Question Core/Additional/Double/Triple Science - Confused Mum!

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We are about to apply for Secondary School place for dd1 and the schools in our area list their Science differently. Our Catchment school lists the Science they offer as:-

"Year 9 (KS3), Science: Double Award (KS4) and AS/A2 levels."

Other schools list their science classes as:-

"Additoinal Science and Triple Aware Science"

I think the Science offered to the higher ability group is Triple Award Science but is Double Award Science not as good? If dd1 wants to go onto study medicine (not that I'm saying she will but will it leave more options open to her) would it be better to study Triple Science. For Triple Science would you get three separate GCSEs, Physics, Biology and Chemistry?

Thanks

Triple gives you 3 GCSEs with separate marks for each subject, Double you gets 2 GCSEs with grades based on the two best papers of the 3. Generally if you want to continue with science sit is recommended but no obligatory to have Triple.

Double Award Science is 2 GCSEs: the Core Science papers (in AQA exam board one for Biology, one for Chemistry and one for Physics) are taken at the end of Y10 and this counts as 1 GCSE, the additional papers (one per subject as above) are taken at the end of Y11 and that's the second GCSE.
For some other exam boards there may be more than one paper per subject.
Triple Science is the equivalent of GCSEs in 3 separate Sciences i.e. Chemistry, Biology and Physics and all the exams are taken at the end of Y11. This would be at least 9 exams at the end of Y11.
Some schools may list the option as Triple Science, others may put GCSE Chemistry, Physics and Biology. However if you take separate Science GCSEs you have to take all 3 subjects at GCSE, you can't just take Biology and Chemistry, for example.
It is not essential to have Triple Science to take Science A levels as most of the work is repeated in the first AS unit and will be covered by the teachers again. However this may mean that pupils who have studied Triple award have an advantage when they start the course. I have however seen students who have taken Double Science GCSE obtain top grades at A level too.

Science GCSEs will change by the time your dd takes them. Schools may change their offer for the 2018 cohort, although double and triple routes will still be there.

The new Science GCSEs will probably have different numbers of papers, but the principle of double being 2GCSEs and Triple being 3 GCSE s in 3 separate sciences should still be the same.
Double you gets 2 GCSEs with grades based on the two best papers of the 3.
I don't think this is correct. All papers taken count towards the GCSE. They add up the marks for all the papers and then allocate grades depending on the total overall marks. (It may be a bit more complicated than that but hope that helps as an introduction).
Currently there is also "coursework" i.e. controlled assessment of practical work done under supervised conditions, but this may not be present in the new GCSEs.

The two and three GCSE thing will remain, but schools will look at the new specs and the new assessment, and may well change the proportion of students doing each. The Maths GCSE changes are very significant. I want to see some Science specimen papers!

Currently, all exams count towards final grade. Triple science students take more papers.

Thanks for all of the replies :) very helpful. We have to choose between daughter going to local catchment school with her friends from Primary School or attending School 3 miles away (I would drive dd1 to out of catchment school) and she would not be with friends from Primary. I head says send her to out of catchment school and she will make new friends but my heart says let her to go local catchment school with her friends! It's a BIG decision.

I wouldn't choose a school based on where Primary school friends are going. there's a LOT of changing round of friends in Yrs 7 and 8. Choose what you feel is the best school for her, looking at all the possible reasons.

Dd went to a different school to her friends and is very happy there. Don't use that to make your decision.