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Secondary education

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Original poster

Triple science have we made the right decision?

41 replies

duvetdaisydo · 05/04/2017 13:07

Ds's school offer triple science, but do not devote extra teaching time to it...so if ds chose it the course would just move quite a bit faster than the double science course.
Ds is in top set - it's a high achieving Comp, he says he is the only kid in top set to take Double instead of Triple.....looking at last years results all the triple science kids passed, roughly 60% A & A* over, the double kids not surprisingly mostly scored B's & C's as they would mostly have been the kids who struggled.
So my concern is the lack of teaching time and the new level of difficulty coming from the new GCSE, ds although in top set is not passionate about science - he's more a good all rounder, he would never consider doing Physics A'level - the one subject I think might drive you to do triple so the jump isn't quite so big. But Ds is concerned that he is the only kids not doing triple science and I think there's an ego thing going on - he doesn't want to be in third set - teacher told me he'd be in Set 1 for Double. I'm concerned that taking triple will drag down his overall GCSE results.
Thoughts please?

OP posts:
Sadik · 05/04/2017 13:19

Hard to give a strong view really without knowing what the third set is likely to be like, IYKWIM. In dd's school, taking triple science uses up an option, so there's plenty of high achieving kids who take double. In that scenario I can't see there's any downside.

(DD takes triple - but is definitely a science-y type and would cheerfully have given up all essay subjects Grin )

A friend's dc has ended up in a lower set for science in a different school and it sounds like she's been pretty badly served with poor teaching and poor behaviour in the class.

Can you quiz parents of older students in the school???

Sadik · 05/04/2017 13:21

I should say, dd's school used to do triple in the same time as double, but have changed things so it now takes an option block. They get a lot of science teaching time to cover the triple.

NoLotteryWinYet · 05/04/2017 13:26

what did the school advise? If your DS wants to do triple, and the teachers say he's able to, I'd let him do it. Is your DS prepared to go to a tutor (and could you afford that) if push came to shove, he did the triple and struggled a bit? Struggling a bit and working hard is a good thing to learn at an early age.

Original poster
duvetdaisydo · 05/04/2017 13:27

I have a friend whose dd did triple and did really well 3 A*, but that was the old GCSEs and I am quite concerned by the increase the the content of the new curriculum, with the lack of teaching time - if triple had been offered as an option ds would definitely have taken triple....it's the lack of extra teaching time that I feel would require the dedication to keep up with the increased pace. I just don't understand the benefits of doing triple - against the cost of having an extra GCSE to study.

OP posts:
SaltyMyDear · 05/04/2017 13:28

I absolutely agree that it's harder to get good grades in double science than in triple science because of sets.

My DD has been dropped from top set triple to second set - which does double and there's no way I can see her getting top grades in set 2.

Original poster
duvetdaisydo · 05/04/2017 13:30

The teacher says he's more than capable of Triple, she says he might get bored with the slow pace for double...He works hard but I don't want to put him under extreme pressure - he doesn't need that. Of course we'd get him an tutor if that's what he wanted but he already has a pretty busy out of school schedule, I think balance is important too.

OP posts:
Original poster
duvetdaisydo · 05/04/2017 13:32

Salty my friend's dd was in set 2 when she got 3A*s....And apparently there were plenty in set one who didn't get an A.

OP posts:
SaltyMyDear · 05/04/2017 13:33

Start with triple. He can always drop down a set later.

SaltyMyDear · 05/04/2017 13:34

Yes but your set 2 was still triple. DDs set 2 is doing double - so comparable to your set 3.

NoLotteryWinYet · 05/04/2017 13:35

that'd be my inclination too - looked at from the other side I'd say perhaps you're anticipating problems that won't arise, if your DS really does want to do triple science, but you know him best.

NotCitrus · 05/04/2017 13:35

GCSE science tends to be more interesting than pre-GCSE, or at least different, so you never know, he might end up a scientist after all! If he's capable and wont miss out on another option, I'd encourage it.

