Single science GCSEs at private school

[NicknameUsed]

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?

[user1469682920]

At my son's school (private not very selective) students were allowed to do double award, ie two GCSEs covering all three sciences, or two out of the three single GCSE's, or three single GCSE's. He considered doing Physics and Chemistry and dropping biology due to the limited number of option choices but in the end went for all three. But these choices were only made after much consultation with Head of year and Head of Science so anyone thinking of science A levels/career would have been advised appropriately

[bluelilies]

Hula I clearly stand corrected on that - judging by this thread the double science thing looks to have taken until a few years into GCSEs to have become fully established. But it does seem to have been the norm to do single/double/ all 3 singles for at least the last 20 years.

[SixthSenseless]

The first (and only) Grammar I checked does double science www.dartfordgrammarschool.org.uk/Introduction-curriculum

[poisonedbypen]

Biology A level would be very difficult without chemistry GCSE. DD found it hard being the only person in her class not doing chemistry a level. The new biology a level is very chemistry based, I understand.

[TalkinPeace]

which variant of IGCSE ?
bearing in mid that state schools are very unlikely to still be using them as they do not count towards progress 8

so only the Cambridge will survive and they are not aimed at non selective schools

[Hulababy]

IGCSE science definitely has double and triple awards.

[Hulababy]

I've not heard of anyone younger than 45 who has been allowed to drop one or more science completely at age 14.

I did GCSEs in 1989. I am 43y. Single cciences here - I did Physics and Chemistry. There was no option to do Double science when I was doing mine. Single sciences stayed around for a little while and where often seen as being the better option, double science was initially seen as a 'lesser' option in many schools when it first came out.

[Mirandawest]

DS is at a comprehensive school and from what I can see some do double science and some do triple as separate sciences as well.

[SixthSenseless]

Comps actually have kids doing different things, too.
In DC comp Some do double science , some triple (as seperate sciences).
It depends on ability and also interest.
So top sets aiming for sciences do triple science, some top setters focussed on arts, humanities, languages, do double science.
Lots of middle setters do double science.
Depends on the student.
That's what comps are about.

[TalkinPeace]

Both my kids have GCSE certs that say Physics, Chemistry, Biology
But they did it through the standard core /double / triple route.

Chances are that a grammar has very few kids doing just core so timetables the lessons differently
But the papers they took would have been the same

[TheMortificadosDragon]

Purple - the point of making everyone do at least a combined science qualification is not because the government wants everyone to become a scientist. Its to try to give a basic level of scientific literacy. Whether it does this well is another matter, but in the 21st century you really should know a bit about science across the board.

[Bear2014]

My school offered single sciences but you had to do all of them, which I did. You need GCSE Chemistry to do A-level Biology for sure, as you need A-level Chemistry to do a degree in Biology (which I did). Seems crazy to choose not to do all your science subjects if you're keen to continue studying any science.

[catslife]

For Double Science it's 2 GCSEs listed as Core and Additional Science on exam certificates.
For Triple Science it's now usually listed as 3 separate subjects but there is still the option of one GCSE for core Science, one for additional and one for further additional on exam certificates.
The results slips do list marks for all the exams taken in each Science subject.
PS This is the last year for this system - it will be changing for the new 9-1 Science GCSEs which have been started by current Y10s.

[NicknameUsed]

Lovely But doesn't triple science count as 3 separate GCSEs anyway? DD did triple science and on her exam paperwork they are just listed as three separate sciences. I think those that did core and additional (double science) might list them as combined.

[Lovelybangers]

DS (18) did 3 separate science Gcses. State grammar

DSSs (19+16) did the combined. comprehensive school.

All in the same LEA

[NicknameUsed]

myfavourite the difference between double and triple science is as follows:

Double science - students sit units 1 and 2 in each subject, so they get a double science award that covers all three science subjects. This is equivalent to 2 GCSEs. They sit 6 science exams in total.

Triple science - students sit units 1, 2 and 3 in each subject and end up with a GCSE in each subject ie 3 GCSEs - one in Chemistry, one in biology and one in physics. They sit 9 science exams in total.

