Retaking science GCSE as an adult

[laza222]

I just tried posting this but seem to have lost it so sorry if I have posted twice.

I did my GCSEs about ten years ago. I got double D for science and would like to retake it as an adult. There are two reasons I want to retake it, 1/ I have always been disapointed by my grade, 2/ I have always thought i would like to go into primary teaching one day. Since GCSEs I have done A Levels, an academic degree (philosophy and politics) and have a career, but feel that its a shame that my lack of science GCSE would hold me back in being a teacher (strangely I work in an environment where I write on behalf of some engineering companies and the pieces are quite technical and scientific at times!!!) I would like to redo this but am basically unaware how. Could I study at home myself? How do I get around the fact that course work for science generally needs a lab? Would I need to double award science or could I do a single award science subject? All help will be appreciated greatly. Much thanks...

I would try first of all asking at your local sixth form college, as they often support 6th form students who are doing science re-sits and may have a more flexible approach.

I don't know of any courses that you can take as a private candidate (that doesn't mean there aren't any). Part of the course assesses your practical skills, and there is ongoing teacher-marked assessments.

I think you should be able to do a Science GCSE within your local Adult Education provision.

There is no such thing as single and double award now. All awards are single awards - Science in Y10, Additional Science in Y11, or Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

I lie

Have a google on GCSE Science "private candidate" - there are a few links that look promising.

Thank you for your help everyone.

I did try enquiring at a local 6th form college but they weren't much help.

I have googled private candidate now and found a few links. Gosh, times have changed since I was at school. It doesn't feel that long ago at all!!!

Scienceteacher: I'm a bit confused about what I would need to do if I wanted to get a science qualification which would allow me to teach. Am I right to think that if I were to go down the route of physics, chemistry and biology, then I would need to do all three? Or would I just need to one/two of them. Also is science in y10 worth 1/2 the full GCSE or does this count as one and then the additional science another?

I'm going to go and Google PGSE courses and see what they request...although if the set up of the science qualification has recently changed then they may not have the information available yet.

Probably when you were at school, Science was a dual award GCSE - you got two identical grades for it.

It is still intended to be worth two GCSEs, but they are separate from each other. The course they take in Y10 is called Science, and it is a full GCSE. The Y11 course - Additional Science - is also a full GCSE. Both of these courses carry equal amounts of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

You do not have to do separate courses in each Science subject for ITT. The combined courses are fine. I don't know if you can just pick one discipline for the sake of ITT - you'd have to check with the training provider. I am older, and did just Physics and Chemistry at school, and didn't have any trouble getting onto a PGCE course (which was post-NC), but it wouldn't surprise me if things have changed now. There is a lot of competition for places nowadays, and you would benefit from having exposure to all three subjects.

According to The TDA, a single GCSE in any science subject is the minimum requirement.

Universities may have higher requirements though, according to supply and demand of places.

For your own teaching, I would say it is much better to have a broad qualification covering Biology, Chemistry and Physics, rather than a narrower one covering just one subject in more depth.

Thanks Scienceteacher. You have been really helpful. I am going to look into it a bit more and seriously consider it.

OP, like you, I have an academic background already and hold a Level 5 & Level 7 qualification but still needed that elusive GCSE for my PGCE pathway.

I bought a distance learning Maths GCSE pack from ICS and I know they do Science as well. This is only useful if you feel able to tackle the subject on yor own. I didn't! Got a refund within the cooling off period, what I then did was enroll on an Access to Teaching course which had Maths & Science GCSE as part of the qualification. This was great for me as it worked out quite cheap for what you got and the qualification itself is looked on favourably by HE bodies and you also get to do a placement at a school.

Hoping someone here can help, as I am a bit confused about equivalents (and the info on the web does not help!)
I am an Australian. For my junior certificate (end of year 10) I took science. Is that the equivalent of a GCSE in Science? I too am looking at the PGCE (I have a Bachelors and a Masters Degree) but I only have maths and english at Senior (year 12, last year of highschool) level.