Original poster
duvetdaisydo · 05/04/2017 13:36

But what are the advantages of triple - why would you do more science?
Currently his favourite subjects are English, French and Geography

OP posts:
TheFrendo · 05/04/2017 13:36

Do triple. The slower pace of progress and the different make-up of the class doing double compared to triple could have big effects.

user1243 · 05/04/2017 13:47

What does he want to do when he's older? Some jobs/six forms require triple science.

If he doesn't want to do something in that field then I don't see the point in added pressure and he should focus his attention to what he wants to do. However even if he doesn't go into a science field it can show a lot about you like resilience and that he can be under more pressure than others and still do well. Which six forms will like to see as well as university. You sound like a great mum though so you will make the right decision and it's good that you're thinking about his mental health and the pressure he'll be under.

aginghippy · 05/04/2017 13:49

But what are the advantages of triple - why would you do more science?

Because it's interesting and he would learn stuff Grin
Because he wants to do it and is more than capable.
Because he would be in the top set, which would suit him better.

If it turns out to be to much for him, he could always go down a set and do double. The reverse might not be possible.

Acornantics · 05/04/2017 13:57

DSs school offers triple science to the top few sets and it's covered both in school time, with an extra session after school in yrs 10 and 11. DS was encouraged to do it by his science teacher and he's really keen to do it, even with the extra after school class.

Original poster
duvetdaisydo · 05/04/2017 13:58

I understood it made no difference in terms of courses - Universities have not expressed a preference between double and triple. We are not opposed to science - Dh did Physics at Cambridge and I did Engineering but ds doesn't seem all that keen - it feels like it's all about him being proud of being in first set rather than thinking about the workload.

OP posts:
GoodyGoodyGumdrops · 05/04/2017 14:01

Both of mine are doing triple, and neither intend to take it at A-level. One is Y11, one Y9. All sets have the same amount of time allocated, top 2 sets take single in Y10, then do double or triple in Y11.

My dc chose triple for two reasons: because they enjoy the subjects (and dc2 is definitely arts/humanities) and because they wanted to stay in top set with peers who had chosen to study.

randomsabreuse · 05/04/2017 14:05

In triple in Physics there used to be quite a lot of Geology - which might just appeal to a geographer... we had short top up lessons in lunch/registration to cover the extra ground.

I wanted to do triple because it meant that my marks in Chemistry and Physics wouldn't be affected by Biology which I enjoyed less. As it turned out got A* in all 3 but wasn't convinced I would.

CauliflowerSqueeze · 05/04/2017 14:07

Not sure how easy it would be for him to drop down to double science. Depends how they teach the curriculum

NoLotteryWinYet · 05/04/2017 14:08

yes i don't think you need a better reason than that you should let them do as much as they're capable of as the more they know, the better. I also think it'll be easier to trade down than up if he's totally bored in a year.

Anchovies12 · 05/04/2017 14:12

How much teaching time does science have? Should be easy to swap fpr triple to combined under the new spec.

tovelitime · 05/04/2017 15:57

It's a hard one. In DS school triple is an extra option block and therefore they suggest only taking it if your child absolutely loves science. Therefore most of the arty high achievers are sticking with double and triple will pretty much only be the scientists. They have a top set double and a top set triple which are of equal ability. In your situation I'd be inclined to go for triple if you think it's less likely that double will teach to the top level

bojorojo · 05/04/2017 16:01

My DD did triple because everyone else in the top set did triple. She didn't want to work with sets that might get B when she could get A*s. She stayed working with similar children. She's never used sciences again but her self esteem dictated triple. Same amount of teaching time as double. I would look at who he might be working with. If it is slower and he is a brighter student, would he get bored?

Clavinova · 05/04/2017 16:02

Will all his GCSE subjects be set? If not, you should check whether science sets influence which pupils are in the same groups for languages or humanities - will he miss out on other lessons with 'top set' kids?
This high achieving comp breaks down GCSE achievement into male and female for individual subjects which I find interesting:
www.kings-winchester.hants.sch.uk/school-information/gcse-results/
Additional/double science near the bottom.

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