Dropping one of the single Sciences at GCSE

[crazycrofter]

Just thinking about options ahead of my daughter’s options meeting tomorrow. She’s at a selective independent school where they do separate sciences and dual award isn’t an option. The letter we’ve had says dropping one of the single sciences is possible if after discussion/consultation with the school it seems best.

My daughter really doesn’t enjoy Science. I’m sure she’s perfectly capable and it’s more a matter of aptitude/interest/application really but if she doesn’t have to do all three, would it be sensible to drop Chemistry (which she finds hardest)?

She has to do a language, which will also be a struggle. Her current favourite subjects are English (obviously compulsory), History, RS, Drama and Geography. She’s very much biased towards the humanities. If she takes three sciences she’ll have to drop one of these.

What are the compelling reasons (if any) to continue with all three sciences, given I can’t see her doing any to A Level?

I see no good reason at all...
Go with what she is good at.
Good luck.

No problem at all with that. Encourage her to do the subjects she likes.

If a pupil is struggling with chemistry it’s probably down to a bad teacher so maybe the best science to drop.
Chemistry isn’t difficult but if you don’t grasp the basics right from the start you struggle.

Possibly, although she seems to have a good teacher this year and she said last year’s teacher was fine. I think it’s lack of attention in class and revision for tests - I’m pretty sure she could get a good grade with a bit of application. But she’ll enjoy her GCSE years more if she has one less Science subject to wade through! And I’m also thinking she may well want to take any 3 out of Hist/Geog/Drama/RS for A Level. It would be a shame to rule one out at this point.

Definitely let her drop one if this is what she wants.
I agree it's pointless ruling out something else they might want to do.
Mine is opting for single combined science, in favour of two languages, she hates Science.

I encouraged my daughter to consider dropping a science for similar reasons ie being able to keep another humanities subject going. She's academic and concluded that actually dropping a science didn't seem right if you were. Then when the options blocks were fixed decided to discuss whether she could in fact drop biology (which we could have filled in at home) for art but it wasn't possible. (possibly just as well; doing both music and art could be a big drain on spare time!)

There's a lot to talk about with the school. Some subjects are easier to pick up again at A level regardless of doing them at GCSE, from all accounts. Or there may be extracurricular activities that can keep up an interest in an area. Hope you can figure out the right way forward with the school so that you are all confident in her choices.

I studied chemistry in school, never used it since.

One other thing to consider if doing 2/3 sciences is that chemistry is the 'bridging' science and the GCSE has common content with both physics and biology. So the natural pairings are usually Bio/Chem or Chem/Phys while Bio and Phys have nothing in common.

I'm of an age where we just had separate science subjects. I dropped physics because it was "too hard and boring " but didn't do well in biology or chemistry and promptly dropped them at a level. I seriously regretted dropping physics but that was after my academic career was long over and more for "I should know this stuff" ego reasons.
I did an Arts subject to degree.

It's always possible to read up on certain subjects as an adult.

Mine is opting for single combined science
Combined Science 9-1 GCSE is the new syllabus equivalent to the "double" award. The option for just one Science GCSE is not possible in state schools.
while Bio and Phys have nothing in common There are common areas, but it isn't obvious e.g. medical Physics e.g. structure of the eye requires both knowledge of the biological structure of the eye and optics. Also topics such as radioactivity discuss the effect of radiation on the human body and medical applications.

Hevonbu, already doing it but thanks for the reminder.

Catslife:

while Bio and Phys have nothing in common There are common areas, but it isn't obvious e.g. medical Physics e.g. structure of the eye requires both knowledge of the biological structure of the eye and optics. Also topics such as radioactivity discuss the effect of radiation on the human body and medical applications.

I mean no literal common content in the GCSE specifications. Clearly in further study there could be but the OP states her daughter will not be pursing the sciences beyond GCSE.

Thanks for the comments. I see what you mean about Chemistry being the bridging Science. I was thinking Physics had more in common with Maths and she’s not bad at Maths - I assume anyway, since she got a gold in the junior maths challenge, although I know that’s very different. She’s not particularly keen on maths but I thought as she has to do Maths she might as well do Physics too. Is there no logic there?

I hated Science too and don’t remember any of it despite doing the old dual award!

If it’s possible to say objectively, which would people say is the hardest Science at GCSE level (ie new specifications )?

Thinking about it, my dh did Chemistry and Biology at ALevel and is a teacher, so good at explaining things, therefore maybe it would be sensible for her to do the two that he can best help with?!

For students who struggle with maths it's usually Physics (so not your DD). For those who struggle with committing to study hard and memorising a lot of facts, Biology. Those who struggle with abstract thinking can find Chem really tricky. I think it's wrong to label one as easier than the others (although Bio tends to get that). At the end of the day if she has to do 2 and won't take science further then it's better she chooses the 2 she likes most as more chance of her being engaged.

*Not saying Chem is abstract just that students find it so as they cannot easily visualise the concepts involved if you see what I mean? Particles/bonding etc.

Yes I know exactly what you mean - i struggle to visualise particles, atoms etc; it literally makes no sense to me so then I can’t remember the difference between atoms, molecules etc. I think dd may be similar. We’ll have to weigh it all up. It doesn’t help that she’s got a flu bug so she’s missing the options talks and the chance to talk to Year 11 and 6th form students about their choices. She was very upset last night because she has no idea what career she wants to do! I was like ... you’re 13, if course you don’t! That didn’t help!

Just to put another point of view, (which I fully expect to be considered and then politely dismissed )

For an academic child I personally think it is a real mistake to completely drop one of the 3 sciences prior to GCSE, unless there is a significant reason (e.g. we read here of some ASD kids struggling with the biology topics).

I think the standard state school offering of the dual award or all 3 sciences is much better. Way better educationally to do 2/3 on all 3 sciences than drop one entirely.

Science is so important for understanding issues for modern life (e.g. global warming, use of plastics) that for an academic child dropping chemistry when she is perfectly capable seems wrong to me.

I'm from a STEM biased family in case that wasn't obvious!

I can see that point of view too! I’d be happier for her to drop a language to be honest but that isn’t an option. If she was able to do dual award I would push for that but she’s not. I doubt inserting drama instead of Chemistry will make a massive difference to her grades or her life! But will dropping a Science matter in the grand scheme of things either?! Like I said I’ve literally retained no Scientific general knowledge from my GCSE years!

As a history graduate who also did some geography at degree level, the thought of dropping either of those subjects at 14 seems so wrong too!

I think you need to look at which possibilities keep the most long term options open.
Out of her current "favourite" subjects how different will the GCSE actually be from what they are studying now and how different will the teaching style be?
For example RS my dd enjoyed this at KS3 because it was discussion based whereas the GCSE was more factual and taught in a way that she found very uninspiring!
Would dropping a Science limit options later. For example if she was interested in a degree in Geography would it be more difficult without all 3 Sciences at GCSE?

catslife

It's the Cambridge igcse combined single science, syllabus 0653.
She'll take it in 2020. It's worth one GCSE, and doesn't allow study at A level for Science.
My dd is happy with this as wouldn't opt to take Science, but obviously has to take it.

If it's at the expense of another subject she really wants to do, then let her drop one as she'll still hopefully have two science passes. Does she have any idea what she'd like to do for a job?

If she does continue with all three sciences though, it doesn't have to be a bad thing - my DD hated science and reluctantly did triple science, she got A*, A and A, two of the options she really wanted to continue with she got the lower grade of B, so you can never tell what's going to happen long term.