Can anyone talk to me about Core Science GCSE as opposed to Triple Science please ?

Sorry should have looked at the date! I responded on the other thread regarding the boy who hates science.

My ds did double science and had no interest in triple - it wasn't an option at his school, it was taught within the normal timetable so you had to work hard at three sciences. The school didn't, as far as I know, differentiate between ability, just said that you could do it if you were prepared to work.

DS did say that there were a few people in his group who messed about and did wonder if that would have been the case if he'd done triple. He got 77 in the double which was solid and more than enough for someone not wanting to do science A levels.

Thank you been trying to work out how to post new thread lol thought I had thanks again for letting me know 😀

@ctatnell you would be better starting your own thread, as most people won't realise you have posted at the end of a zombie thread.

You can try working with the school re your DC's school refusal, but I doubt they will let him drop science - and it would be the same if he decided he wanted to drop any other subject.

Hi I wondered if anyone could help or had any information. My son has just started year 10 GCSES and absolutely hates science. We are told he cannot drop it as it is a core subject but he is refusing to go to school when he has it which is 4 out of the 5 day week ! Has anyone been in this situation or is there anyway around this core subject. Maths and English are core subjects and you have to redo them at college if u fail at school. So if the government is saying science is so important how comes this isn't the case for the subject too. Surely going to school for all the other subjects is better than him not turning up at all. Any help much appreciated

Well, as I said we weren't querying DSs science group because of the science but because of the knock on effect on his maths. His maths teacher was one of the ones (along with his previous and his new triple science teacher (she'd taught him in Y8 also)) who actually made a fuss rather than simply querying.

I think some people need a reality check on the kudos issue. Doing triple science brings no kudos whatsoever in many spheres of life and for many people. DD1 is not doing any science A levels, I don't for one moment believe either that she lacks kudos because of this, or that she regains a little because she did triple at GCSE.

DH says thanks as he's found it and read the research/paper. This does cause problems for the school (and maybe others) as it won't allow additional timetable time for triple. So with the linear exams now and other changes coming in over the next few years, it's making studying the three sciences as separate exams more inaccessible. Thus disadvantaging the students in FE if that research is anything to go by.

However, whilst it's a valid point, I doubt that all the parents banging on the HoD's door begging for their DC to do triple are aware of these statistics and are in fact motivated by kudos.

Not just kudos. From the Russell Group website; "The odds of getting an A or B at A level Chemistry in the maintained sector are increased by 76% for pupils who take separate science GCSEs compared to those who take double science."
With regards to the IGCSE debate - many independent schools and grammar schools adopted them because they allowed for more teaching time (and presumably more knowledge) without being constrained by coursework, modules, resits etc. as everything was examined at the end of the 2 year course.

How sad to hear a teacher say, "my job is to get the best possible grades out of my pupils". What, at the expense of their wider development? maybe I'm in the minority but it's not what I'd want for my children.

This is years ago, but my school was the only one on the county that offered triple science GCSE. Irural area, if that amkes a difference? I did actually do triple science, but only the top set out of 12 sets did. I went to a top University, where many of my peers has taken Double Science GCSE. Perhaps things have changed. I think in your position I'd be asking to meet the teacher and understand the rationale for insisting that your dd take double science. perhaps if she knows what University / subject she is likely to want, or has an idea, she could contact admissions tutors to ask aboput requirements - also find out whether it would affect her taking science A-levels at the sixth form / school she is likely to go to?

I'm amazed at the number of parents that believe the schools act in their own interests when putting students forward for double or triple science.

The teachers would rather maintain a borderline student's enthusiasm for science and have them do double, than turn them off science completely by being under the kind of pressure experienced doing triple. I would have thought parents would want that too. Especially where the DC loves science and wants to carry on studying it at college.

It beats me why anyone would push for 9 science exams at the end of Y11 instead of 3 in Y10 & 3 in Y11. Unless it's vital for the chosen career or the student needs stretching. The children of all the science teachers in DH's department have done double, even those who've been recommended for triple, because the teachers genuinely don't see a disadvantage in it.

It depends on the 6th Form of course, but round here solid B/A in Core and Additional will get you onto any of the science A levels, where the student can specialise and will hopefully still love the subject.

I do feel that in many cases it's just a kudos thing, ie. my DC is clever enough to do triple science. DH has 6 triple students whose parents overruled the school's recommendation to do double and they're all struggling to keep up. Yet, apparently the school had its own agenda when not recommending them for triple.

It's better to look at the end game. Surely a CV with A/A* in double science, followed by strong A level results is better than B in Biology, Chemistry and Physics? DH seems to think so anyway.

