HELP - 6th form college application problem

[juuule]

Dd opted for GCSE single science and business studies. The reason being for breadth of subjects. No one at the school drew any attention to the fact that if she didn't do the double science she would not be able to do an A'level science subject at college. Dd wants to do biology and chemistry at A'level. Because the science courses at school are modular there is no way to convert to the double science exam. She doesn't want to waste a year sitting double science at college.
Any suggestions anyone of how we can save this situation.

Sorry, do you mean she is only doing one subject out of biology, chemistry and physics?

No - its GCSE combined science single award.

I'm going through sixth form application for DS at present - so I know how you feel. A science teacher may be able to give you the definitive answer, but I don't think that a sixth form college would be prepared to allow a student to study biology or chemistry AS/A Level with only single science GCSE. It is widely thought that double science is not adequate preparation for the jump in level between GCSE and AS/A - the best option is to do the three sciences separately.

A real problem. Your dd was spectacularly badly advised. In fact, single award Science wasn't an option available to A level standard children in any of the schools I've worked in. I wouldn't be happy about accepting a child with single award onto an A level Biology course, and IME CHemistry and Physics departments are often even more stringent than Biology.

Will she get a really good grade? Can you speak to the HoD in the Sixth Form college? Could she do a double award privately, and be tutored to catch up? Coursework would be a problem of course....

What do her current teachers say?

She is predicted an A grade. I wondered whether it would be too late for her to start the double award at this point in time and be ready for the exam in June. The college requirement is min C grade double award. At present the school have not been very helpful.

It is very short notice now to catch up. The exams are more like May really. What a nightmare. I'm not being much help really. I would think it would be possible to do it, catch up I mean, but I can't see how she could do it without having her other subjects suffer. Has she only just got interested in Science?

Thanks Becky. I really appreciate opinions on this. Especially from someone who knows. She has always had some interest in science but it's increased in the last couple of years. I'll have a look at the private tutoring route, I think, and see where that gets us.

You need to take immediate action. She may have to submit extra course work as well as class work. I would see if you can get some private tutoring as it would be difficult for the school to bring her up to speed with double science. I would also hazard a guess that an A in single science can be achieved by a bright child rather more easily than an A in double or triple science - so she needs to expect that it will be hard work. But good luck - at least she knows what she wants to do!

Good luck.

And you need to really make it clear to the school that their GCSE options guidance is lacking. I really am amazed that a child who could get an A was even offered the choice of single award science TBH.

Although it's more work, perhap the best option is to take the exams for real sciences, not the arty "trees are our friends" fake ones.

If there was a brain damaged "Frech,German and Italian" GCSE it would die a horrible death.
But kids get led into a dumbed down subhect without being told the consequnces.
Did DD get the standard lie from school that languages are in some way useful ?

Although it's more work, perhap the best option is to take the exams for real sciences, not the arty "trees are our friends" fake ones.

If there was a brain damaged "Frech,German and Italian" GCSE it would die a horrible death.
But kids get led into a dumbed down subhect without being told the consequnces.
Did DD get the standard lie from school that languages are in some way useful ?

What are you on about DC?

Double Science GCSE is real science - my DS2 is doing it at the moment. His brother did 3 separate sciences. The double science course covers less ground but is not dumbed down (contrary to the information given out by some newspapers). I wouldn't recommend it for those students who intend to do science A Levels only because the 3 science option covers more ground - and probably at slightly more depth.However, many schools do not offer 3 separate sciences at GCSE, so not everyone has this choice.

It's monday, so I'm being extra dense. Could you explain the difference between "covers less ground" and dumbed down ?

OK - the modern science curriculum gets a bad press as the newspapers only ever look at the "Foundation Level" questions - those designed for students not expected to get above a Grade C. Looking through DS' revision book for the Higher Level Year 11 course (i.e. A* - C) here are a few of the areas covered: For chemistry such topics as Reversible Reactions in Equilibrium, The Haber Process, Two Formula Mass Calculations, Electrolysis Calculations, Electron Arrangements, Covalent Bonding (all sounds like real chemistry to me); In Physics - three Laws of Motion, Wave Formula and Reflection, the EM Spectrum, Nuclear Fission/Half Life. In Biology: Genes, Chromosomes and DNA, Evolution and Natural Selection (hurrah for Darwin) the Nitrogen Cycle, The Greenhouse Effect. The course also covers some earth science. DH is a physics graduate and he thinks this course is pretty good for that age group. Obviously, if you do three separate sciences you will go into each in more detail, but double science is a good course for the intelligent student who is not intending to continue in science.
As there is a shortage of science teachers, many schools cannot offer the separate sciences, so many students go on to A Level science with double science GCSE.

The media barely mentions it. My MIL was a head of chemistry sas a private school, and pointed out that there was not one Chemist involved in setting the chemistry past of the national syllabus.
My 5yo has done reversible reactions, quantum energy levels in photons, and can do Excel.
Of course he doesn't understand them yet.
The Haber process is a stock item, I could explin it to anyone in 5 minutes. Wouldn't let them loose to do it at home though.

It's not enought to tick boxes, saying "Haber", "electrolysis" et al. You're supposed to understand stuff.
My work bring me into contact with university science departments a lot, and they despair at the appalling level of what they're getting from British students.

For less able students I have no real problem with them doing a simpler subject, but at many schools, there is no option but the fake arty "science".

Many students do indeed get past the failings of their GCSE teaching, but they struggle to get up to a level that isn't frankly often embarassing.

Speak to the College, there may well be a way around it (like doing private tuition / GCSE alongside the 'A' level), a lot will depend on your child's grades, but best if you start acting now!

As for covering less ground being the same as dumbed down, the two do not necessarily go hand in hand. Take for example the 'A' level Philosophy course and the 'A' level Religious Studies (philosophy and ethics). The RS course covers philosophy of religion in much more depth, looking at a far wider range of arguments (The RS course studies the cosmological over 6 weeks and studies the arguments of about 6 scholars compared to philosophy who studies it over 2 weeks and covers 3 scholars), yet the RS course is widely accepted to be much easier than the philosophy because the philosophy course studies requires students to use more primary sources than the RE course - so they have to study the original works of Plato and Descartes etc in more detail than the RS course. The two are not necessarily the same. That is the difference between "covers less ground" and "dumbed down".

It is not impossible to do A level science from single science DS's school allows it with an A* in single science and higher paper maths grade, in fact I know someone who did this and got the A level in chemistry and is now at medical school

Thank you for all your replies. We are talking to the college and there may be room for manoeuvre. We are still looking at changing to the double award but haven't got anywhere yet.
Thanks for your post teachersmummy, it's encouraging to know. dd is predicted A for maths too so that should help.
Another thing the college said is that when it comes time for application to uni (for medicine, pharmacy that type of career) the competition is so great that they now look back to the GCSEs and if they don't see double science the application doesn't proceed.

That medical school obviously didn't. Perhaps worth going on university websites to find out.
If you are looking to pure sciences or engineering after then there should be no problem as the competition is high in standard but low in volume

Ooops overlooked that part of your post teachersmummy I will have a look at the university sites. Thanks again for your posts. Very encouraging.

I'm involved with admissions for a clinical course and for an application straight onto our "main route" we would not consider anyone with less than a dual award in science.

Some universities (including the one I work at) run alternative routes into clinical subjects which is what I suspect Teachersmummy's friend did.