GCSEs 2018 (13) Untwisting our knickers, lucky for some!

[Stickerrocks]

Thread 12 Link to the thread with our potted histories. Now the end is in sight.

Only top 60 pupils in science offered triple at dgds school. Those who choose not to do it places are offered to the next highest pupil provided they are attaining 6/7 at the time.

At my children's schools, the top 2/3 of the year group do triple science. The school chooses which pupils do which, based on the results of the end of Y9 exams.
At both schools, triple science is taught within the same timetable slot as combined science, so it doesn't use up an option.

Hope you get better soon thethird vertigo awful! Had it a couple if weeks ago, floored me for days!

@Jufusmum - absolutely. I wasn’t implying that everyone who does combined isn’t any good at it, just that a % aren’t invested in the subject which brings the overall pass/fail % down. That’s why there are still some darned good grades in there!
It doesn’t prohibit them from doing single science A Levels either.

I knew when I was writing my last post that it might be misinterpreted but I was struggling to put into words that there are 2 distinct groups of DC that take combined.

Aarrgghhh wish I hadn’t tried

Trilogy and synergy are just AQA board. Nobody has done them yet. Combined science used to be Core Science GCSE and Additional. Now it's a double GCSE with grades from 99, 98, 88 etc to 11

@TheThirdOfHerName - get well soon.

DS1 is sitting in the dog basket reading his CGP Chemistry. It makes him happy but the dog is less impressed. DS1 has had enough of the CGP puns. Apparently fractional distillation is 'fractionating' (for fascinating).

I think this is the link with all the data:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017

i think "Main national tables: SFR01/2018" is the one with the useful info and table 1C has the how many take what science data. I've screenshotted the bit about the proportions taking triple versus combined.

Yes triplers are fast tracked in dgds school too. 3 GCSEs taught in time of two.and all had to attain a 6/7 at end of year 9 mocks. Some of top groups pupils didn't attain it, but those at top of second group did. Top groups (2) and second groups(2,) were taught same stuff so effectively school could choose from large cohort. Those in third and fourth groups were taught foundation level sciences. ( 2 groups of each). There are 8 forms of 30 children in each year. I believe they have 10 maths groups in each year alone, same for English. They are streamed from year 7.

My reading is that the more able typically take triple versus combined and that's reflected in the results. So, even though 2.5x as many take Combined as take triple, the combined includes all the DC who aren't up to triple and they distort the numbers.

Some schools seem to have almost everyone, except the bottom set do triple, but then others , like the one my children go to really turns the thumb screws in year 9 on anyone who wants to do triple.

That included DS1, who the school say they are expecting to get straight 9s. DS2 (year 9) had the same presentation that could have been entitled "just do combined, its the better choice". Seeing how few DC will be permitted to get 9s under the new system, I don't think that was good advice (and I'm glad now that he was pig-headed enough to ignore it).

Dgd just rang to say she went online to a GCSE maths group who were arguing over answer to last question on paper 3. Eventually after a lot of discussions they concurred dgds answer was right! Not official of course, but none the less she feels she got 5 marks! its the other 75 I want to know about!

i guess you could roughly cut the 12% getting a 9 for single sciences by 75% (roughly 25% taking single sciences) to compare more closely with the other subjects, if less than 0.5% get a 9 on combined. So more like 3% which compares more closely with other subjects.

Terrible English, sorry.

Not worrying about 9s in sciences. 7/8 will do as I said before dgd will still be sitting with the few who get 9s, being taught by same teachers and keeping up when doing her A levels in sciences.

@CBlue I wasn't offended at all, just giving an alternative reason why some DC may choose to take Combined.

A few days away from the thread, and now it's a new one!!

Thanks stickerrocks, and at the risk of posting after the ship has sailed (because I so enjoyed reading about others' DC and DGCs), here's some information about my lovely one:

DC doing GCSEs: DD1 (mix of IGCSE and GCSE)
Other DC: DD2 (Y9 - another 2020-er here)
A level intentions: English Lit, History, Philosophy and Ethics and EPQ (Drama) - keen on studying law at uni
Current school: International School in SE Asia
Sixth form: selective indie (girls) in UK (subject to results - eeek!)
SEN: ASD
Other info: loves musicals, hockey and netball, tap dancing, Dan and Phil, Minecraft and Harry Potter. Sings and plays violin and piano. Hates any STEM subjects and proudest achievement would be a 6 in Maths (and to get her predicted 9 in English - scary looking at %ages on mmzz's tables though...!)
Last exam: Spanish writing on Thursday

Celebrating the end of exams with a prom dress fitting and a weekend away.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, everyone, and special thoughts to Sost Alexander and all others with illness to deal with.

Forgot to say thanks @Stickerrocks for the new thread.

We should have added three more categories to that summary we each gave:
GCSE with highest hopes (DS = maths)
GCSE result most feared (DS = Eng Lit by a country mile)
Post 18 ambition (DS is a 'don't really know' which is why it didn't occur to me to include it)

and a 4th and 5th:

DC plans for the summer: xbox, binge-watch tv and eat pizza
Mother plans for the summer: work experience, exercise, finally learn to eat vegetables without complaint!

farang you reminded me that DS will also be doing and EPQ in Music. I never ever remember that!
mmzz I give you a 10 for your tables.

At Dds school double or triple science is a completely free choice.

Ds’s school only offer single science but students can drop one.

So,is this the first year of Trilogy? My DS is doing that due to weak mock results earlier this year. At first, I thought it was a good idea - less work etc. Now i’m not so sure, because a poor science (ie. chemstry) will pull the overall score down, whilst in the three separate sciences, a poor science will not affect the other two.

Today’s exams went okay (like they all have). I’ve learnt more about the exam content from here, than what he has disclosed.

Dc hasn’t started chemistry revision yet (for tonight), but has found time to,sort,out his Fantasy Football World Cup team...

At Dds school double or triple science is a completely free choice.

technically it is at DS's school, too, AlexanderHamilton. the choice looks like this:

Students choose one of the following:

1. COMBINED SCIENCE IS SUCH A WISE CHOICE. YOU CAN EVEN GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL WITH IT. THERE ARE NO DISADVANTAGES WHATSOEVER. WOULDN'T YOU RATHER HAVE 9-9 THAN 7-7-7. TICK HERE TO CHOOSE THE INTELLIGENT OPTION, COMBINED SCIENCE

or

1. Tick here for triple science if you really, really think you are up to it. You know you have to do it in the double slots, and we won't run revision classes for it? And you are sure, really, really sure that you aren't making a stupid decision???

It’s an option block at Dds school. So block A is French, History or Geography, Block A is a mix of subjects , Music, Drama, French, RS Food Tech Etc, Block C is similar, Music, Business, Art, etc then Block D is triple science or Drama!

You can't get 9 with double science though, can you?

Confused now!!!