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Original poster

Triple science or 2 humanities?

34 replies

ithavebroke · 04/02/2021 22:16

Ds is about to choose his options. He excels at humanities (he's like an old historian trapped in a child's body...) and all three teachers were saying how good he'd be and how he would be sure to get grade 8 or 9. He is also excelling in English and he also loves drama and that teacher was similarly enthusiastic about his prospects. He's determined to take drama and history and is now torn between geography or triple science.

His science teachers have no concerns about him doing triple but it's not a subject he excels in so I don't think he'd get 8s or 9s. He enjoys science and finds it interesting and also wants to stay with his friends, who are all doing triple and who are all stronger in it than him. He's worried he won't enjoy it as much if he doesn't do triple as he'll be in a lower set, which in his school tends to mean behaviour issues, and the work may not be as interesting as it may not be taught to such a high level.

I think it's a trade off between enjoying the lessons and the experience but having lower grades or ending up with more of the top grades but not enjoying the experience of science as much (he'll have it every day either way). So will it matter about all his grades when it comes to A level/degree? He's interested in law and I don't want him to close any doors by poor choices at this age. Will lack of triple science be frowned upon even if it's not a science degree he wants?

OP posts:
Original poster
ithavebroke · 05/02/2021 07:37

Thank you for all the advice. I should have said he enjoys all the subjects under consideration, though geography is something he likes to read about (the human side anyway) whereas with the sciences if he doesn't cover it at school he's not likely to find out about it.

He is considering an Oxbridge application so that side is a worry. However, their website (Oxford) says the majority of candidates have GCSEs at 7-9, so should be okay with a 7, which I think is within his reach. We also live in an area where offers would be contextual.

His science target is an 8, but as we know that has been generated from English and Maths SATs I'm sure how helpful it is. His school uses the 1-9 system for all assessments from Y7 (not sure how they go about it exactly...) and in KS3 science he tended to get 6s and 7s. In Y9 they start the GCSE stuff and get the specialist teachers and since then he feels it is being much better taught. He's done one physics assessment so far and got a 9. I think they rush through it in years 7-8.

So hard that at 13 and having missed a lot of time in school over the last year (though their remote provision has been good) they have to make decisions that could affect their whole lives!

OP posts:
clary · 05/02/2021 00:05

Is he likely to do any science A levels do you think? If so, there is a bigger jump if you've done double, tho not an impossible one.

If he is unlikely/certainly not going to choose science post-16 (as I infer) then his main reason for doing triple seems to be that he fears a disruptive double set.

In a school where the most able do triple (eg my dcs') this might well be the case, but if it's an option I agree with a pp, aren't you simply going to be in a set of students who have chosen history or drama over triple? So not as such weaker or poorly behaved?

If he likes geography then do that. If he prefers science do that. Getting a 6/7 instead of an 8 is unlikely to affect his future unless he is looking at Oxford or Cambridge.

Hersetta427 · 04/02/2021 23:50

Our school triple science isn't a choice. Only top set are allowed to do triple and the rest do double. The ones who do double don't get to take another option instead.

CookieMumsters · 04/02/2021 23:19

Do science, unless he thinks he might want to do geography at a level. Go for what he enjoys.

mangothoughts · 04/02/2021 23:18

Of course it doesn't mean you can't do science at A-level but it does put you at a disadvantage especially if all the others in the class have done triple.

mangothoughts · 04/02/2021 23:16

At dc's school they recommend only doing double science if you have absolutely no intention of doing anything remotely science related at A-level or beyond. It seems to be that most don't want to close options at this age so vast majority do triple science and only the weaker kids end up doing double science.

NiceGerbil · 04/02/2021 23:08

My opinion is doing what you enjoy rather than being with your mates is the best approach.

NiceGerbil · 04/02/2021 23:07

I asked the question as about triple Vs double at parents evening.

Teacher said doing double was no issue if DC wanted to do science a levels.

If that helps.

lanthanum · 04/02/2021 23:05

Some schools don't even offer triple science, so I don't think it's going to be a problem not having it. You can do A-level sciences with just double science (although some schools expect triple), but it sounds like he's not heading that direction anyway.

Talk to the school about how he would sit in the double/triple sets. One of my daughter's friends is floundering in the triple set, because he's a bit weaker than most of the group. Not doing triple might mean not being in the top set, but it doesn't necessarily mean being in a low set either - the chances are he'd end up in a group with other people heading for 6/7 who are more into humanities or languages.