So cross WWYD?

[bijou3]

DS has just been told by the school that he can?t do triple science despite coming top in all the midyear exams for all the sciences. He is taking geography and history and the school used this as a reason why they think the double will be better for him, I don?t think this is a valid reason. DS has always scored highly in all exams and is a very able child I don?t think that by doing an extra science would affect his grades for other subjects.
If he was in a state school he would most certainly be doing the triple so why as a fee paying parent don?t I have the option WWYD?

Where's it been proven? The only way I can think that the double wouldn't be enough is if the student changes schools for 6th form and the new school expects everyone to have done the triple. But then surely the teachers aren't covering the whole course in that case?

You're going to make me look aren't you? :) Drat! I read stuff in newspapers and education mags and then totally forget where...

LeaCoakley you hit the nail on the head. He wants to move for 6th form so it?s vitally important that he is able to do the triple for that reason and because he loves science. Obviously I can?t say this to the school but I can see them digging their heals in on this one as another parent has been told that their child can?t do it. My meetings not until next week

Ha Ha. This is Mumsnet you know. We don't believe anything unless you have the links for 5 original sources to back up your statement

Any independent school that only does dual science is pretty shawdy.

I agree with you Colleger. Whould you be looking for another school for year 10 if you were in my situation?

It's not common in my experience for a school to insist on single sciences for A level. Additional Science is designed for progression to A level. There is a grade requirement though.

Does the school he wants to go to insist on single sciences for A level courses?

Does the school not run it at all, or are they just directing him to Core and Additional?

Only the top 10% can do the triple in my DS current school. The school he wants to go to is more academic and will not accept him without triple science. It?s so annoying because they are scuppering DS chances of a good school at 6th form and a place at a good Uni.

To be fair to the current school though, they can't provide everything that other institutions may insist upon, as long as the double is enough to get a place on their own science courses.

This is where private schools sometimes fall down.

Could you look around at state schools with more flexibility?

Ds2 was at an excellent state school where the assumption was that everyone would have the chance to do triple science if they wanted. It was considered necessary for a science degree.

If he is coming top in exams, is he not in the top 10%?

We only allow a certain number of students to do triple. Basically, it has to be a multiple of a class size (30 ish).

Is this other school really his only chance of a good university? - sorry - side issue!!

How times have changed. They begged people to do triple science at our school.

I would ask if it was possible to do one of his subjects as a twilight course. ds1's school offer some subjects each year purely on a twilight basis as the timetable can't always give everyone their choices.

Would there be other parents whose dc are in the same position who would support you? Parents have a lot more clout in a private school so I would ask around, the more people you have on board, the more likely you are to get what you want.

I suspect that this is a timetabling issue as the school does offer triple but can't do so to the OP's son. Presumably due to his other choices.

But wouldn't triple science be considered "core" in most schools that do it? Certainly in any academic-y sort of school?

If he's top 10% he should be able to manage a science GSCE as a twilight subject- chooses biology, it's the easiest. But i do question the "scuppering his chances of a good 6th form and university"

At DD's school if you do it (only top set allowed) it's not an option as such. You do it as the others would do double, so yes, just core. I suppose you end up with an extra GCSE.

But at our local uber selective day school, turning triple involves using up one of your options. Only double is core IYSWIM.

Differnet schools have different methods I guess.

If it's a timetabling issue, it's one that needs to be looked at again, as I would think it fairly likely that a child who's going for a clutch of academic GCSEs would be quite likely to want to do History and Geography and all three sciences!

I would most certainly speak to them - there's no reason why two humanities subjects means you should not do all three sciences, and they are being silly.

our (state) school offers triple science as an option, but the top sets are doing triple in the timetabled space of double, they just have to work harder. Although they have already started Physics GCSE now towards the end of Y9 (they slotted in Astronomy GCSE in Y9, so now thats' finished they have time ot get ahead with Physics).

Interesting-(but completely irrelevant to the OP!) I thought that 3 sciences would be core at any "academic" school. I'm old fashioned enough to be horrified that it isn't. Even though people keep telling me that double is fine and they don't need triple for science A levels!

I think it's a real shame that soulless orthodoxy now holds triple science as the beacon of 'being academic'. I could have done all 3 sciences for O level - I was the top of the top set in all of them. But I wanted to do other subjects - History, Music and Latin. So I just did Physics (which was relevant for going on to do a maths degree, although at the time I took my options for O level that wasn't actually my plan). I don't think I'm any less academic because I only have one science O level.

I kind of agree, metabilis but since in the system we have, doing one just isn't an option, the triple/dual thing does become important.

Dd's school have an odd thing with 'half years', so that there are three parallel sets 1, 2 and 3, rather than six from top to bottom. As far as I know, both top sets (so really I suppose, sets one and two) do three separate sciences.

I suppose I think science is so important, and for many kids GCSE is the last ime they'll ever do any, so the more the better. And I am conscious from talking to dd's friends that, particularly for girls, science is considered "difficult" so I am a bit concerned that they are given an "out".

I was suprised too Seeker when my friend told me her uber academic daughter was doing double. We're talking the brightest girl in her year, at one of the most selective day schools around. Top mathmetician in the school also.

But she says she doesn't particularly love science and certainly doesn't want to do any at A levels so she was contentto do double (and rack up A*s, I'm sure) and do a glut of languages / music etc.

I'm just preety sure if it hadn't been an option she would have done the triple standing on her head.

As it is at DD's school, she won't be given the choice. It's triple for her and not part of her options. Actually I'm sure if she or I felt strongly she could reduce to double. And sometimes I do worry because her maths are...ahem...not strong.

It came in when I was doing options, or thereabouts, I think, and we all wanted to do triple so that even if we arsed up Chemistry and Physics (as most did) at least we'd not bring down the Biology grade! Which I imagine was not what the policy makers had in mind...