Single science GCSEs at private school

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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?

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.

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

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

All in the same LEA

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

IGCSE science definitely has double and triple awards.

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

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.

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

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.

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