Triple science GCSE - sorry if this has been done to death

[himalayansalt]

I'm looking for advice on the impact on his future if my son decides not to opt for triple science at GCSE, hope someone can help?

His teachers assure us he is capable of doing triple science but son is reluctant. He says he doesn't like science and tbh I just think he is slightly daunted by the effort it will require.

He hasn't even thought about what he wants to study at A level or University yet (he's in Y9) but I am worried about entrance requirements for good sixth forms and Universities if he doesn't have the magic 3.

His strongest subjects at school are maths, English and history. He isn't doing any foreign languages at GCSE.

Infact, if he doesn't do triple science he will come away with only 8 GCSEs if he passes them all - maths, statistics, computer science, English x 2, history, music, science.

I think that looks a bit poor for someone who is in the top set of all classes at school. Or perhaps I am just comparing him unfavourably with his rather more hard working older sibling who also doesn't have a great interest in science but managed AAB in triple science at GCSE.

I'd be very grateful for any thoughts at all. Presumably you need to do triple science if you want to do any science at A level? And would a (dare I say it) red brick University dismiss someone who doesn't have triple science GCSE or who only has 8 GCSEs?

Sorry that's a bit long and rambly. Just trying to include all info.

Thank you!

Admittedly it was quite a few years ago now, but I did double science GCSE and not triple (school offered both). I went on to do 2 science A levels, a science degree and PhD both from a Russell Group uni and I now work in science. So I would say you don't need triple science unless things have changed massively!

Surely not all schools even offer triple science, but some of their pupils must go on to study science subjects beyond GCSE?

A friend's daughter did double science, and went on to do medicine at Oxford. This was a few years ago though, and things may be different under the new exam regime.
It doesn't sound like your DS is particularly interested in science, so probably unlikely to want to do a science based degree? If he is likely to want to do a music, English or history degree, lack of triple science won't make any difference.

If he gets good grades he can do science a levels. Look on 6th form sites to see requirements. Dd’s school wanted B or above I think.

If he is not planning to do science A levels (and you would know by now)
double science will be FINE

99% of Universities care very little about GCSEs
Decent 6th forms care MUCH more about decent grades in the A level subjects and English / Maths

He'll have a solid grounding in all three sciences with the double
and two Grade 9 is better than three Grade 7 in the big scheme of things

Is the school doing triple science in the same time as double science? Since the new gcse my son’s school has given 3 slots for triple science and 2 slots for double so it counts as an extra choice. With the new harder exams I think it would be really tough to do it in a smaller time slot.

Even if he does double science he could still do any of the sciences at sixth form, and university (providing he gets good grades)

My DS is at a high-achieving grammar which offers double and triple science. The way the options works is that if you choose triple science, you only get one ‘option’ choice so most of the boys opt for double.

The science teacher I spoke to said that many of the boys still opt to do science A level and go onto science/medicine/dentistry at university, so triple certainly isn’t a requirement. DS is doing 12 GCSEs.

I would be more worried with him only doing 8 GCSEs (and one of them is statistics ). For a kid in top sets that's pretty poor basic.

I would encourage him to do triple just for the sake of having 9 GCSEs. 8 is not impressive for a bright student and 9 GCSEs is not a particularly heavy work load for a kid of reasonably high ability.

If he passes them all and does triple science he will get 10 gcses.

If he passes them all and does double science he will get 8. Am I right? Or how do they describe double science in the results?

I don't actually know if he'll want to do a science A level. You never know, he might have a particularly inspiring teacher next year which really makes him change his mind. This is why I'm worried he could be cutting off an option.

My older child did 12 gcses at another school. I'm certainly not interested in him doing the maxiumum number just for the sake of it!

Sorry, just noticed there is no MFL in his list ? Why not ?

Double Science is two GCSEs

With the new 9-1 grades doing 8 GCSEs is becoming more common and I think it will be even more so over the next few years with the harder, no-course work exams.

Your top 8 GCSEs are the ones considered anyway.

You can absolutely still do A-level with double science, so no doors are closed.

Statistics is a decent GCSE, a good chunk of A-level maths is statistics (I studied stats at uni too) it isn't a subject to be dismissed out of hand.

Loving the snippy comments about only doing 8 or 9 GCSEs
as that is what many of the top fee paying day schools have done for years

Double science is counted as 2 GCSEs.

Science is a dual award and counts as 2 GCSEs.
He will have 9.
He doesn't particularly like science and by the sounds of it the triple is accelerated (done without using an option) so it will be fast paced.

Yes Talkin, and the 12 gcses child goes to a grammar don't you know!

Since when is grade 7 not a good grade?

Thanks TeensTimes2.

That's what I was wondering.

So older child got gcses in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

If younger child does double science will they be described as Science1 and Science2 ... or how? Can't believe I don't know this stuff and I have two teenagers!

He has only been taught one MFL and he doesn't want to carry it on, Talkin'. They don't insist on it at his school.

He'll have 9 not 8. Double science will be called on the certificate GCSE Combined Science Trilogy double award or similar. (Trilogy confusingly refers to the number of sciences not the number of GCSEs.)

Double is fine for A level even A level sciences, and certainly for university.

My only concern is that with no MFL and only double science, what DOES he want to do ?
History? Geography? Art? Music ? Drama? English ? Maths ?

Its worth thinking about the end goal

I have it easy - both my kids are doing single word science degrees

Double Science will count as 2 GCSEs so he will have 9 GCSEs. Why isn't he being encouraged to do a language so that he gets the EBacc ?

8 GCSEs will be very much the norm now due to progress 8 and the much tough exams.

I teach science and I'm not even sure if push my own dd to do triple. It's not needed to go on to do further study and the amount of content I've had to cram in, even over 3 years is immense.

Don't make him do it unless he is really keen and very driven. It will be much better for him in the long run to have 2 decent grades in science than 3 less high ones.

Good luck to you ds with his choices.

Because the ebacc isn't actually a requirement. It's up to him what he picks! He won't go round saying he has an ebacc if he takes a language. It's just a stat for the school (which the school isn't judged on!).