Single science/Double science/Triple science. Please explain!

[erebus]

Following on from an earlier thread, some assumptions I'm making, and some questions:

-Am I right in thinking one or other of the course is chosen and embarked upon at the start of Y9?

-Is it then followed thru to GCSE or can a DC swap up from single to double or double to triple during it?

Are all 3 'trad.' science subjects studied in all 3 cases but to a greater degree in the double and triple courses?

Can a DC be on the triple course, do badly but then get awarded a double or single instead? Or is it all or nothing?

Can a DC take a GCSE in either pure Chemistry, Physics or Biology any more?

Thanks.

• Depends on the school. Lots do some teaching in Y9, but all do in Y10 and 11

• Depends on the exam board but with AQA yes, as longas the school picks the right units to enter

• Yes, but to greater depth and more areas covered in double and triple

-Yes, most likely your DC will do unit 1s in Bio, Chem and Physics first and will then either be streamed on to double or triple depending on their performance

• Yes, candidates can take biol and/or chem etc, no need to do all three. Must have 2 to count towards e-bac.

HTH, happy to give more details if needed...

Well what it means in my dcs school is:

Triple science means separate science (bio, chem, physics) and you get GCSE's in sep sciences. You have to be in a high science set to do this.

Double science means the 3 disciplines in 2 GCSE's - so covered in slightly less depth. The majority of students do double or triple depending on ability AND interest (some v academic pupils doing double - if science isn't their thing and they prefer humanities and langs)

Single science is for those who are in bottom set - all 3 sciences but at basic level

You can't do, say, biology only, or physics and chemistry only, as you could 'in my day'. At every level it's all 3 to give broad overview.

This split triple/double/single only happens at GCSE, start Y10 but chosen in Y9. Up to that point all pupils follow same curriculum but in different ability sets.

Oh I had this last night! WTF? The teacher explained it kindly to me as if to small child but I was still confused as to what DS would be doing in the end.

Grunge you can just do biology, chemistry or physics', it's just that most schools won't let you now.

Ah I did wonder Abgirl. Here it's sort of 'all or nothing' and I wasn't sure it that was a general rule now or not

I'm sure schools vary in when they decide which GCSEs pupils should take but I think this is the way it works:

Triple Science:
Biology GCSE - module 1 + module 2 + module 3
Chemistry GCSE - ditto
Physics GCSE - ditto

Single Science = Integrated Science GCSE. You take module 1 from each science.

Double Science = Integrated Science GCSE, as above, + Additional Science GCSE, which means doing module 2 from each science.

Given that everybody does module 1 in each science, and most pupils take them at the end of year 10, there is scope for a bit of chopping and changing up to that point, I suppose.