Year 9 GCSE Options - Any teachers around?

[BDEE]

Could use some advice from any teachers (especially options leads), or anyone who has a similar experience of this.

My daughter is wanting to choose French, History, Drama and Music for her Yr9 GCSE Options. Post-16 she is wanting to study film / music / TV production and has also identified a number of degree courses in the same field which she is interested in.

Her school are preventing her from choosing these options, as there is no combination which allows the choice of both music and drama.

She is being told she can do French, History, Music and then a choice of Art / Single Sciences and then a number of other things totally irrelevant to her interests.

I am trying to state my case to the school, as doing one of these other subjects is totally pointless for her. From what I can tell, doing her choices still qualifies her for EBacc, which I know the school will want due to government targets and thus I am perplexed as to why her combination of choice is not available.

It can't be because of it being a vocational course, as the option set she has to choose from includes Art, plus other vocational courses (Engineering, Hospitality and Catering).


I am composing a response to the school, so if there is anyone who can help shed some light on why this gap exists, be it that you are a teacher or have had a child in a similar circumstance, then any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[BDEE]

Update : After persuasive and well-reasoned plea, they have now agreed to allow this option combo and opened it up for all students.

I won't respond to some of the (probably well-intended) career advice other than to say thanks, but it's not just "off the cuff" choices without a clear pathway planned.

 

[BDEE]

Depending on what area you want to go into you don't necessarily need a degree as you can do apprenticeships or start out as a runner/dogs body and work your way from there. A lot of the skills can be self taught or studied on short courses. Once you're working too you'll find what you want to actually do can change. I wanted to be an Editor when I started but then realised how many other roles there are that aren't taught at GCSE or A Level and I ended up moving into engineering and architecting for distribution (cinema, TV, streaming).

There's some good career maps here - https://www.screenskills.com/starting-your-career/career-maps/

Firms like Sky, BBC, ITV and Channel 4 also run good apprenticeship schemes.

UK Screen Alliance is also a good site to check out - https://www.ukscreenalliance.co.uk/

Regarding the GCSEs I'd pick Drama and do Music as an extra curricular.

Cheers for that - Useful addition to some of what we have already been looking at!