DD didn't get GCSE options

It's also a numbers thing. You have to have a cut off point for a set. You can't have 36 students in a Science lab.

Like Kez, I also thought triple afforded additional breadth with Unit 3, not depth (all six of mine have done or are doing triple, it's mandatory at their school).

If Coconutty's HoS thinks medical applicants stand a better chance of getting an offer with B's at triple rather than A*'s at double then he's moving in a parallel world.

michaela as from next year one A at A2 for the best med schools seems to be the norm, but not two. Predictions of two or more may be preferable, but very few will be asked to get them and do you really think many universities will be specifying the A in Chemistry? I'd have thought they'd say A*AA across Chemistry, Biology and Japanese (or whatever).

OP the thing which would seriously piss me off is the issue about whether the school is really so shallow as to be prioritising its EBacc performance over pupils' individual wishes and at least arguable needs.

Core and Additional Science are fine for A level Sciences. It is about ability and work ethic, not an extra module at GCSE. Triple Science adds breadth not depth, and I am surprised at the comments of the Head of Science (which is also my job). I teach A level Sciences, and I have students who have followed both pathways on the course. I would certainly encourage a student to go for 2 As rather than Cs in triple. Equally I would make sure that a student who could get 3As or A*s in triple did triple. I find it strange that he is choosing lower achieving students over your daughter. Are you sure about the other students' levels?

coconutty "He said that he teaches A Level science, and has done for many years and the students who have only done double are at a huge disadvantage"

This will be the case, but the main reason for it is that the children 'chosen' to take triple have come from the top sets when in the main those doing combined have come from the lower ones. Who do you expect to do better at any A level - top set children or middle/lower set ones?

I know for an able child GCSE Chemistry is not an essential prerequisite for A level. Ds took AS Chemistry alongside his GCSEs taking the first module before even Core Science and had no difficulties. I really would expect teachers to realise that lower ability children will tend to struggle and not blame it on doing combined science.

Going by previous (Further Ed) threads on here, 3 Bs at GCSE would definitely be a handicap compared with 2 A*s in many UCAS applications for highly selective courses/institutions, when admissions tutors are looking at 1000s of them

It sounds as if the main problem is blinkered/lazy 6th forms who have decided, for whatever reason, that they just don't want students who only did dual award science (I can't believe it would really take much to catch them up with the single-science students)

There is a selective Y7-11 grammar here (cohort 120), with a separate 6th form which takes in a total of 300+ (the majority, clearly, from a huge number of neighbouring schools); they are not nearly as picky as some of the 6th forms cited on this thread but still get amazing results

I didn't think it was more in depth at all! I thought most units were exactly the same except the 'extra' three units. That would make it a broader syllabus but not more in depth! Now I am completely confused.

It makes no difference to medical/vet schools whether you have triple or double science. What is vital is that you achieve all A/A across all GCSEs and AA*AA at A level (inc Chemistry and Biology) and have suitable work experience.

You need to check to see whether your child will be able to study A Level chemistry at the school with double science at GCSE. If not, you will have to change school at 16+.

I have taught both and in my view; both are suitable as a preparation for A Level and for students on route to medical school.

So essentially, head of science has said the reason she hasn't got the option is because she hasn't achieved a high enough level to do triple science, and you think she has. Is that right?

Have you asked what her overall level is and what level they require?

Ds1 has achieved some sevens but is still a borderline case for triple science as he also had some low marks in physics which brought his overall level down to a 6c.

"Specifically, by September 2008 all pupils achieving at least level 6+ at key stage 3 will be entitled to study triple science GCSE, for example through collaborative arrangements with other schools, further education colleges and universities"

So if the school won't teach her, ask her what collaborative arrangements they will put in place to ensure she receives her entitlement

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm081216/text/81216w0048.htm

El24 As long as she has 9 GCSEs there isn't really a need to take more out of school, but if she wants to and she is a good independent learner it is possible to learn the extra units for separate sciences independently and just sit the exams at school with those doing triple there. The ISAs/controlled assessments are the same for both, so the school should have covered enough of these in the double option to use for triple instead.

