Options again- only 3 options and twilight option

[bruffin]

It seems DS will only be allowed to chose 3 options, does this seem less than other schools.

He has to take

English Language and Literature
Maths
triple science
OCR ict (has already started this)
RE and Citizenship

He is then only allowed to chose 3 more subjects one of which has to be technology because he got his place in the school on the technology apptitude criteria, this is the first we have heard of this but he wants to take electronics so that is not a problem

However that only leaves him two choices, is this normal?

Also school are thinking of offering a twilight BTEC photography which is one of DS's hobbies so he is interested in doing that, but was also thinking of doing twilight RE to make a full RE GCSE.

Is it realistic to do two twilight courses? from what we were told at parents evening last year the RE twilight is one session after school a week debating although am not sure how much extra "home/course work" is involved?

[lazymumofteenagesons]

Keep photography as an out of school hobby and get a language and geography/history in there. Does he know what he wants to do after GCSEs, just to avoid not closing any doors at this stage?

[lazymumofteenagesons]

Keep photography as an out of school hobby and get a language and geography/history in there. Does he know what he wants to do after GCSEs, just to avoid not closing any doors at this stage?

[OxfordMum4503]

I would agree with @lazymum...

The BTEC is aimed at people who want to use the qualification to go straight into that field.

VI forms and Uni. prefer the traditional GCSE and A Levels, in traditional subjects. I would take a language for sure, with Oxbridge set to reinstate a compulsory language GCSE for applicants.

Also, BTEC may close doors

[bruffin]

The twilight courses are outside normal school time so I assume are extra to the normal options ie I think the RE is one evening after school and from what I have been told is mainly sitting around discussing RE and . This will give him the chance to do a full RE instead of just the core .5 gcse

The photography which may or may not go ahead (teachers still deciding) will also be twilight so I am trying to ascertain whether doing both these on top of the normal options is going to be too much or not.

He has to take a btech of either design, food or electronics, he doesn't have a choice in that because he won his place in the school on aptitude for technology.
Surely an electronics btech wouldn't go against him if he did want to try for oxbridge. His science teacher told us last parents evening that he is oxbridge material.

We have a pathway interview on 18th with the HM so will have a lot to discuss.

Languages are his weakest area but it seems a same the only real choice comes down to whether he does french or german and geography or history.

[scaryteacher]

I taught twilight RE for three years on a Friday after school. They had to concentrate during lessons, but we fed them hot chocolate and Twix, and there was much discussion and not much writing, and very little homework. If it's Edexcel there should be no coursework at all. I started teaching them at 3.45 and they had gone normally by 4.45, or earlier if they worked hard enough.

My first year of doing this the results were 100% A-C (and all bar one were A-A). Get the textbook from Amazon and the Revision guide (if Edexcel make sure it's the new spec and it's written by Vic Watton) and you're away.

[bruffin]

Thanks scary- that is the impression I got

[MissAnneElk]

If he's interested in photography and wants to do it, then I think he should. It doesn't matter that it's a BTEC, it's after school hours, so it's not a replacement for a GCSE.

At most schools there is not much choice left after the compulsory subjects have been taken, so it sounds normal in my experience.

[scaryteacher]

Bruffin - languages - I found French easier than German (no cases and only le, la or les for the). Word order similar to English and no putting the verb at the end of the sentence.

Look at what is on the history spec - I expected it to be WW1 and 2 for ds, but some is American history (probably as it is an international school, albeit styled as the British School of ....) and compare with the Geog spec. If you can get the exam board and spec number from the school, you can look up the exam board and find out what is on the spec and what he will learn. There is also a wealth of free guidance and resources on these websites for teachers, parents and students, so use them.

[bruffin]

Thanks again Scary. I actually think he prefers german to french. He has been doing both since YR7.

He has been persueded on the RE twilight as it is no extra course work

It also looks very much like he will be doing History and electronics.

There are only 20 places on twilight photography but his form teacher will back him for that as she knows how interested he is in that.

The dcs have to make a provisional choice this week, then school are going to work out blocks in time for pathway interviews and final decision needs to be made by end of term.

[bruffin]

The history spec is mostly american history, a section on the russian revolution and finally a section on General Hague.