Triple Science-Not sure what to think....

[Sparklingbrook]

DS1 has asked to be considered for TS. His exam score was high enough for him to be considered.

He doesn't know what direction he is going in for A levels or further.

At parents Evening the Science teacher said that unless he is going to do science at A level there isn't much point doing TS and stressed to us how much work there will be.

Those chosen to be considered if they want to do it now have to produce a piece of work to be assessed. I really don't know.

Yes, I agree, DD found that once she had dropped the subjects which she didn't like, it was all a lot better.

It's so hard to know what to do though isn't it?

How would DS feel if he did the double science and then other children were reporting how good TS was? Would he (and you) then wish he had taken it?

It might be worth doing the assessed work while you continue to think - at least then you are keeping your options open.

In a way if you think he might give up science from 16 years (not do at A level) there is an argument for actually doing TS to GCSE at least.

To have a good general scientific knowledge for life in general and whatever career he does.

Sparkling, DD was never that enamoured with science in Y7/8 (and it still isn't her favourite) but got much keener in Y9. That may well be down to better teachers, but even so he might find a more demanding course more interesting.

We've got quite a problem re Double and Triple.

DS1 is apparently quite 'able' but he is yer typical 'close enough is good enough' Y9 aged 14. I readily admit I have assumed him to be 'clever enough'... but I also admit his marks this year haven't been stellar. He has no overriding 'aptitude' but isn't good at arts or tech, is 'okay' at English, leaving maths and science.

His young science teacher recommended Double for DS ('Top group, though, Mrs Erebus!')... which threw us a bit as we'd assumed Triple. So we went in to see the Head of Science who thinks DS1 will be OK to do Triple, but, and this is the huuuge 'but', the school only do fast paced Triple, ie 2 GCSE time's-worth. I am genuinely not sure DS can keep up that pace. But he wants to do Triple, as he thinks he'd like to 'go on' to do something in the science field later; he's been advised that the leap from Triple to A level is big enough without not having covered a 1/3 of the curriculum (as in Double); he's concerned that his relative lack of interest in Biology will bring a Double mark down whereas it won't affect single Physics or Chemistry.

Anyway, he has his Y9 science exam next week so we're waiting to see how he does in that then we may approach the school and suggest that actually, yes, Double would be better. Unfortunately for DS, he's just discovered the hard way that if you don't revise for a Maths exam (and dissemble to mum when she enquires re Doing Revision, and panic-revise the night before, and not know that the paper would be an old KS3 maths paper- I didn't know they existed ) then yes, you might score the same in that exam as you got at the end of Y8.... He was saying 'I only missed the next grade by 2 marks', but the thing is, sunshine, you're now at the end of Y9, your 'miss' is a good as a mile. Don't 'miss by 2 marks'!

So hopefully the lesson has sunk in and he is revising for science as he needs this exam to gauge his true ability for everyone's sake, his and the school in 'setting' him in the appropriate Double/Triple classes.

Erebus You raised an important point with regards to the grading of the double and the triple sciences. With the triple sciences, each subject is graded individually, whereas with the double science the grade you get, say an A is worth two grade As on your certificate and is an overall performance across the subjects. As I said up-thread we didn't get a choice, and I was unaware of the grading prior to year 10.

DD found the courses very different and much more interesting at GCSE, with much more application to real-life situations than at KS3 so you may find that his interest in Biology picks up.

In my experience with the fast-paced GCSEs, the children end up getting more homework which makes up for the shortfall in time in the lessons.

One thing that I'm about is why they have to take so many GCSEs!

DS is doing:

Maths
Eng Lang
Eng Lit
Spanish
Geography
Triple Science (poss)
Computer Science (note, not 'IT'!)
Electronics
Business and Communications (Y10)

That's 11!

I'd've thought 8 or 9 should suffice, getting good grades and going on to A levels.

8 isn't enough spread especially if you want to include 3 sciences (still hacked off my school only allowed 8 o-levels). Even 9 can mean dropping some subjects you like.

