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Original poster

Martianbishop, teachers.....can I pick your brains please?

28 replies

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 15/03/2007 10:58

Do you know anything about Gateway Science?

We went to dd's parent's evening last night and were informed that her class have been put in for their Science SAT a year early (would have been good to have been given more than a few weeks notice but there you go).

The 'plan' is for them to do Gateway(?) science in yr9, an Additional in yr10 and then possibly an AS in year 11. Does this sound feasible to you, too much to manage or even complete b*!!cks?

OP posts:
Blandmum · 15/03/2007 16:43

we don't do OCR until AS level. We do Edexcel 360 for GCSE and OCR for AS/A2

Original poster
Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 15/03/2007 16:41

It's my view too MB. They are also doing GCSE French in yr9.

I'm concerned for dd in that although she is capable, she has a lot of time off for ill health and that's not going to improve. Also although she's in the top stream for the core subjects, Science and Maths aren't really her thing, she's more English and Art orientated. I'm worried that she's been set up to fail. She would be unlkely to choose to do AS in a Science.

Aside from my personal reasons for dd alone, I do wonder how doing AS in year 11 sets the child up for college. We don't have a sixth form so presumably anyone wanting to go on and do the full A-level will face doing the second year with older students and there'll be timetabling problems then for the colleges.

  • not sure that this has been thought through properly.

I've been looking at the OCR website - are they the only ones doing Gateway?

OP posts:
Blandmum · 15/03/2007 15:33

I do know of schools who do this. The place I work doesn't.

I have some reservations in simply accelerating kids through qualifications. I feel that there is more to education than this.....or at least there should be.

I would rather very able kids get a greater breadth of education and experience, rather than simply doing stuff early.

I also feel that many children will lack the emotional maturity and life skills to cope with Sixth form lessons (which tend to be more relaxed and driven by independent learning) when they are younger.

Just my view , you understand