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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Single science GCSEs at private school

91 replies

NicknameUsed · 30/11/2016 21:20

Talking to a friend today whose DC are privately educated and she told me that the school doesn't offer double and triple science, but single GCSEs in each subject. One of the children is doing biology and physics, but no chemistry.

They have been looking at 6th form colleges and some of them won't let him do A level biology because he isn't doing any form of chemistry at GCSE.

Would this also affect his options for university applications?

OP posts:

marialuisa · 30/11/2016 22:00

Would depend on what subjects he was applying for. My DD is only doing Physics and I only did Biology. It didn't affect my university applications even though I did Psychology as an undergraduate. It won't affect DD's as she's thinking about Economics or History.

SaltyRock · 30/11/2016 22:07

This is why most schools don't allow single sciences.
It's probably too late for him to change his mind now so not much he can do about it. He won't be able to do anything at uni which requires chemistry knowledge, but that's surely to be expected given his decision.

bluelilies · 01/12/2016 11:07

I thought that practice went out of fashion 30 years ago when GCSEs came in - that's the whole point of the double science option as it's a much more rounded basis for those who don't want to do three separate sciences. I've not heard of anyone younger than 45 who has been allowed to drop one or more science completely at age 14. Missing out chemistry seems a particularly odd choice as it's kind of the "middle" of the three sciences, with overlaps with both biology and physics.

I don't think it's so likely to affect uni applications though, as long as he can get the A levels he requires - as they mostly care about the A levels you do, plus having GCSEs in maths and English.

PhilODox · 01/12/2016 11:09

Triple is single subjects, he's just entered for two of them. Seems unusual nowadays.

PhilODox · 01/12/2016 11:11

Bluelillies- you may need to revise your statement to "under 40", as both DH and I are 41, but only did single physics (different schools!)

PurpleDaisies · 01/12/2016 11:15

Single science GCSEs are (almost always) what you do if you do triple science.

Is it that they don't have to take all three? It was unwise of the school to allow anyone with even the vaguest thought of doing a levels in any of the sciences not to do either double or all three.

Lots of schools try to teach triple science in the same time as double science which often leads to pupils underperforming so in some ways it's better that they're only doing two subjects rather than trying to cover three. I'm surprised there isn't an option for double award though-I've never come across a school that doesn't offer it. I agree that generally that's a better option than two out of the three.

Unless they're applying for science type degrees I can't see an issue with uni applications.

bluelilies · 01/12/2016 11:20

Is that right philodox? You'd have done GCSEs though wouldn't you? I thought that was when it generally changed over. No separate sciecnes available at my school (so couldn't do triple) - just double or single science GCSEs. The A level teachers moaned a great deal about how little we know compared to a few years previously (with O levels), but we did at least have some knowledge of all three sciences.

catslife · 01/12/2016 11:22

It depends on which other A levels he is planning to take. If he is taking Physics and/or Maths at A level then there will still be plenty of STEM degree options e.g. in engineering, computer science and physics.
However many types of Biology degree may not be possible without GCSE Chemistry (some options aren't possible without A level Chemistry). This is because Biochemistry has become increasingly important over the past 20-30 years and this would be very difficult to access starting from scratch without GCSE. The same would also apply if he was considering a medical degree.
IMO he has been ill advised by the school.

PhilODox · 01/12/2016 11:25

Yes, we did GCSE. Top.set too. But we just chose one science. A few people did two, one person (of 180) did three, and they had to rearrange the option blocks for them! DH says no-one did three at his school. We didn't have dual science in our year, but the year below did.

user1479296630 · 01/12/2016 11:28

He would need to check individual university entrance requirements for specific courses. eg some unis require A level chemistry for a biology degree but others don't.

TheHobbitMum · 01/12/2016 11:31

That's unusual and I'd not heard of that? My eldest 2 are doing GCSE now one is doing separate science (all 3 singly) the other is doing combined science (lower set/ability options ). If he wanted to do science at a level or uni I would think not doing all 3 would be detrimental but too late I suppose to change now. Have the school said what the reasoning for this is?

mostlysinging · 01/12/2016 11:33

My son's school does single sciences at GCSE and I think (will find out later this academic year when he does his choices) that they have to do all three and aren't allowed to drop any - I guess for this reason.