10 or 11 seems about right to me (for able kids) - my DD is going to be doing much the same as your DS (german instead of Spanish, drama not business studies) - apart from the german (they have to do an MFL) they are all subjects she really wants to do.

From the POV of university entrance, 8 or 9 good gcses is sufficient but education at this age should also be about getting a broad enough base.

Both mine did Triple, starting in Yr 10 and neither did a Science at A level (well, DS did AS chemistry then dropped it.) Both had 11 GCSE's at the end.

DD started with extra after school lessons, but they were soon dropped. DS's whole school do triple so it is timetabled accordingly and classed as a compulsory, but they can still choose 4 options.

I know, they have to do a lot of subjects at GCSE. The problem is that everyone does so many so if you are able and 'only' have 8 or 9, then there are plenty of other people with about 11. It is much harder to do 11 subjects rather than 8 or 9 purely from the point of view of time. DD found this particularly at the end of year 11 with one made rush to get controlled assessments done, as well as all the revision needed.

Most universities are only looking for 5+ at grade C+.

Monikar - should I be glad there'll be no 'mad rush' to finish controlled assessments at the end of our DC's Y11- as there'll be no controlled assessments any more!

Oh yes, be glad that there will be no controlled assessments for your DC, as they used up so much teaching time, and took so long to prepare.

Am I right in thinking that controlled assessments are being scrapped for the current year 7?

As far as I'm aware, they're scrapped now. That's what might disadvantage our current Y9s (and 10s?) in that they'll be marked, as in A-E, in the same way as DC 2 or more years older than themselves, but, a few years down the line, which employer or HE college for that matter, will differentiate between the DC whose mum did their modular GCSE at home for them (I exaggerate for dramatic effect) and which ones got their grade via linear, end-of-course exams? At least out Y7s and beyond will have different style grades, 8-1 to tell them apart!

Oh I see what you mean. That is a consideration, and yes it possibly could disadvantage those in current year 9/10.

On the plus side, if it is any consolation to you, my DD spent the majority of English lessons in year 10 preparing and then doing controlled assessments for English language, so very little time was spent on the books and poems for the literature and then that all had to be crammed into year 11. Plus the rush at the end for foreign language and drama controlled assessments.

I think whichever way it is done, it is very difficult for the students (and their parents!).

Erebus mums couldn't do them at home for them controlled assessments meant they were done at school - at least this is what happened with my DC

Erebus - my dd (Yr9) is doing some Science controlled assessments for her GCSEs this term.
She was cross as had to leave the day of 'Sports Leadership' she was doing with local Primary Schools, to go to her Science lesson. Whatever it was she had to do only took about 10mins, but the teacher wouldn't let her leave as it was a 'controlled Assessment'. We had a letter a little while ago, saying they couldn't miss any science lessons this term, because of controlled assessments.

Erebus your DS sounds a bit similar to mine.

he is currently doing Maths Homework and having a row with DH. he has had all weekend.
Plus he hasn't started the Science assessed piece of work yet and that's due Wednesday.

BackforGood, that's interesting - DD is doing TS in Y9 and AFAIK she has not done any controlled assessments Think it's AQA?

Mind you, what do I know?!

DD1 did triple. At the time she had no particular interest in doing Science A-levels. Now she has just finished her GCSEs and has chosen chemistry as one of her A-levels for September, something she would never have been thinking about two years ago. The teaching for triple in her school was particularly good and sparked a real interest for her that she hadn't had previously. Just something to consider.

Strange. dd is actually only going to end up with the double, as they use an option to do the 3rd one at her school, and she had too many other subjects she wanted to fit in. Sorry, not a clue which board she's doing though

Sorry, x-posted, I was answering Tilly

Moving, I had never considered doing A'level chemistry till I got an A at O'level. I hated my English teacher so I decided to not do English and do chemistry instead. Wrong plan for me!

Back, glad it's not just me!

BigTilly - she has always got the option of dropping it after AS if she hates it. But she has no idea what she wants to do after A-levels so having a science will keep her options open longer. Other subjects are English, History and German.