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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

Triple Science

64 replies

cherylab30 · 14/01/2017 08:52

My DS is in yr10 and working towards his GCSE's and has been doing triple science since the start of yr9, we have just found out that his school are dropping triple science and all the students that were doing it now have to do the combined (double), they say this is because they are something like 80 hours behind because the exams have changed! The students should have had 6 1 hour lessons a week instead of just the 4. We are extremely upset and angry by this and wonder just how long they've known they were falling behind and why didn't they call a meeting with all the parents to discuss options instead of just cutting it out! My DS needs science to be able to get into the job he wants to do and therefore triple science we feel would be better than the combined. Just wanted to ask if this is happening to any other yr10 students or if it's just my DS's school?

OP posts:

BonnesVacances · 14/01/2017 08:58

It is true that there aren't enough hours to do triple science with the new specification. But it does sound like bad planning if they are so far behind despite starting in y9.

Have you spoken to the 6th form college to ask how this impacts on A levels? There is a difference between needing 3 separate sciences and wanting them.

Decorhate · 14/01/2017 09:09

I'd be cross too. It's not just a case of how it affects access to A Levels etc, for my ds who is good at Maths & Science but not English & languages, it would impact on how many good GCSE grades he gets.

AChickenCalledKorma · 14/01/2017 09:37

DD1 is doing triple science in 5 hours a week, but they only let top set students attempt it. The school says it will be challenging, but there has been no indication that they are behind.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/01/2017 09:46

It's rather silly if schools can't fit in triple science. Presumably they were made harder in order to match up closer with a level science. So by dropping back down to double science they are once again making that jump too big.

chery, if you can't persuade the school to at least offer triple science to those willing to do twilight lessons, or to allow them to drop an option in order to keep going with the science, then maybe one idea would be for you to look at getting a tutor if you can afford it and at least letting your ds study the triple science content even if he doesn't take an exam in it.
I would be very cross though.

thisagain · 14/01/2017 09:49

DD is Year 10 is doing triple science on 6 1 hour lessons a week. It is very fast pace and whilst she is doing fine, it is not without some stress. If there was any concern about their ability to cover the syllabus, I would much rather her drop to double science and get 2 good grades. There is never a need to have triple science, even if taking chemistry, biology and physics at A Level. There is a slight gap to bridge but one that could be easily bridged over the summer holidays or at the start of the A Level course. If my school announced that they were dropping to double science, I would not have a problem with this having direct experience of A Level Sciences from Double Science,

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 14/01/2017 09:59

At both of my children's schools (one grammar, one non not) triple science takes up an entire option block so you have to drop anothe of ruin to take it.

The problem with starting it in year 9 (My daughter is in year 10 & also started GCSE work in year 9) is that the new syllabus wasn't available in time & the textbooks were not published.

My daughter's class from Jan-June last year managed with one proof copy sample textbook between the whole year.

I agree with others who have said its better to get good grades in double than poor g aides in triple. I checked with my son's school where most opt for triple & was told that no student (existing or new) would be prevented from taking science A levels as long as they had at least Grade B equivalent in double science (they are currently deciding whether that will be Grade 6 or 7).

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 14/01/2017 10:00

our school invited selected students to do triple, and added a compulsory after-school double session. There are about 30 now doing triple, out of 300+ in the year. I suspect that there may be additional after school sessions in Y11, as it gets nearer to exams. Content is more and harder than for my older DC who both did triple (one managed top marks despite spending Y9 doing a completely separate GCSE, though that did cause some issues at A level when they teacher would say "but come on, you should know this, you did it in Y9, oh of course, you lot didn't do Y9 did you?").

However, I'd be happier with two good grades in double, than three less good ones at triple, and will be monitoring DD3s science grades carefully.

Gooseberryfools · 14/01/2017 10:04

What job does he want to do?

Can he do all three at A level?

sayatidaknama · 14/01/2017 10:05

What does he want to do career wise? Does he need to take all three sciences? DS is taking separate physics and chemistry and has dropped biology. Is this an option if your DS doesn't need to take all 3?

NicknameUsed · 14/01/2017 10:06

"There is never a need to have triple science, even if taking chemistry, biology and physics at A Level."

I'm not so sure. Under the old spec doing unit 3 really helped bridge the gap between GCSE and A level. DD is doing A levels in chemistry and biology and has found her GCSE unit 3 chemistry and biology knowledge invaluable. One of her class mates is struggling at A level because she only took double science.

At DD's school they drop an option to take triple science so that they can devote enough time to learn the syllabus. This seems very sensible to me. The triple science students end up with 10 GCSEs as do the double science students.

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 14/01/2017 10:07

To give you a time tabling comparison my daughter has 4 X 90 minute lessons & 1 X 60 minute lesson per week for triple science.

The double students have 3 X 90 minute lessons per week.

user1484226561 · 14/01/2017 10:08

why didn't they call a meeting with all the parents to discuss options instead of just cutting it out!

what options do you think the school had available to discuss! Presumably if any of the cohort wee on track, those individuals would be carrying on.

