triple science or not?

[zooweemumma]

Am sure the school will advise when the time comes but dd1 wants to take triple science. In my ignorance I assumed this was physics, chemistry and biology but she says, no, double science still covers all three subjects but in slightly less detail. Is that right? And if she wants to be a physio would triple science be better than double science?

[LIZS]

yes double is all 3 too ! One gives 3 GCSEs , the other 2. ds is doing double , we were told if one is weaker then only the better 2 grades count.

[MagratGarlik]

Double science is still all three and some schools will allow DC to do A'level sciences with double rather than triple, though the gap will be bigger between gcse and A'level if they've done double. (Since schools only offer double too, so it won't make a difference to university applications).

Which is the best option will depend on the DC. Some schools do not timetable extra lessons for triple, meaning the pace of work can be quite relentless. In this case, unless dc are able to keep up easily, it may be better to get e.g. AA at double science than to get BBC at triple as a result of the effort being spread across more exams.

Best to talk to the school to see what they advise in the case of their particular school and your dc.

[MagratGarlik]

Since = some, stupid phone

[NorthernLebkuchen]

If she enjoys science and wants to be a physio then I would say she should strongly consider triple science.

[Leeds2]

My DD's school advised that anyone doing double science could still take the A Level, but they would find it harder than those doing triple for the first term.

If my DD had wanted to be a physio, I would have encouraged her to do triple.

[CareersDragon]

I agree with the rest of the contributors. She will need to take Biology, plus preferably another science/ social science A level subject, and stand to achieve very high grades in these subjects - a typical uni offer might be ABB grades for Physiotherapy degree courses. See entry requirements on //www.ucas.com. In order to get these high A level grades, it would be wise to make the jump between GCSE and A level as manageable as possible.

[zooweemumma]

Thank you everyone. She's determined to do triple science whatever so I guess that that!

[TalkinPeace]

at DCs school there are four ways to do science at GCSE

for the lowest ability, just to get through the Ebacc, they do Single Science which is modules B1, C1 and P1 of the syllabus

middle ability kids to Double Science which is modules B1, B2, C1, C2, P1, P2

pretty bright kids do triple science in three timetable slots - being B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3, P1, P2, P3

the top set do triple science in two timetable sets, allowing them to do another option.

If your child wants to do science A levels, they need to be in that last group.

[Leeds2]

Some schools only do double, or triple, science. At DD's school, they do both but you had to have permission to do triple.

[zooweemumma]

Thanks. What other option? Do you mean another gcse? I think if you do triple science you can do science A levels, it's not dependent on having more than 10 gcses

[TalkinPeace]

zoowee
sorry, by other option I mean on their options form choosing all subjects
so the lower ability kids do less GCSEs because the higher ability fit more into the timetable time

eg top two sets do English Lang and Lit, lower sets just do English during the timetable slot
top set do Maths and further maths, others just do maths

so if Science takes up two timetable slots, the bright kids have space for an extra humanity etc

it comes down to the size of the school and the range of pupils that they have everything from hairdressing to horse care to astronomy to Latin on the timetable

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

At DSs school they are told whether they can do triple science. It isn't a choice.

[eatyourveg]

Talkinpeace in our school it goes beyond B3 C3 P3

single is 1&2 ie B1 B2 C2 C2 P1 P2
double is 1&2 plus 3&4
triple is 123 and 456

does it vary between exam boards?
ds1 did triple ds3 is doing double - same syllabus

[TalkinPeace]

eatyourveg
does it vary between exam boards
almost certainly!

DD is lined up to do two science A levels from her triple

the syllabus for the double and triple is the same - up to a point ....
if you look the modules up online, the triple is extension work from the double

[anchovies]

I'd take the advice of her science teacher personally. We make a recomendation at school and the students who don't follow advice generally have a tough time.

[TalkinPeace]

anchovies
absolutely agree
at DCs school before options evening every child is given their "suggested" science choice
if they go against that - ie doing triple when double was suggested
all the other teachers have to initial the options sheet as they know that a bad decision will impact all grades
it usually works

[zooweemumma]

Thanks. As far as I know it is compulsory to take English lit, language, maths, a language and rs. If she does triple science that's 8 already. Not sure how she's going to fit art, history, geography and sports science in there

[zooweemumma]

Well I am sure she will listen to teachers. But she is determined to be physio so she will fight to do triple even of not recommended

[TalkinPeace]

It depends on the kid.

DD is doing English Lang, English Lit, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, Latin, a modern language and a tech subject.

She dropped RE completely at the start of year 10 to free the timetable slot and is predicted good grades.

Another kid has just been forced to drop lots of extra curricular and a subject to keep the remaining grades up.

[zooweemumma]

School will advise as very good at it, rs compulsory unfortunately (although dd likes it and gets excellent marks in it). Don't think she'll take further maths though. Don't want her to take art really as it's so much work and she does huge amounts of extra curric sport

[TalkinPeace]

rs compulsory unfortunately
not if you request in writing that she stops it - a "bad thing" at infant school, but v v useful in year 10

[zooweemumma]

Have considered that but Tbh she enjoys it and think it's probably an easy A

[crazymum53]

This hasn't been mentioned so far but the move to linear GCSEs will mean an increased number of exams for students taking Triple Science.
In previous years, schools have been able to spread exams out so students took Science exams in May/June in Y10 then either in Nov or March of Y11 so that if students had already reached their target grades they only had the 3 final Science exams in June of Y11. Now that all exams have to be taken at the end of Y11 this will mean Triple students taking 9 Science exams in May/June and also submitting 3 ISAs in March. This will make Triple Science an increased workload compared the previous years and may well mean that fewer students will be taking this option.

[NoComet]

Do triple if possible, due to being dyslexic, and having a twat for a head of science, DD1 has got lumbered with double.

She wants to do science A levels so she absolutely has to get A/A* at double and will have to read up Units 4/5 in the holidays.

No problem for her as she already knows quite a bit of stuff to A level, due to having graduate scientist parents, but a nasty jump for DCs who don't talk science most days.

Also, she's been a sodding unpaid TA most of the last two (4.5years) due to being in too lower set all trough secondary. Great for getting ideas straight in your head I guess, but another GCSE would have been better.

Needless to say she has accepted an offer to do A level at another place.

[TalkinPeace]

crazymum
DDs summer GCSE timetable is up on the Exam board websites : she has around 28 exams during the four weeks