Triple Science - am I right to make this a must-have?

[DilysPrice]

I'm looking around for state secondary schools in London for DCs (now years 4 and 2, so planning ahead - we might even end up moving).
Apart from all the normal things you want from a school, (starting with not being a complete hell hole where there are huge fights outside the school gate on a regular basis), I have the preconception that they need a school which offers triple science at GCSE, because as far as I can tell they're both of an academic and scientific bent, and are pretty likely to end up choosing career paths which require this (or at least find it useful).

OTOH I have a feeling that I may be a bit out of date on this, and things may now be different. Does it matter?

[FerrisBueller]

at 4 and 2 thier academic and scientific bents may change in the next 10 years.

also the school may go from being shite to fabulous or great to rubbish.

and the whole education and exam system is highly likely to be completely different by then.

leave it a few years.

[Ladder]

is triple science all three in one, or the 3 seperately?

[FerrisBueller]

but no - right now not unreasnable. DDs school do diploma, double award, triple award or separates. It was one of those not up for discussion converstaions - DD - you will be doing separate sciences, along with the other core subjects.

[SauvignonBlanche]

I wouldn't look at secondary schools yet, all it takes is a change of Head or crap OFSTED inspection and the school could change.

[DilysPrice]

Yes ferrisbueller I do realise that things will change (though they're years 4 and 2, not ages 4 and 2 - I'm not completely nuts)- but I'm curious as to whether it's true about the triple sciences thing - and it's only 2 years until we fill in the first form applying for schools, so it can't change that much.

[FerrisBueller]

aha - that's different and will teach me to read properly. age 4 and 2 would indeed be daft.

thing with DD was evn at 13 when she had to decide her options she still desn't know for sure what she wants to do later on. I feel that to take the double or diploma would minimise her options. If she decides in the next couple of years se wants to do something sciency she wouldn't be able to.

[hocuspontas]

Double is enough to do separate sciences at A-level if that's what you're worried about.

[runningmonkey]

AFAIK all schools should be offering triple from Sept this year. Apparently some gov't directive.

[SauvignonBlanche]

Oh no, I read it as 4 & 2 yrs old as well! What an arse,
I would want Triple Science as a must, they do at DS's school.

[hocuspontas]

Sorry, I'm lost. Separates are the triple award aren't they? At our schools, single science is one GCSE, double is two and triple is three. All options cover separate modules for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

[Ladder]

i am lost too! I cannot fathom wither triple science are the 3 done individually or 3 all together?

[TrillianAstra]

What hocuspontas said: in all cases you study all 3 sciences, but you either get 1 GCSE, 2 GCSEs, or 3 GCSEs. You still study and take exams in all 3, it's just more or less material on each.

Double science is enough to do A-level - most of Chemistry A-level is telling you that GCSE was a lie anyway.

The school may change its mind in the next 5 years (before your year 4 child is even close to starting GCSEs), or GCSEs may be scapped for IB or something else.

[Greensleeves]

I think it's pretty shit to dictate that to your child actually. "you will be taking separate sciences", "not up for discussion" They are supposed to be making choices, not you.

[DilysPrice]

Oh that would be a relief runningmonkey, one less thing to worry about at least .

[senua]

It used to be that schools did SATs in Y9 and then did GCSEs in Y10&11. Now that Y9 SATs have been scrapped, some schools start the GCSE syllabus in Y9 so doing triple science is more do-able than it used to be.
However, AFAIK science A Levels can be done from a base of double science, they do not need triple science.
As Greeny says, it's down to the child's choice/aptitude.
Also I would be loathe to do extra science if it meant another subject got sacrificed; at GCSE you want breadth, not depth.

[MmeBlueberry]

I doubt you can tell at age 9 and 7 which career path they can take.

You also don't know what the Science offerings will be then. We are about to change specifications again, after only four years. By the time your LO is choosing GCSEs, they will probably have changed again.

I would say (as a Science teacher) don't sweat the small stuff.

[Trubert]

I am flabbergasted by parents who intend to dictate to their children what GCSEs they will take.

It makes me regress turn into a rebellious teenager screeching 'You're not the boss of me'.

[TrillianAstra]

Where does the OP say she will insist that her children do triple science?

She simply says she wants to choose a school where triple science is an option.

At my school no-one got a choice of how many science GCSEs they took, it was triple for the top set, single for the bottom set, and double for everyone else.

[Trubert]

I was actually talking about FerrisBueller.

(I'm not trying to start a fight here, just clarifying that I'm not making assumptions about the OP).

[DilysPrice]

Of course I can't tell for certain MmeB, but I know they're geeky by inclination and upbringing and that they (so far) don't have to work in order to score full marks in maths, which means that a career on the sciencey side is more than averagely likely.
Thanks for the advice everyone, that's mostly reassuring (though those who told me that things will change between choosing a school and doing exams, and my agonised plans and sleepless nights will all be made a mockery by Events, will please forgive me if I respond with a heartfelt "La la la, can't hear you").

[preghead]

I am not sure whether it is worth worrying about now as other have said but I have to say I completely agree with you and was actually astounded to find out recently that mosts schools only offer combined science GCSE. I certainly want my (admitedly still young) children to have the option og doing biology, physics and chemistry like I did. Surely this is still a prereq for anyone that wants to be a doctor or scientist? No wonder this country is going to the dogs etc etc

[TrillianAstra]

OK, sorry Trubert.

[Fennel]

For me, the possibility of doing triple science GCSE is a "must have" (oldest dd is 10 so I have been questioning local comp on this).

It doesn't mean they have to do triple science, but our families include many of a scientific bent, and it's important for me that there is this option.

Double languages at GCSE is also important to me, it doesn't mean the dds will have to take two languages, but I want that option to stay open for them til they are 14.

[TrillianAstra]

Preghead - in my school (bog standard comp, not special or anything) everyone had separate lessons for Bilogy, Chemistry, and Physics, and separate exams, even if they did double award science. The only difference was the volume of material. Taking double award did not prevent them from taking science A-levels if they wanted.

Not really sure why I am bothering to reply to someone who uses phrases like "No wonder this country is going to the dogs"

[PatTheHammer]

runningmonkey- they only 'have to' offer it for pupils who achieve level 6 or above at KS3 and then some small schools can ship kids over to a neighbouring larger school to study it or offer some lessons after school.

As a smallish secondary, only 11-16 we thought about all the possibilities for a few years as the reality is that few governors (or other staff) want to sacrifice curriculum time and breadth to fit another science opion in. As somebody else said, its since the SATs have gone that we have found a way, by starting our triple science groups in year 9 (although they can't take exams till year 10). Technically there is a choice that parents make but if the teacher assessment is too low they can't do it so we ended up with our top two sets doing it.

As someone else said, double award (doing 'additional' science gives you a solid basis for A-level science. Triple award Chemistry bascially goes over most of AS chemistry so lots who have done triple find much of Y12 Chemistry quite boring.

In the past I have found that the thing most parents are bothered about is the fact that it is an extra GCSE than those who do double. And/or they particularly disliked one of the disciplines at school and want their DC 'to be able to not take physics as I hated it....' type thing. What they don't realise is that most average-sized schools are simply not going to offer it as 3 separate options like this, the timetabling would be a nightmare!