First Science GCSE module in yr9 - is this notmal

[circular]

DD1 came home early this week with her first "real GCSE timetable containing the following 60 minute exam in May :
Science B Unit 1 (B1,C1,P1) High (B621/02)

Is this usual for yr9?

She is still quite shell shocked, only having expected some ICT project work this year.
Unfortunately it has come at a time when she is very stressed about options. Choices due in next week, and this has made her question whether she wants to do triple science. Saying she is too young to take GCSEs at 13.

[Kez100]

I think we will see more of this. Triple scientists generally lose an
Option choice so if they start earlier then there would be less need to do that. It would give a whole group of able children more choices at options and the best chance of banking an ebacc.

[alwaysdancing]

That's the code for OCR Gateway science - B621 is B1, C1, P1 (check the OCR website), specification B (written answers rather than multiple choice) and the 02 means it's the higher level paper. It is the code for the "old" specification though - our year 9s will be covering the new spec - as far as I know, the final exams for the old one will be in June 2012 with possible re-sit opportunities in 2013. So they'd have to take all of their exams by the end of year 10!

Also, for someone to take triple science, they need to do a slightly different combination of exams:

B1, C1, P1 exam plus B2, C2, P2 exam plus coursework = science GCSE
Unit 3s and 4s plus coursework = additional science

But

Biology GCSE (for example) needs one exam for B1,2,3 and another for 4,5,6 plus coursework.

The school is doing something weird - I'm intrigued!

[Donki]

Circular
The exam number 621/02 is OCR Gateway B Science on modules B1,P1, C1 for the CURRENT spec.
Not the new Spec (starting Sept 2011)

[Donki]

Oops
I should have read AlwaysDancing's post first.

[circular]

I'm totally baffled now. I dud get to talk to " exams" at the school - this is the firstt year they have done this for yr9. They confirmed it IS OCR and most of the yr9s are taking it in May.
It appears triple science just di extra modules in yr11.
Although they will have 2 extra hours per week from yr10 and lose an option.

When I asked about the exam spec. Changing I was told nothing had been decided yet.

So from what some are saying here, this sounds luke the first module in core science?
If they complete core under the old spec, is it then possible to do additional or triple under the new spec?

[amerryscot]

These are million dollar questions, circular.

From my understanding of the new specs is that you have to do 50% of the award in June of y11. It seriously doesn't make any sense to be doing old modules now.

We will be doing our first modules in November of year 10 - a year after starting the course. I haven't wrapped my head around the extension modules or final assessment, but we are basically taking a year to teach each set, ie core in Year 9, additional in Year 10, extension in Year 11.

This way, triple science does not use up a precious option.

[circular]

I have just checked the OCR website and could not see anything about when the modules for the old scheme have to be completed by.

However, looking at this www.ocr.org.uk/download/kd/ocr_10625_kd_l_gcse_summary.pdf from the old scheme, it seems that for Physics, Chemistry and Biology, the units done in the Core module (B1, C1, PI) need to be repeated anyway. So in effect, the core becomes obsolete when taking triple.

Not sure how this will affect those aiming to do core + additional though.

[muffinmonster]

My DD's school are getting round the change in spec like this (for triple science (AQA):
Y9: sit B1 and C1 (current spec)
Y10: Sit B2 and B3, C2 and C3 (current spec)
Y11: Sit P1, P2 and P3 (new spec).

They will decide at the end of Y9 who is going to be able to sit triple science. Those who do will just have to cover the ground in the same timetable, but at least they will have two modules in the bag. As others have pointed out, this means they don't have to forfeit an option.

[circular]

It certainly seems DD is getting the worst of both worlds here - starting earlier AND losing an option choice.