To insist on science GCSEs

[Hippolyte]

DD is yr 9. She's a bright all rounder on paper but no real interest in STEM. She is keen to ditch a science for GCSE so that she can carry on with more of the humanities subjects that she enjoys. This would leave her with 2 sciences (which ones to be decided) and an extra humanity that she will probably get a higher grade for. I think she should do the 3 just because I don't want her to rule things out too early but aibu? Will this impact on university entrance at all ? She's obviously thinking arts rather than science degree at the moment. Thank you all!

I never understand why people bother name changing if they won't make the effort to stick to it

Sorry yes accidentally. Didn't mean to confuse!!

Recommended? Depends on your school! Well performing for the catchment but far from outstanding state comprehensive for my two. 300 kids in a year. The 30 top scoring at Maths/Science/English combined in the early Y9 exams are offered Triple Science, as they only run one class.

Several of the schools I know don’t offer Triple at all.

I HATED science and still do. I got top grades at other subjects. In my school (long time ago) I deliberately got zero in my 3rd year (year 9) physics and chemistry exam so I could drop it. I suffered through biology. Not having studied science at that level didn’t hold me back and I ended up with a 2:1 BSc ironically in Psychology at Uni. I would let her scale back and focus more on what she is good at.

I'm leaning that way tbh. No not 3 or combined dual award. 3 separate or 2 separate.

At my daughter’s school the 3 sciences are offered separately. The double science that I did at GCSE is not available, so I understand your question, OP. (A lot of PPs seem fixated on dual science which is clearly not what you’re talking about).

Personally, I would let her drop the science she’s least keen on. If she’s not into STEM by year 9, that’s unlikely to change. Let her focus on getting good grades in subjects she enjoys and is good at. If she develops a sudden passion for the science she drops, there’s always the option of a GCSE at a community college or possibly even online.

Why? I only did one. I did four languages if you include Latin.

Thank you! Hallelujah !! I think I'm coming around to that way of thinking

well that is unusual, but I’d still let her do humanities, I am biased, as a humanities teacher, but ability to structure an argument, think critically, analyse sources, write factual essays are all really useful, particularly if she’s looking at hums/social sciences post-16.

Most schools decide if a student does double or triple, not the parent. I don’t think you should force her to do triple if you really can choose separate ones, it’s her future and whilst you should be supportive and advising, if she hates eg physics, why make her take it?

That would have put me off choosing the school in the first place!

I said that only 30 of 300 get offered Triple at my kids’ school. One of mine was offered (in the combined test she was #4, the teacher told me) but she wanted to do Art & DT Graphics. I’m really glad that Double Science meant she was still able to study all 3 sciences for another 2 years.

Drop physics - keep chemistry and biology. I'd say it would keep enough doors open if she changes her mind. She could still do physics and chemistry A level and go into a science degree.

You don’t even need triple science GCSE in order to study medicine at Oxford so it’s clearly not “essential” for anything. There’s literally nothing you can do with it that you can’t do without it.

I think 2 is fine, I mean I did physics and chemistry and would have hated my parents telling me to do 3! But several friends did - whose parents wanted them to be doctors etc. didn’t end well. And even if you do medicine (which is not what you’re hoping for I know) you can get in with 2 sconces and maths.

How exactly are you going to 'insist'?
Let her do the subjects she enjoys. You've had your time. Why do parents do this to their kids? Advise by all means, but insist? Really?

Let her study what she wants. She won't be shutting down options by not taking triple science, and if she's not into it now, she's never likely to be, you'll just have to accept that.

The OP is not wrong, for everyone trying to tell her she is. At my DD school they do a minimum of two of physics, chemistry and biology. DD is doing all three as she wants a career in a science or medical profession but plenty of her friends have dropped one.

You are right though OP she should do all three so as not to rule anything out, she is only 13/14 way too soon to make life altering choices!

Not a bad idea

Nothing is compulsory. Doing GCSEs isn't compulsory. Your school might have made it "compulsory" for their students.

OP it's unlikely to hold her back unless she wants to do science and even then that's not a given.

@AFS1 “A lot of PPs seem fixated on dual science which is clearly not what you’re talking about”

That’s not quite fair! OP herself said that her school is unusual, so it’s no surprise that posters think it’s dual science from the first post… and then when OP does clarify, she does it under a name change, so it doesn’t stand out!

I only did one science at GCSE (biology) and have never had an issue. Reading your post it sounds like she has to do 2 sciences? 2 should be fine unless she wants to do something specifically sciencey? (Even then, I have a BSC and didn't do a science subject at A level 🤣)

Thank you makes sense. If your DD is looking at medicine that's probably the route

Let her do combined science (2gcses).

I did double combined at GCSE. Then three science a levels, a science degree, an MSc and then a career in science!

Double is fine.

Completely fine to drop a science, and quite normal. This is not a combined or dual award. They are completely separate subjects. I did physics and biology. I didn’t do chemistry at all.

My son didn't do triple sciences. The science teacher pointed out that involved 16 hours of teaching a week and he just couldn't face it. He did double instead, got 8-8 and was able to fill the slot with Latin.
He is now doing languages at uni and it has been very useful!
Triple science is a big undertaking and if she doesn't like science...