Another option - there are places offering Astronomy GCSE (another science, so she'd still end up with 3) as a distance learning course. You would need the school to agree to enter her for the exams and probably supervise the controlled assessments (though it may be possible to do these remotely as part of the course). Distance learning also requires a lot of self motivation however.

I'm not sure how doing EBac precludes triple science - DD's school are pushing both.

Definitely go to the HT. Get all your facts sorted first - if other DCs are doing 3 with lower results etc. And find out if any other children have found themselves bumped from a course onto something that will mean they meet the EB requirements - that might not be from 3 to 2 sciences, but if the school have an eye on the EB and league tables then they'll have done it to more than one child.

Is there any chance of moving schools? Now I'm a laid-back go-with-the-flow type but everything here just sounds wrong and certainly in my area all the local secondaries positively encourage triple science (subject to ability - and sounds as if your dd meets that). I wouldn't be very happy with this at all.

DD starts 6th form in the autumn and will study some sciences. Guidelines were - for biology A level double science acceptable, phyics needed triple science though allowances were made if you had strong maths grades; and for chemistry (essential for medicine) you HAD to have done triple science.

That probably doesn't help you much

If it's because they're pushing the EB, could you change the options she's doing so she could get that and do the three sciences?

What level are the others at - the majority of those who were allowed to do the 3 sciences - compared to your DD?

Regards the chatting, Dd2's school said that in the event of subjects being oversubscribed and re-jigging timetables not an option then behaviour merits/demerits would be taken into consideration, especially behaviour in the relevant subject. Could the HOD have been talking about her behaviour when he said her levels weren't enough?

I do think you should talk to the HT and express your disappointment especially as your dd has a career in mind.

I assumed the OP had ruled out a timetabling issue - that would be easier to sort.

One of DS's frends got an offer from Oxford for Medicine this year with less than A in each science. I'm not sure that it's the A in each of the three sciences that they're looking at: plenty of med applicants will have As but that doesn't mean it's a requirement. DS says he didn't clock any medical school that he looked at asking either for triple science or for A specifically. I would have thought the only critical thing would be if the school refused to let double science candidates go on to take A2 Chemistry, but that would be harsh. Tbh she's far better off with an A* in the double award than she would be risking a B in any of the three. The school does sound a bit intransigent though.

You need to find out the reason that your dd hasn't been given triple. It does seem strange that she didn't get it yet another child performing at a lower level did get it.

It made me think that perhaps it might be due to a clash with the other option choices she has chosen and maybe it would be better to swap one of them to fit in with the timetable for the triple. Do you think that might be a possible explanation?

It isn't about being able to bridge the gap.

It's about the value placed on science by the school. It's about the colture. It's about expectations.

Really this is not good enough.

OP I would take this to the HT and the governors. Ask them how they can describe themselves as valuing and encouraging sciences if they don't offer more than double.

Have you got evidence that students with lower grades have been allowed to go for separate sciences?

I know your OP mentioned one from a lower set, but it may be that one has recently improved & has actually got better grades; are there any others?

thirdhill I don't think bridging the gap is the point - some 6th forms won't let you do sciences at A level ith only a double science background - for some places you must have single sciences (eg my DD's school).

And also true about some current medical students only having done dual science but most schools have changed to offer the triple option in the last 3or 4 years if ey didn't before - eg my son's school who do have many medics in his year (now at uni) but they changed after him so again, only single science is acceptable to start the A level.

But my DCs friends experience is that it has to be 3A * in the GCSEs to be good enough for a medicine offer....

Did he say her overall grade wasn't high enough despite achieving some level 7s?

What is the criteria for taking triple science then?

At our school they like a minimum of 6b overall though they said it's not set in stone and take behaviour in class and keenness into account if someone got say a low 6.