GCSE: two individual science subjects instead of combined science?!

If a student might be expected to be able to self-study for a GCSE like physics, I can’t see why one of the other science teachers couldn’t be expected to get themselves up to speed enough to teach the course - were talking GCSE, not A level!

I didn’t take physics at school (in actual fact, I only took biology and failed even that!), but my daughter was in this year’s GCSE cohort and had always struggled with physics, so I made it my mission to get to grips with it to be able to help her.
There are so many brilliant resources on the internet, I can’t see why a science teacher couldn’t teach themselves the course.

OP, I know your predicament and I sympathise completely, but I don’t think I’d be happy with the current proposals, given your DC’s strong ability and interest in the sciences and maths. If I remember correctly, you did a lot of soul searching before he entered the school, because of the limited subjects available at A level. This new situation feels like the thin end of the thin end of the wedge.

I would be seriously considering moving my child over this. She has just started her GCSE curriculum, doing triple science. She's strong at maths, and she finds physics comes more naturally to her than chemistry or biology.

OP, I'd like to refer you to a new thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4087490-A-Level-Maths-mechanics-help where a DC who for some reason didn't do Physics at GCSE is struggling with a more physics-y bit of A level maths.

I would really be examining your options here, it won't do any harm to look at different schools...

(Doing a GCSE out of school with no support from school will be hard. He'd have a full load from other subjects. Plus there is the issue of practicals.)

They said the decision was already made nearly a year ago but the fact that they haven't announced it yet may be because they knew it wouldn't be taken well by parents?

I think that's probably true. There is also very much an element of they want to encourage new parents to join the school without knowing that they don't offer physics (which would definitely put an awful lot of people off). Clearly they are hoping once children are in, their parents will be loathe to move them, for the reasons you are expressing yourself. Very cynical of the school.

Very poor decision by the school and it will affect recruitment and retention, you won’t be the only parent unhappy with this. Imagine you are coming from overseas with a vast array of schools to choose from - why would you pick one with a limited curriculum. The school is limiting the career paths of so many students.

I know it isn’t easy to find physics teachers, but it is possible to find science teachers and provide training (IOP offer loads) so they can teach physics up to GCSE level.

A very strange choice and I would be looking elsewhere it is too much of a compromise (especially as you say he is into maths and chemistry, it is far to young to rule out physics).

I think this is a strange approach. The school should simply take on a new physics teacher and continue to offer combined science.

Combined science is sufficient to study any of the three sciences at A level. My Dcs school only does combined science and it means one's child can study a broader range of GCSEs (than you would if did triple science) and still have the choice of any of the sciences at A level.

I went to a private school and only did a single science (chemistry) at O level and regret not having studied physics and biology.

I too would find it hard to countenance paying for an education but it not including a core science!

They said the removal of physics would not narrow the options since they would not offer physics for a level. So empathising on the subjects that they offer for a level at gcse would prepare pupils better for the next stage.. Can be paraphrased as ‘limiting your STEM courses even earlier will make it inevitable that you will have to renounce many STEM degrees options (even some chemistry ones) and remove a reason for leaving our sixth form’.
The leadership team should just be honest as to their teaching limitations. They should try to facilitate access and study time for an online GCSE course.

I would be disgusted if I was paying for an education and not getting one of the most important GCSE subjects, which is mandatory in state schools

Completely agree! And it's very poor not to offer Physics A Level, I've never heard of that at any school, state or private.

And it gives a very poor message to students that somehow Physics is less important than the other sciences.

Back in my day, you could choose to do one, two or three separate sciences. I did two - Chemistry and Physics. But I think the dual award GCSE they do now is much better as they study all 3 and how they relate to each other. Gives a much better understanding of science as a whole.

You COULD look into him doing it privately as has been suggested above. But why should you? You are already paying a fortune for his education.

A lot can happen to A Level choices between now and Year 12 OP. You don't want to limit his choices like you say.

I know you say he is happy at the school and doesn't want to move but ultimately he is there to be educated and if the school can't offer a broad curriculum at GCSE I would move him.

I wouldn't pay to go to a school where they don't deem it necessary to teach a core science. But I take your point that it's tricky when your DC is in Year 9. Really don't understand why they can't just employ a physics specialist (yes I know physics teachers are in short supply, but was it really impossible to find one)? Like you, I'd also wonder how easy it will make him moving to another school for sixth form (if that's what he wants to do), especially to study sciences, if he doesn't have any physics at GCSE Level.

My DS hated physics and ranted and raved against why he had to do it when he was in Year 9. He's now taking it for A Level and is thinking it is something he might want to continue. (sorry OP, not what you wanted to hear).

Sounds a very poor school to be doing this. 1 of my DDs did maths at uni and 1 did engineering - physics at GCSE was essential.

I would be disgusted if I was paying for an education and not getting one of the most important GCSE subjects, which is mandatory in state schools.

For someone good at maths, they really should not be ruling out physics at the age of 14. It would be an absolute travesty.

Could you negotiate lower school fees on the basis he will have go for physics privately?

I know you don’t want to move him and it’s a bad age to move schools.

However think about it, he will be in a very tiny proportion of people in the country who haven’t done physics GCSE (

As a parent with science and maths focused children I would be moving school.

I find it astonishing, scrub that, outrageous that a school can decide not to teach physics to secondary school children.

If he's bright and wants to do physics, I'd encourage him to study it outside of school and sit it as a private candidate. It would need to be an International GCSE because there is no practical sign off. Not doing physics for a child who likes maths is a huge mistake I think.

I would consider moving school over that. Combined/triple/physics is a prerequisite for physics a level which in turn is a prerequisite for many courses not just physics, my dd is studying engineering, which this country desperately needs I might add. No child at 14 should be made to decide not to be an engineer quite frankly, all kids capable should do combined or triple science

Interestingly, my 6th form daughter was just telling me about filling out a survey from her (also independent) school regarding science GCSE options. They have been offering separate sciences, with students allowed to either choose two or do all three. They appear to be considering whether offering combined science is a better option / might be preferred by students.

My daughter was able to take this opportunity to tell them what she realised towards the end of her GCSE year - that she could easily have taken physics GCSE early and would have loved to have done so and done something else in its place. When she was choosing GCSE options originally we encouraged her to consider dropping biology if she wanted as we felt we could easily substitute the learning at home. Admittedly she is bright, and it also appears her prep school science teacher extended them a fair way in physics (at a small and non-selective prep), but she told me after doing her GCSE exams that she wished she'd had the opportunity to take physics GCSE in year 8 when she didn't need to do CE ...

I agree that not offering physics at all sounds quite worrying. But if this change goes ahead and changing schools is not practical for some reason, then yes I think a bright student should be able to self-study the physics and I would aim to arrange that.

I didn't think this was even allowed. We looked at doing something similar once for our very lowest students who were struggling to get 1/2, but ruled it out very quickly

Whether this includes all three sciences is yet to be tested. Until it is challenged schools will push it.

Unless they are an independent school, in which case they can do what they want.

Or an academy. Or a free school.