Triple Science

My daughter did double science and will this year do A levels including chemistry and biology. She didn't regret not doing triple science.

But the double science curriculum does vary board to board.

So that's 7 hours for triple, 4.5 hours for double.

why didn't they call a meeting with all the parents to discuss options instead of just cutting it out!

what options do you think the school had available to discuss! Presumably if any of the cohort wee on track, those individuals would be carrying on.

Its quite standard to start on triple, and drop down if not keeping up. In our school we have just rejigged the time timetable and over half the pupils originally given the option to take triple have been dropped back to double, because they haven't kept up.

They had the opportunity, and they didn't make it.

Double science doesn't restrict your choices in any way. And it is much easier to get higher grades in. So he is MORE likely to get into a science career this way.

To give you a time tabling comparison my daughter has 4 X 90 minute lessons & 1 X 60 minute lesson per week for triple science.

The double students have 3 X 90 minute lessons per week.

"There is never a need to have triple science, even if taking chemistry, biology and physics at A Level."

I'm not so sure. Under the old spec doing unit 3 really helped bridge the gap between GCSE and A level. DD is doing A levels in chemistry and biology and has found her GCSE unit 3 chemistry and biology knowledge invaluable. One of her class mates is struggling at A level because she only took double science.

At DD's school they drop an option to take triple science so that they can devote enough time to learn the syllabus. This seems very sensible to me. The triple science students end up with 10 GCSEs as do the double science students.

What does he want to do career wise? Does he need to take all three sciences? DS is taking separate physics and chemistry and has dropped biology. Is this an option if your DS doesn't need to take all 3?

What job does he want to do?

Can he do all three at A level?

our school invited selected students to do triple, and added a compulsory after-school double session. There are about 30 now doing triple, out of 300+ in the year. I suspect that there may be additional after school sessions in Y11, as it gets nearer to exams. Content is more and harder than for my older DC who both did triple (one managed top marks despite spending Y9 doing a completely separate GCSE, though that did cause some issues at A level when they teacher would say "but come on, you should know this, you did it in Y9, oh of course, you lot didn't do Y9 did you?").

However, I'd be happier with two good grades in double, than three less good ones at triple, and will be monitoring DD3s science grades carefully.

At both of my children's schools (one grammar, one non not) triple science takes up an entire option block so you have to drop anothe of ruin to take it.

The problem with starting it in year 9 (My daughter is in year 10 & also started GCSE work in year 9) is that the new syllabus wasn't available in time & the textbooks were not published.

My daughter's class from Jan-June last year managed with one proof copy sample textbook between the whole year.

I agree with others who have said its better to get good grades in double than poor g aides in triple. I checked with my son's school where most opt for triple & was told that no student (existing or new) would be prevented from taking science A levels as long as they had at least Grade B equivalent in double science (they are currently deciding whether that will be Grade 6 or 7).

DD is Year 10 is doing triple science on 6 1 hour lessons a week. It is very fast pace and whilst she is doing fine, it is not without some stress. If there was any concern about their ability to cover the syllabus, I would much rather her drop to double science and get 2 good grades. There is never a need to have triple science, even if taking chemistry, biology and physics at A Level. There is a slight gap to bridge but one that could be easily bridged over the summer holidays or at the start of the A Level course. If my school announced that they were dropping to double science, I would not have a problem with this having direct experience of A Level Sciences from Double Science,

It's rather silly if schools can't fit in triple science. Presumably they were made harder in order to match up closer with a level science. So by dropping back down to double science they are once again making that jump too big.

chery, if you can't persuade the school to at least offer triple science to those willing to do twilight lessons, or to allow them to drop an option in order to keep going with the science, then maybe one idea would be for you to look at getting a tutor if you can afford it and at least letting your ds study the triple science content even if he doesn't take an exam in it.
I would be very cross though.

DD1 is doing triple science in 5 hours a week, but they only let top set students attempt it. The school says it will be challenging, but there has been no indication that they are behind.

I'd be cross too. It's not just a case of how it affects access to A Levels etc, for my ds who is good at Maths & Science but not English & languages, it would impact on how many good GCSE grades he gets.

It is true that there aren't enough hours to do triple science with the new specification. But it does sound like bad planning if they are so far behind despite starting in y9.

Have you spoken to the 6th form college to ask how this impacts on A levels? There is a difference between needing 3 separate sciences and wanting them.