Can someone please explain options to me?

[NotYourTypicalNerd]

I did not go to school in the UK so I have no idea what is what and am getting confused with various websites.

We have received a letter that DS will be doing the full ebacc plus triple science.

What does this mean in general terms? I thought the ebacc and triple science were not the same thing and not dependant on each other? Is this going to be too hard?

Also, we have received notification of his three year GCSE targets and current grades. If he is working one level below his target currently (yr 9), does that mean he will probably go higher then his predicted level? And why are they doing a three year GCSE? I thought it was two? I didnt even know they had started yet and was thinking they started in year 10?

Ebacc means he's doing Geography it History and a Language.

Triple science means three separate GCSEs (biology, chemistry, physics) rather than two combined for science (where they still do all three but with less content and the grades are averaged so you get 2 GCSEs at the average)

Most schools are doing science as a three year course now, I'm not sure about other subjects.

geography or* history

What the others said.
Your Ds has to do:
English language
English Literature
Maths
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
History or Geography
A foreign language
So that is 8.
Then he will be allowed to pick 1 or 2 or 3 more dependent on the school. This could be a second language, drama, PE, RE etc.

You need to come over to the Secondary board, various threads on choosing options there and we're very friendly.

Our school picks options in y9 for starting in y10 but started the science topics at the start of y9. Maths is ongoing anyway, as is English language in a lot of ways. Languages are ongoing too.

'Working at' is very dependent on the school what they really mean. You can't be working at a GCSE grade in History if you haven't learned about the topics yet, though of course you could be developing skills that might then relate to a grade.

Ok thank you. I did not know that science was done as a three year course now. I think the other one he is doing already is maths. Would this be true?
When you say it has less content, does that mean the three sciences will be harder? Is this too much with the ebacc as well?

Re the working at, they said target level x, currently at y. But they are only one apart, so I am not sure if that is another predicted level?

I am glad to see he can still pick drama. Can he drop PE completely? ANd he wants to do business studies. I cannot see that mentioned on your list?

Oh, hang on , I see what you mean. They have only listed a working at for the subject where they are already studying gcse content, so maths and science. Does that change things? The other subjects are still the usual scoring.

Most schools insist on core PE for everyone, which would be practical one afternoon a week.
Three science is only harder in the sense they have more content to learn.
Do triple science if able as it makes doing science at a level easier

Triple science is more content but they should get more lessons and come out with an extra GCSE.

Some schools do it as an option (so instead of something else they could choose), but where I am now are trying an 'accelerated' course where they so it instead of most of their PHSE lessons.

I'd expect a 2 grade improvement from y9 to y11 on average, but it depends on how the school do their grading and assessments really.

EBacc is a notional (pretend) thing. You don't get a certificate or anything.

He is obviously bright as otherwise they wouldn't be making him do 3 separate sciences. 3 sciences is 'harder' as there is more content but it is also 3 GCSEs rather than only 2. At our comp only 1/4 - 1/3 do the 3 science option.

The extra GCSEs that I wrote down as This could be a second language, drama, PE, RE etc. could be picking from a very long list including for example Business Studies, Food, Music, Computer Science, Media Studies, Art, Sociology …. It depends what they choose to offer.

He will likely have to do at least one PE lesson per week ('core' PE) but there won't be an exam in it. Some schools make pupils do RE as a one half GCSE (because RE is a mandatory to be studied according to law, but some schools get round this or choose not to do an exam).

I expect there is a meeting next term where it will all be explained, and your DS will have it explained to him also.