scary!

I have to meet S at school at 4pm for her options evening. We have a few appointments to meet teachers and then we watch a presentation on the new subjects followed by the chance to discuss them with the subject leaders.

She thinks she knows what she wants to do - as she has chosen to do triple science (physics, biology and chemistry) as opposed to double science (which is a year long course rather than two years) she has to chose 3 other subjects and two reserves (if she had chosen double science it was 4 other subjects plus two reserves).

She has chosen cookery, health and social studies and history as her three choices and her reserves are sociology (which she desperately wanted to do as a main choice as well and, if she isn't able to do triple science for whatever reason will bump this up to her fourth choice) and french. She has kept a reserve choice as well, just in case she does end up doing double science - drama, although she is starting to sway towards geography at the moment.

They have to put their final choice in by this Friday and I think they find out what they have got sometime in March.

She has decided that she wants to be a veterinary nurse but I think she will end up doing something like nursing, midwifery, social worker. It will be interesting to see where her options lead her in years to come.

[JoM]

Joe had to choose his last year, and they had to choose six subjects which they've been studying this year and those will then be whittled down to three so that they can study them at GCSE along with the core subjects, starting in September (can you believe they'll be starting GCSEs in just a few months??? Scares the hell out of me where Joe's concerned).
He went for history, ICT, engineering, practical science, DT and social sciences (sociology and psychology combined). Not sure what he'll have to drop but he's doing well with engineering and DT, which isn't really a surprise as he's more practical than academic.
He was SO happy to be able to drop French but not happy that he couldn't drop maths and English too

[debih]

S was more miffed about having PRS as one of the core subjects (religious studies - not quite sure what the P stands for).

She hates it with a passion and the teacher seems to set the hardest homework out of all her subjects. S moaned, when in Yr 8, that the PRS teacher seemed really proud of the fact that she was setting them homework that would normally be set for GCSE students - it was utterly ridiculous and I couldn't understand it, let alone a 12 year old!

[JoM]

Yeah, he's had a moan about having to do that one too...can't think what they call it at their school but I remember looking at it and not knowing what it was from the initials, then reading the blurb and realising it was RE

[Kaz]

Scary stuff eh when they get to this age, but it looks like a good choice of subjects Good luck to her xxxxxx

[miasmum]

That does look a good range of subjects, but boy isn't it confusing

Why do they have to do RE?

[saundra]

Sounds very complicated
How can children of that age decide there futur
Good luck to her anyway

[debih]

It was really interesting.

Her science teacher has told her that if she continues the. Way she is she will be fine for triple science - she has to be at level six or above.

The history teacher felt she would struggle as there is lots of writing included - something that she does struggle with - and when she said she couldn't decide between history, geography or French he said he felt she would be better suited to the other two. So we spoke to the teachers of those subjects and she decided on geography.

Until she spoke to the sociology teacher - she was very taken with that.

So she has opted for cookery, health and social care and sociology with geography if she has to do double science and needs another Bachlet subject.

Her reserve subjects are the geography and film and media studies. I think the thought of watching films sold her on that one as she had never even m mentioned it until she went and asked the subject leader what it was!

She has to put her subject choices in by Friday. Then after half term they have a formal interview with their head of year and one of the deputy heads or the head teacher. Then they notify her after Easter what she has been allocated - though this could change towards the end of year 9 if her science grades drop.

[JoM]

That does look a good range of subjects, but boy isn't it confusing

Why do they have to do RE?

I've asked that several times, especially when Tom had to do it for a GCSE. At that time they were working towards the utter waste of time that is/was the English Baccalaureate so I was told that it was to show that they had an understanding of an all round range if subjects to impress Russell Group universities. He had to do a language too which he had no interest in doing. No one ever gave me a decent answer whenever I asked what happened if they really didn't want to do a language or what was the point if they didn't want to go to a Russell Group university...

Saundra, they are young when choosing these subjects...Joe was 12 when he picked his options last year and still doesn't really know what he wants to do.

*Edit* PE was another subject he had to study for the Baccalaureate. When I questioned that I was told it was so they could show that they had leadership qualities.

[debih]

We were told almost exactly the same Jo.

They have to do PE and they have to do RE because of the Bachlet.