DD is doing A level biology and is now finding that there is quite a lot of chemistry in the next topic so I can see why the 6th form college won't let anyone do A level biology if they haven't done any chemistry since year 9.

[myfavouritecolourispurple]

I'm 44 and I only did Chemistry. I was the first year to do GCSE.

My husband is older than I am, so did O levels and did two sciences.

I don't really get the combined science thing, I didn't think it was good enough if you wanted to do science A levels anyway and that you needed the separate sciences. So why not just let people choose one science if that's they want to do (and are good at). I dare say a lot of kids would get better grades if they say just did biology than in the combined science option.

I know the government wants us all to be scientists and coders, but that is not realistic. Lots of us simply don't have a scientific bent.

However, if there is a chance that someone wants to do A level sciences they need to be properly advised. I knew very early on that there was no way I would be doing science A levels or a degree with a science component.

[TheMortificadosDragon]

Basilisk- DD's school did the normal gcse for the physics and biology (aqa) but the edexcel igcse chemistry. This was reckoned to be better preparation for A-level but harder - it was in fact the one that a couple of pupils dropped. I didn't look at the syllabuses myself but DH did and he reckoned it was good content but rather dry. I'm not sure why the school did this combination, it made it impossible for anyone to do the dual award if they'd been weak across the board rather than particularly in one subject.

[SixthSenseless]

NickName: the cynic in me also wonders if they allow / push kids to do only the subjects that they will get the best grades in, rather than the mix that works best, even if you get (shock horror) a B.

There is a much feted independent school where I know for a fact that students are managed out from (optional) subjects where they will not get an A, as far as possible.

[bluelilies]

Basil The sixth form my DS goes to is large and popular with kids from private schools, quite a few of whom have done Igcses. The sixth form states clearly that it counts Igcses and GCSEs as equivalent. They do prefer them to do the three separate sciences for continuing with science at Alevel but also accept kids whose schools only offer double. That would be unusual round here though - most schools do offer double or triple. Taking just one or two discrete sciences is unusual too though I think most sixth forms would accept students as long as they have the science they want to go on with (though clearly not all, as the OP illustrates)

[BasiliskStare]

I would be interested to know how igcse is seen compared to gcse, out of interest . My Ds went to a school which did igcse. However, of the compulsory subjects , at his school, they had to take all three sciences and maths (counted as four subjects) . No option to pick fewer science subjects. It's a selective school and many of his (more talented at maths etc than he ) peers have gone on to do degrees at good universities in Maths, Sciences, Engineering and the like. So is the point that igcse prepares less well for 6th form study per se or that the double award / triple award gcse covers all the sciences and is better vs the school that allows a pupil only to take one / two discrete science subjects ?

[TheMortificadosDragon]

DDs school (girls GS) does the separate sciences - they all do 3 but one or two were allowed to drop one if they were struggling with it. It would be pupils who weren't going to be doing A level sciences anyway.

If a school is going to have pupils doing 2 from the outset then they should be given clear guidance - if you've any likelihood of wanting to do biology or medicine then its ill-advised not to do chemistry. But you keep more doors open by doing all 3 or otherwise the double award.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

The cynic in me agrees with your take on the school's motive.

[NicknameUsed]

"What any of us did, and where it led is irrelevant in the contemporary context."

Exactly.

I think he can do biology if he stays at school. He can't do it at the 6th form college without chemistry at GCSE.

I suspect the school doesn't want to lose the fees if he leaves, as many students who go to private schools in the area go to this particular 6th form college because of its outstanding reputation.

My initial point was that I thought it odd that the school allows students to study single science GCSEs and not do the double/triple science that all other schools that I know of do, because many of them only opt for one or two science subjects.

[SixthSenseless]

The crux of the OP is, if I not mistaken, that the boy wants to do A level biology, but can't because he doesn't have Chemistry at GCSE level.

It seems very parochial of the school not to have advised about this, or not to be aware of how certain subjects are dependent on each other.

What any of us did, and where it led is irrelevant in the contemporary context.