AQA combined science trilogy and triple science- what on earth is the difference?

[Toomanytealights]

Rapidly starting to think parents with kids taking options this year could do with a night class in the subject.

What do you get at the end of both?What is the difference? How well regarded is the lesser option? We've had very little info from school.

My son now goes to a 6th form college with high entry requirements. But they don't care if your 8 is in Physics or Combined Science.

It's not scientific because curriculum design and setting are not sciences. They are pragmatic choices made by schools.

GCSE options are not scientific. A school will generally advise a child in line with their ability & aspirations.

If a child is likely to get Grade 4 in science but is really good at essay based subjects then they may be steered away from taking triple science.

But if triple is an option block (eg. It has extra teaching time) why should a child who is expected to get 4’s not take separate sciences as long as it’s not sacrificing a subject they could do better in.

I would also say that the new curriulum is more challenging, and has more content, than the GCSEs last taken in summer 2017, so IME more schools are pushing more students into Combined Science, saying that with its new level of content it is a perfectly reasonable foundation for A-level, and students may do better covering 2./3 of the content really well rather than cramming an extra 1/3 into limited curriculum time (or cutting students doing triple Science down to only 8 GCSEs with only 1 option subjects once 2xEnglish, Maths, 3x Science and a language have been included)

Toomsnytealights, I find it confusing too.

One of my DC is good at chemistry and physics, but struggles with Biology

He may end up with double, instead if triple science, meaning he studies 2 subjects(physics, chem) in less depth because of not being good at a third (biology)

He wants to do physics,a-level, but could end up being held back by not being good at biology. How does that make sense?

Why not let kids choose individual sciences (like in most other countries!!!)

But if other kids in other schools are expected higher grades and can't do the separate more challenging course isn't that a bit bonkers.

What grade would cope with the separate as a bare minimum?

There must be a general expected minimum in the course write up as how do you pitch your expectations otherwise in the exam?

He is unlikely to be held back at A level if he does Combined Science. I think there will be a lot of students in the same position.

It is on my list of things I don't get about England , just like wash basins with a hot and cold tap, instead of a mixer tap.

20 years I have lived here, and these things still baffle me

There isn't a cut off grade. Each separate GCSE goes from 9-1.

10things,

When I was taking O-levels, it was common for many pupils to drop one, or even 2, sciences at 14, in order to only do 1 or 2 subjects for O-level.

I genuinely see it as an improvement that the vast majority of pupils now have broad-based science education to the age of 16, especially since much modern science is at the molecular biology / biochemistry / materials overlaps between the 'traditional' 3 sciences.

Because its good to have a broad education in science. Dd is doing combined science taught separately as physics chemistry and biology. She wants to do physics a level and the school have said that will be fine. She didn't want to do triple as she wanted an option free so that she could do Drama gcse.

My ds is very good at maths and physics and a but meh with one other( (6 I think but he did have an off test). I'm going to be mighty passed off if he can't do the more challenging physics because of the one other.

But if it has an impact on Alevels and how students are judged further down the line regard aptitude surely a general cut off is expected or are you saying some schools will let those on track for 4 s do separate whereas others will expect 8s/9s. Doesn't sound very scientific.

Of course it's not scientific! Getting 4s might be a great result for one kid, a disaster for another.

Likewise A levels - some schools will insist on 8s at GCSE to take A level in that subject, and anything less than an A at A level a disaster. An FE college on the other hand would be happy to give a lower grade kid a chance and be delighted if they got a D.

The combined actually has 17 grades: 99, 98, 88....11

Sorry pissed off. He loves physics.

So A levels.

Normally, 6th forms would expect at least a B (new grade 6) for GCSE science exams to allow science A levels to be taken. Some higher performing schools would have required A grades (new grade 7). basically if you can't get 6s at GCSE you aren't likely to do well at all at A level. (For maths, the standard expectation is often an A/7).

If a pupil is keen on science and is thinking about perhaps doing it for A level, they should talk to the school about any implications of them only doing combined. But then, if they are keen and thinking of doing it for A level then they'd probably choose triple if offered anyway.

If they are very one sided, eg super at Physics and hopeless at Biology then generally that's tough as most school's timetables don't work to allow dropping of 1. (Dropping Chemistry would be a bad move as that's the middle subject that brings the others together). SEN aside, most kids aren't that one sided at GCSE level, if they are good at one they are pretty good at all of them.

Calm down!! Honestly if your ds is working at equivalent level 6 in science he's probably better off doing combined

Toomany,

I can't quyite see what you are not understanding.

Combined science exams go from grade 1 to Grade 9.
Each separate science exam goes from grade 1 to grade 9.

So every exam is pitched at every level.

Are you imagining it that only lower grades are available in combined science, and only higher grades in the separate sciences (like the tiers in maths?)? it really isn't like that - all grades are possible in all exams.

at DD3s comp, the majority of DC are doing double science (ie 2/3 of each of Bio, Chem and Phys). There are a handful (maybe 25 out of 330) doing triple, and the extra content is being taught in after school sessions once a week, with the expectation that the DC will be bright enough to pick up everything in the time.

They've emphasised to parents that double is more than good enough for science A levels in their 6th form, and will not penalise anyone wanting to do science at uni (the head of science spoke to someone in admissions at Oxford, who said that double science would be perfectly acceptable in a medicine application, even though the school offered triple).

From what I understand from DD3, the extra content is fairly discrete, and will be "extra questions at the end of the exam paper". Maybe one of the science teachers on here could confirm that? Our school were only recommending triple to very sciencey students (at least half of those who started have dropped out), and I suspect that invitations to do triple will be more sparsely handed out, once everyone's got to grips with the course and the exams.

FWIW, I think it's a great idea that everyone does some of each science to GCSE - I have no school science qualifications at all, as I was allowed to choose just languages and humanities for my GCSE equivalents. DD3 is horrified .

He'll be doing lots of physics.

What grade would cope with the separate as a bare minimum?

Any grade! Why shouldn't a kid do triple and get grade 1s in each? Clearly nowhere near enough for A level but could be a fantastic achievement for that kid.

So getting a 6 in one means he can do triple then.

If he loves physics then her can study for the extra knowledge in the summer between GCSEs and A levels. Still better imo than no biology learning from age 14.

at DD3s comp, the majority of DC are doing double science (ie 2/3 of each of Bio, Chem and Phys)

Nooooooo they will still be studying all three subjects

The fallen he wouldn't be stretched as much as he could be and that's bonkers.