Its quite standard to start on triple, and drop down if not keeping up. In our school we have just rejigged the time timetable and over half the pupils originally given the option to take triple have been dropped back to double, because they haven't kept up.

They had the opportunity, and they didn't make it.

Double science doesn't restrict your choices in any way. And it is much easier to get higher grades in. So he is MORE likely to get into a science career this way.

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 14/01/2017 10:11

So that's 7 hours for triple, 4.5 hours for double.

Abraiid2 · 14/01/2017 10:12

My daughter did double science and will this year do A levels including chemistry and biology. She didn't regret not doing triple science.

But the double science curriculum does vary board to board.

NicknameUsed · 14/01/2017 10:13

"What does he want to do career wise? Does he need to take all three sciences? DS is taking separate physics and chemistry and has dropped biology. Is this an option if your DS doesn't need to take all 3?"

My friend's son is doing the same. It means that other 6th form colleges won't let him do A level biology because he isn't doing any form of chemistry at GCSE. You really need some chemistry to do A level biology.

I believe that most schools take the double/triple science route rather than separate sciences, but I am happy to be corrected on this.

DD is at 6th form in a state comprehensive and they had 60 students out of 270 in her year take triple science.

ifonly4 · 14/01/2017 10:15

I wouldn't be happy either. My DD is in Year 11 and doing triple science - she gets just under 5 hours a week. Physics are now asking them to do an extra lesson one lunchtime a week. They won't have time to teach two biology modules but DD is adamant she still wants that A* so will do her best to self teach. Chemistry they had one lesson on one module. I'm going to ask if some of the revision sessions can include the modules they've missed. She reckons if you're bright enough and working hard you can self teach. This comes from one who always struggled to stay in the top set, so likely to struggle more with triple.

There is the general feeling amongst the Year 11s doing triple that they'd have missed quite a bit by doing double science. I know it's extra cost of having someone available, but could one of the teachers give them an extra lesson at lunchtime or after school?

I have to admit my DD is on the old grading system so maybe it's not so hard, but she hasn't had any more homework from science than other subject, hasn't found it any more stressful and is coping with the catching up she has to do. Her school don't drop an option to do triple science, so she's doing 11 GCSEs.

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 14/01/2017 10:38

If only - the old grading system GCSE is very very different. There is a lot more content in the new GCSE.

Clavinova · 14/01/2017 10:41

I wouldn't recommend any student with only 'a B grade equivalent in double science' taking science A levels - certainly not Chemistry or Physics.

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 14/01/2017 10:44

Well that's what the head of chemistry at a selective school (best a level results in the county) said they require. He said some of their best A level grades came from former double scientists.

Clavinova · 14/01/2017 10:48

But a 'B' grade in double science? Have you checked the minimum entry requirements for science A levels at the selective school?

PurpleDaisies · 14/01/2017 10:50

"There is never a need to have triple science, even if taking chemistry, biology and physics at A Level."

This is absolutely right. I have three science a levels and two science degrees with double award.

Yes, in a class where some people have done both double and triple science gcse there's a catch up period but usually by Christmas there's no difference. There are no differences in final grades between double and triple scienctists, except where schools only allow the top sets to do triple so you'd expect those students who weren't allowed to take triple to do less well.

PurpleDaisies · 14/01/2017 10:51

I wouldn't recommend any student with only 'a B grade equivalent in double science' taking science A levels - certainly not Chemistry or Physics.

Me neither-there's a huge jump to a level in sciences.

NicknameUsed · 14/01/2017 10:53

"Me neither-there's a huge jump to a level in sciences."

DD achieved A* in all her sciences at triple science, and can confirm that A level sciences are hard.

Original poster

cherylab30 · 14/01/2017 10:54

My DS wants to do something within aerodynamics for vehicles, we have been told he will need to do A level maths, product design and science, not sure if just one or more sciences though, I will need to look into this. His grades are very good so far, getting A's in maths assessments and predicted an A* (or an 8 as it will be) in his GCSE, predicted an A in all sciences, just received a B+ in the physics test he just had, teacher says he's on track to get an A. I think we are most angry at the fact that the children/parents were not given a choice, and just how long have they known they are behind, if we were all called in for a meeting a few months ago, could those children that wanted to carry on with the triple do extra lessons after school, was it just bad planning by the school?
Thank you all so much for your input, it's given me a lot to think about and look into, if my DS doesn't need to study all 3 sciences at A level, then yes I suppose it is good to have 2 strong grades.

OP posts:

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 14/01/2017 10:55

Clavinova - head of chemistry is ds's form tutor.

I emailed him to say dd is at a school that only offers double science (they decided to offer triple for the first time ever 6 months later). Would that be a problem if she wished to apply to your 6th form.

He said there would be no issue as long as she gained BB in double science (alongside at least 3 other Grade B & 3 Grade C's)

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