Joinourclub · 01/12/2016 11:45

Well if he can't do biology a level, then he can't go on to a biology related degree. Its strange the school didn't mention requirements to do biology a level at the time they chose their GCSE options. Biochemistry is a significant part of the a level biology course abd chemistry GCSE is essential and Chemistry A level very useful.

TheWayYouLookTonight · 01/12/2016 11:47

Not sure how much things have changed in the last few years but I did dual science at GCSE instead of separate ones, followed by biology and chemistry at A level and I now have a biology BSc and PhD. So the dual science is a good way to avoid limiting options (or it used to be anyway). I don't think unis can discriminate on it as in some schools they don't get the option to do single subject sciences.

PurpleDaisies · 01/12/2016 11:49

Double award is still absolutely sufficient for science degrees thewayyoulooktonight.

wigglybeezer · 01/12/2016 11:55

Not strictly relevant to this thread but in Scotland only single sciences are offered.
I have to agree that biology + physics is more unusual than biology + chemistry or chemistry+ physics.

Duckstar · 01/12/2016 12:00

Triple science is the 3 sciences individually. A lot of academic private schools opt for the 3 sciences. At my school the bottom set did dual award, unless you were very weak in one subject when you were offered the option of doing 2 sciences. So friend did biology and chemistry. School would rather have someone get 2 As then say A, A, D (triple science) or 2 Bs if they did dual award. Not sure it was best for my friend, but best for the schools standing in league tables.

mumsneedwine · 01/12/2016 19:03

Double science involves studying 3 sciences, not 2. It just means it's worth 2 GCSEs. Triple science gives individual grades for all the sciences and state schools will insist on doing all 3. Even single science means studying all 3 sciences !
However some private schools let them only do some of the separate parts of triple and as your friend has found out it's s pretty bad idea. 14 is very young to drop chemistry and it is fundamental to some A levels and will stop them doing certain degrees. So in answer to your question, yes it will mean he can't do A Level chemistry as he was by understand the biochem bit.

mumsneedwine · 01/12/2016 19:04

Sorry meant stop him doing A level biology. It has a very large biochem element

bojorojo · 01/12/2016 19:45

Years ago loads of people did one science O level but obviously not scientists. It just means he will need to look at subjects where there is no need for Chemistry GCSE. There are plenty.

Original poster

NicknameUsed · 01/12/2016 19:56

He doesn't need sciences for what he wants to do. I was just surprised that this school only offers single science subjects as it seems a bit short sighted. Some students even do only one science.

My friend was completely unaware that all state schools (as far as I know) study all three sciences as a core subject, and thought it was odd that I questioned the school's decision to offer single sciences.

OP posts:

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 01/12/2016 23:03

Did the school at least prepare them for the fact that not taking all three might limit further science options?

It doesn't really seem fair to allow children who might want to take science subjects at A-level and beyond that their choices are going to be limited.

user7214743615 · 01/12/2016 23:53

It doesn't really seem fair to allow children who might want to take science subjects at A-level and beyond that their choices are going to be limited.

Parents and pupils are told this.

Some view it as a positive - they can drop the sciences they don't like at 14, and do humanities/MFL etc instead.

Personally, I wouldn't send my DC to a private school that didn't insist on triple science for those who were capable, but each to their own.

Original poster

NicknameUsed · 02/12/2016 07:11

"Did the school at least prepare them for the fact that not taking all three might limit further science options?"

I have no idea. Like I said, my friend was completely unaware that taking three sciences is the norm. As her son wants to become an accountant he doesn't need chemistry, but I would have thought that most higher/further education establishments might hold not taking all three as a failing.

OP posts:

marialuisa · 02/12/2016 08:49

Can say that not having dual or triple science will not be a problem for university applications (assuming they're making suitable course choices and not going for some sort of bioscience or clinical subject). Most universities dont look in too much detail at GCSE subject choices, they look at the grades. Taking only one science has been great for my DD, she was quite capable of taking all 3 and would have been predicted A* but she hated Chemistry and tolerated Biology. Instead she's been able to continue with subjects she loves. Forcing her to continue with subjects she doesn't enjoy would have made the GCSE slog even more miserable.

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