It would piss me off too.

My DSIS was never given the option of doing O levels rather than CSEs (so has the mixture of D/E equivalents) and despite many many secretarial qualifications and tears of experience, it still slightly annoys her she can't put on her CV a nice solid line of academic qualifications everyone values.

I guess it's incredibly hard, with all the focus on A/A* in the media, to impress on DCs how much better 5Cs 3-4 of them in academic subjects looks, than that A couple of Cs and a raft of DS and Es.

Tensions running very high with DD right now. We have never pushed her but did tell her we expected maximum effort for core science revision these two weeks but she isn't.

She's doing the Foundation paper and we would be very happy with a C. But she has seen that the course she wants to do doesn't ask for a C in science just Maths and English and has clearly decided she can't be arsed which is really pissing me and DH off.

WynkenBlynkenandNod

Watching with interest. DD (y10) current revising for Core science with first exam next Friday. Science is not her strong subject, though ok at Biology. Quite frankly I am decidedly stressed at the idea of to physics and chemistry papers being on 10 and 12 and am anticipating a difficult couple of weeks if she has any chance of getting C's.

DS is only year 5 but really enjoys science. I've got 2 years until we have to decide on an Upper School and what happens with Science will probably be a big part of this choice. With the new GCSE's coming in with the number grades, what is the plan for science ? Will they still be double or triple or something else.

The mostly are at DDs school, because they do it in two slots. There's no point in opting out, it doesn't let you do anything else.

I shall be very interested to see the triple grades, as they have been doing loads of extra sessions.

DD says she's glad she didn't do triple because of this and the three very long CAs they had to do (Dyslexia and CAs don't mix).

I'm guessing not having these is advantage of iGCSE.

I agree it's not the case that all those doing double science not triple are lower ability. My dd (yr9) is top set science and was strongly encouraged to do the triple, but if she did she'd have to drop one of Spanish (to me, languages are an essential, she needs at least one), History (so she'd have no humanities subject) or Art or Graphics (her two best subjects which she loves and excels in). So triple science is out, and she'll be top set for double science instead.

There must be many other dc who are able to do triple but not totally driven science-wards. Dd is not likely to want to study medicine, vet science or a hard science at university, from current interests, so she would only have been taking triple science as a badge of being permitted to choose it, not for any intrinsic value.

I don't think they do an Isa for the IGCSE either - these are harder to get good marks in than the written paper well my DDs found this

LaydeeC the IGCSEs are taken by many independent schools and quite a few state schools. It is said that the questions are phrased in an easier to understand English syntax (believable) which might make the core questions easier for some pupils. There are certainly some mumsnet posters here that believe independent schools such Westminster, St Pauls and KCS choose IGCSEs to improve their results because GCSEs might be a bit too hard for their pupils .

Sorry, that should be IGCSE obvs

Sorry, AF, don't mean to hijack your thread - just interested.

A couple of posters have stated that an IGCE is 'easier'. Why is this? Genuine question. And if easier, why do more schools not offer them?

You are right Ruddy about the content as they sit the same papers for units 1 & 2 and for Biology DD1 found the transition to A level fine but for Chemistry the paper she had missed from doing double covered formulas that she had to be taught to keep up with the rest of the class. I guess an unusual scenario as she was the only one who had taken double.

It does sound as though schools have different approaches as DD2 studies triple in same time as the double students so she will have one extra GCSE at the end and taking triple has not meant sacrificing another subject.

I don't think that doing double science rules out a science future, nor should it mean that the classes would have lower attainment students in. My friends dd did double science not triple, even though he knew he wanted to be a scientist, because she didn't want to drop some other subjects ( our local school timetables triple science as 3 option choices). She went on to do science A leveks and is now at Oxford Uni studying chemistry.

My ds1 didn't want to do triple science as he preferred history, geography etc. So he did double, but the school puts everyone in sets for double science so he was in tbe top set with other pupils who were working at a simikar level.

Ds2 has chosen to do triple science and as far as I can see, it doesn't involve more depth, just additional subjects to be covered.

However, if a child wants to do triple AND reaches the level required by the schol, then it's worth asking the school to think again.

AF, good luck with this and I think you are absolutely right to ask more questions.

I just asked DD2 if she would make a different decision if she could go back and she surprised me by saying no she is really glad she has taken triple science as she likes the idea of putting Biology, Chemistry and Physics separately on her CV rather than Core and Additional Science. Strange the things they think of but if that thought motivates her to get through last exams, then cant be a bad thing!