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Original poster

3 science's at GCSE - D of Ed guidance?

84 replies

dreamingofsun · 04/02/2012 13:39

Hi

my son is about to choose his GCSE's and is keen to do 3 separate sciences, rather than the combined science course. However, the school only allows a limited number of children do this (I think this is because they don't have enough places or teachers).

Are there any regulations that i can quote them to encourage them to accept my son? I seem to remember reading somewhere that a school has to provide language GCSEs if a child wants them and was wondering if there's anything similar for science

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 04/02/2012 14:03

Sorry roisin, my post was aimed at hatesponge not you, but your post appeared in the meantime!

hatesponge, I think that is probably because all students sit double science so that doesn't appear on the options sheet. The option for triple science is the extra science added onto the compulsory double science, rather than all the science that will be taken by that student.

Original poster
dreamingofsun · 04/02/2012 14:01

he had 8 different teachers for science last year and it was so bad that the school was unable to actually provide me with any written report for this subject at all. He is a bright boy and is in the top set for maths, but his previous school (ie last year) estimated that he would get a 'c' at GCSE for science. so yes i will be discussing his performance with the school, but i think its currently a bit clouded by this and the fact that they only have limited places.

OP posts:
roisin · 04/02/2012 14:00

At the school I work at they select students for triple/separate sciences; and they have to have achieved minimum of L6 in Science and Maths by the end of KS3.

(They are taught in a separate class/set with a specialist for all their science lessons. Dual award scientists do not necessarily have a specialist for each subject.)

At my son's school he has 5 lessons a week for the dual award (units/modules 1 and 2), taught by a specialist, in ability sets. They do a block of (say) Biology, then Chemistry, then Physics. Mod 1 at the end of yr10, Mod2 at the end of yr11.

Then in addition he has a separate sciences class for 3 lessons a week (units/module 3s) taught by a specialist. The exams are at the end of yr11.

hatesponge · 04/02/2012 13:58

I see - when I was at school the less academic children did 'combined' science which I assumed this was. I don't quite understand how it works out from a timetabling point of view though as on DSs option sheet triple science is a 'single' option same as French, IT, etc - hence the confusion on my part.

roisin · 04/02/2012 13:57

Yes, I know. Did my post not make sense? (It is complicated, I know.)

noblegiraffe · 04/02/2012 13:54

Triple science is the three separate sciences at GCSE.

roisin · 04/02/2012 13:54

Have you had a chat with his science teachers about his performance in Science? I would be very reluctant to go against the school advice. Why does he want to do separate science? What are his current levels in Science?

A friend of mine did triple Science last year. He got A for the dual award part of the course, and would have ended up with two As; but the third module is more challenging (or maybe he stopped putting in the effort, who knows) and he did badly in the third unit. Which brought his grades down to (I think) AAB. In terms of uni applications and 'very able' programme at 6th form, he would have been better off with the two A*s.

My son is doing triple Science and he says there are too many students on the course who are not particularly able or passionate about Science. (His school doesn't select for triple, but leaves it open to all.) They teach dual award separately and he prefers his 'top set' dual award class, to the separate science triple class.

noblegiraffe · 04/02/2012 13:53

I think the rules are that every child who achieves level 6 or above in Science at KS3 has the entitlement to study triple science at GCSE.

This quotes the relevant government document.

hatesponge · 04/02/2012 13:52

no idea as to the answer sorry but I will be watching this with interest - my son can only do what is referred to as 'triple science' -there are no separate subjects for any of the children at his school.