Do kids have to be super clever to be able to do triple science at gcse

[Lardlizard]

Can, you choose to do this as an option or can the school say well you are not quite cut out for it

There is quite a lot more volume and depth of work for triple compared to duel award.
It tends to suit those who have an aptitude for Science.

I did it and got 3 C's. They were my lowest grades and I think I probably would have got B's if I had done the double award instead.

Dd who has to choose options next year wants to do a science degree

Schools are here make the decision for the child. DS1's school is a bit more flexible - will allow children to do combined, rather than triple if they want. DS2's school simply makes the decision for them.

Roughly top 3 groups out of 8 do triple.

Triple science is pretty tough. I think two higher grades in combined science is better than three lower grades for triple science. My daughter did not plan to take science subjects at A level and she switched to combined science after getting lower grades than predicted in her mocks, she got 5 5 7 for her triple science kicks, and then 9 9 for her combined science actual exams. I am sure she worked hard in between but the overall reduction in pressure and covering less material resulted in the amazing grades she eventually got

Mocks not kicks!

Would only doing combined rather than triple hamper her chances of getting in to do a science degree she wants to work at the met office when she’s older

You don't have to be super clever. Also, there are lots of very children who are more than capable of doing triple science but choose double science in order to do other subjects at GCSE.

My friends daughter always knew she wanted to do science at uni but opted for double science not triple at GCSE in order to fit history into her choices as she didnt want to drop that. She did science A levels and went to Oxford uni to study.

Round here, if you do science A levels the sixth forms work on the assumption that everyone has done double science not tiple so you're not disadvantaged by doing double.

One of my DC did double science, the other did triple. No difference in ability but on was more interested in other subjects.

Wow thanks really useful info
I’ll see what the school guide us towards then

At the where school I work, the students choose for themselves, and can drop down from 3 to 2 if they realise the workload is too much. Lots who do the combined course go on to do three sciences at A level, and then a science based degree.

Physics and chemistry are very maths based, so take into consideration how they find maths!

At DDs school combined science is seen (by the kids at least) as an easier option but I’m sure some of them do it to fit in with other subject choices or because they don’t have as much interest in science generally.

The main problem with triple as most schools is you don’t get a full extra subject’s worth of time allocated so you often end up going at a crazy pace to get everything done. Kids need to have a good baseline ability to keep up. The content has got a lot harder recently so it’s how very tough.

As everyone else has said, it won’t make a difference whether she’s done double or triple as to whether she’s allowed to do science a levels or not.

Good luck to her. Meteorology sounds like an interesting career (I have a friend who does that).

Should have said, universities aren’t bothered at all about whether you did double or triple science, only the grades you got and how you did in your a levels.

How's her maths? Chemistry and physics are very maths based so if she's not good at maths I'd recommend double.

Our school base it on their English sets. If you are in the higher sets you do the triple otherwise it's the combined.

But some schools won't let you do science a levels from double science

I am a science teacher and, unless your child is naturally gifted at science, I would take the advice of the school. Two 7s would have your dc accepted to do A level, with 3 6s they might be advised against it.
Additionally, the impact extra work for triple has on other subjects needs to be kept in mind.
This is exactly the advice I gave my dd and she is now doing Biology A level, having done really well in the double.

But some schools won't let you do science a levels from double science

I’ve never come across one. Never.

At one of my DC’s school - inner city comp - everyone did triple science unless you were in the bottom set.

Ask whether they do triple science in the same amount of lesson time allowed for double, or whether triple science gets extra timetable time.

If it gets extra timetable time it is down to whether she wants to choose them as 3 of her options. (Bearing in mind the maths proviso wrt physics).

one of my sons was told he could only do double science (he'd had 5 science teachers the previous year and hadnt done very well). Apparently they didnt have enough science teachers so it was only the really strong students they let do tripple. He went on to get 2A's and the other school he went to sixth form at let him do biology no problem at all.

have you looked into what the met office need? suggest you look into what A levels are needed for that. My son chose right A levels....but that was only because he changed due to dislike of another subject a couple of weeks into sixth form

Different schools have different approaches.

Some schools fit triple science into a double timetable slot and teach at a faster pace, so pupils don't need to use up one of their options on it. Other schools use an option slot, which means pupils choosing triple science use up a GCSE option on it.

Some schools make the decision themselves on which pupils can take triple science, usually based on assessment results. Other schools allow pupils above a certain science ability level to make the decision themselves.

If a sixth form accepts external applicants (from other schools) they shouldn't insist on separate science GCSEs as part of the entry requirements for science A-level courses, because not all schools offer this.

Going from combined science to science A-level(s) is feasible, but it would help to spend the summer after GCSEs self-teaching the additional topics, especially if the A-level class will mostly consist of pupils with the full separate science GCSE.

How times change! When I was at school in the 60’s everybody did nine subjects, including three sciences, at O level, to keep their options open for science A levels.

At my child’s school they only had the option of combined science or triple science. You could only choose triple science if you were strong at maths.