GCSE Double award science - how do marks work?

[Kez100]

My son is in set 2 double award science. (Set 1 do triple) and in Year 10. They were offered books at the start of term to help as the course progresses in revision and he was sold the higher tier.

They have, this week, had some tests - just on the chemistry work they have recently covered this half term. In Higher Tier he scored 9/14. On foundation tier 10/14. This is with limited revision as he was asked to revise last Friday over the weekend but we were away at a wedding. However he did do some.

Now, apparantly, he says that he has been put in for foundation in January 2011 module because of his target GCSE grade. (We haven't been given this and he doesn't know either)

I can obviously pop in and see the teachers and that is probably best as I am quite confused. I don't actually mind what paper he sits of its the right one but it all seems against the grain of what we had expected. In the meantime, any ideas what is going on? Is he now stuck with foundation all the way through based on a target grade?

Foundation tier means that the highest grade you can get is a C whereas for Higher tier you can get grades A*-C. Sounds as if the school have his target grade as a C but the marks suggest to me as if he may be capable of more than that. Also seems a bit unfair that this is just for Chemistry - what are his marks like in Biology and Physics ?
How many sets are there altogether ? If there are more than 3 sets would expect most of set 2 to be on higher tier.
You do need to check with the school as your son could be stuck doing foundation tier which would limit the grades he will end up with. Really don't like taking GCSE exams in Y10 - think this is too early !

There are 5 sets. Top set is triple science and then 4 sets of double award. I was also surprised his set would sit foundation - moreso having been sold the higher books!

Year 10 is a set of modules in January not a whole GCSE.

The reason just Chemistry is because that is all he has studied so far this half term in add.science. I assume the Biology and Physics will come next half term (or maybe they have just started) ready for the January module?

In core science he has done other study - not sure what, but has had no obvious test for that. Well, it hasn't come up as revision in his planner as I'd know if it had - also he works hard so would never have been given revision and not done it.

I think the reason he did as well on recent higher questions was because that was the higher book we had bought from school and which he used to revise while away last weekend. We don't have a foundation book so, perhaps, more came from general memory and hence the relatively equal marks in the two different level tests.

Going to have to pop in and ask I think.

This is what I just don't understand - how he can do foundation when in a 'higher' set - maybe he'll be moved? But then he said the max anone got the other day was 10/14 on Higher 14 questions so he seems to be in the right set based on that plus he hasn't struggled with homeworks.

Surely, if sitting a foundation paper you need to really work on the basics and the garde D and C questions, not be in a set doing some B...A....A* work which will be useless to you, however good you are at it.

Bit more information from his books which we have looked at together and past test results which we have at home.

KS2 - 4c science

KS3 - They sat a level 3-6 paper. My son scored the exact mark to just get a level 6 but because it was so marginal he was allocated level 5A for end of KS3.

KS4 Add science Chem questions 9/14 on higher q and 10/14 on foundation as explained above.

However, target grade is not C it is per a sheet stapled in his planner a Grade D. Som says e has been told diue to target grade he will sit foundation irrespective of the recet chem results and irrespective of his set!

Does the above fit in with a Grade D to those in the know? I am going in to see them but cannot get an appointment until after half term and apparantly the January exam entries were done this week.