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!

You want her to use one of her options to study separate sciences rather than the combined award. I have lots of experience of this and it is a very bad idea. When students do separate sciences they spend absolutely masses of time in science lessons. A terrible idea if she isn't keen! Allow her to keep her options open by choosing a different option. She can still take science A-Levels so the STEM pathway is still available if she has a change of heart further down the line.

@Wisenotboring But it's not the combined award! OP clarifies in the thread that her daughter is at an independent school where the choice is continuing with all three sciences or cutting one of them out entirely. So she wouldn't be able to take, say, Biology A level if she only took Chemistry and Physics GCSE, whereas if she was doing the combined award that wouldn't be an issue.

I’m not a science teacher but I am a high school teacher, we offer the option to do standard double science, two full sciences (school picks the two, I’m not sure which we do) or triple science. They would only allow students predicted 7+ to do triple.

Why is it bad to cut one of the sciences out at 14? Is it equally bad to cut one of the MFLs out at 14? Or to cut out one of the humanities? Or one of the arts/design subjects?

Apologies. I got confused with name change. It's a really strange way of a school doing it but I would allow her to still drop one such as physics if maybe she is less keen or strong in maths. The reality is there are very few careers that would be closed to her without a GCSE in a particular science. What I would do is complain to the governors about such a bonkers and restrictive approach to the science offering at KS4.

It’s not bonkers or restrictive. When I was at school, doing two sciences was normal. Some only did one. Only the very keen did three. That meant choosing which precise sciences you wanted to do. You didn’t do all three to an easier level. We don’t do that with languages and everyone has to study French, German and Russian.

Yes, I realise that in the past this was a far more common option. I guess that it was changed due to the sorts of issues being discussed here. Y9 is still very young to be making these decisions. The advantage of the combined award is that it provides a way of keeping all three sciences open without using an extra option. The extra studied isn't a massive amount in each science so there is still plenty of worth in the combined option and it is a perfectly good preparation for A-Level if necessary. I guess the reason for combining sciences and not languages is the degree of overlap that exists.

Tha difference is that all 3 sciences are compulsory subjects at the vast majority of schools so it’s a potential disadvantage to be out of line with contemporaries. It’s fine to have dual award combined science but potentially limiting to drop one so early on.
in most schools triple science don’t get more lessons, they’re the more able scientists who cover extra material at a faster pace and study an extra gcse.

Science is a foundation and facilitating subject, the same as English and maths. All 3 are compulsory at most schools (and I think has been since combined science gcse was introduced). It’s not comparable to MFL

I did three sciences to O level. I had to pick two subjects from Art, History and Chemistry and I chose Art and Chemistry.

I never stopped regretting that I did Chemistry instead of History.

Let your daughter do what she chooses.

I knew science was compulsory but I didn’t realise it meant three sciences. I thought it meant you just had to take at least one science subject.

The national curriculum for key stage 4 states equal study of chemistry, biology and physics. OP’s daughter is at a private school so doesn’t have to follow national curriculum. However with most private schools also making all 3 core subjects you can see that OPs daughter would be in a very small minority who haven’t studied all 3.

Yabu. I too value stem subjects but the whole point of yr 9 options is that she begins to follow her own choices and playing to her strengths. Is she’s going to do an arts degree and become a lawyer / accountant / manager then why on earth bother with chemistry when she could be learning history?

@Feelallright Well it's not "perfectly normal" now to only do two sciences to GCSE is it? It's only at some private schools that that's even an option. And I don't think you should be able to drop all language study at 14 either.

The best rule is never ever insists on any choices for them, never say their choices will be a major error or close off anything. If you insist then they will almost definitely resent and underperformed, no doors are closed permanently with subject choices at school, if she suddenly finds a huge interest in Science then whatever you did at 16 can be added to or you can do foundations or BTECs, or whatever to get into higher education.
The absolute objective is to keep them interested and engaged and forcing subjects is the quickest way to stop this.
Just makes sure she is aware of the initial consequences of the choice, if any. Say no choice is so restrictive it can not be overcome if it is found not to be the best and leave her to make the choice herself.

I wanted to do history ó level and got forced into doing German as I was good at languages. Only exam I ever failed right through school, University and post grad study. I now lap up history on a self taught basis. It's rare to give your best to something you are forced to do.

My DD did combined science for GCSEs, not picked triple as if she did, she would have dropped geography. A levels she is doing Biology, chemistry and psychology so choosing double science in GCSE stage didn't disadvantage her in her A levels, she is thriving in these subjects

I did two science GCSEs and one science A Level. Have a physics degree from Oxford. YABVU.

But these threads always make me laugh because it literally never occurred to me to discuss my choices with my parents. They were my choices; what did it have to do with them?

Haven’t read the whole thread-sorry, but what is wrong with being an ‘Arts’ person, may I ask?
If that is what their interest is, why would you want to force them in a direction they don’t want to take? My eldest has a Masters in History and my (middle child ) daughter has a music degree and is now a secondary school Music teacher. These were their passion.
My youngest is the scientist and wanted to do Chemistry at Uni, but narrowly missed out on the grades to go to the university of his choice and ended up doing physics there instead….not his passion …and has now dropped out and rethinking .😏

I thought it was normal. I thought that’s what dual science for GCSE meant nowadays. I did two separate sciences at school, not three. Many of my friends did just one. Very few did three. I did three languages instead. My DC did three separate sciences, but I thought that was their choice.

If she has no real interest in STEM then please don't insist she does triple science. Combined science is plenty. Doing three difficult GCSEs that you're not interested in - just why? She'd be much better doing a humanities subject she loves.

It's her life why are you forcing her?

Double science is totally normal at most schools. It rules nothing out. It sounds like her interests are more in the humanities so for God’s sake let her follow them. STEM is not the be all and end all!

Plus her GCSE options should be her CHOICE. Not yours.