Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

GCSE Combined Science Paper

28 replies

Frostytiger87 · 09/01/2022 09:53

Hi, I'm looking for advice please my child is doing GCSE'S this year & although able has chosen to do the Combined Science exams for the Mocks .
Is this a good decision ? he said that it'll make no difference later on when it comes to the GCSE exams & he'll just be missing a mark or two is this correct ?

OP posts:

user1471530109 · 09/01/2022 09:58

Eh? I'm not sure I'm following.

Was you da allowed to pick which paper to take as a mock? Surely that would be an indicator as to which course he will be entered for? Or are you saying, the school have said take combined as a mock and we will still enter you for triple? I can kind of see some logic as it is v similar (especially paper 1) but the exam is shorter so easier to fit into the mock timetable. I personally don't do that though. I like to add all the papers up at the end of the second lot of mocks to give them a true grade.

I do agree that taking combined isn't an issue for later study though. He'd be much better off securing higher grades and may be easier with less content on the combined. But I don't think that's what you are asking?

TeenPlusCat · 09/01/2022 10:11

Is he supposedly doing the trilogy (3 GCSEs, 3 separate grades) or the dual award (a double GCSE with a combined grade eg 6-5)?

Is there any chance you have confused with whether he has elected to do Higher tier papers or Foundation tier? Foundation tier papers are capped at a grade 5, but have a bit less content and more straightforward questions.

Frlrlrubert · 09/01/2022 10:11

Seems an unusual thing for a school to offer pupils taking three sciences the choice to do the combined papers for mock.

I could maybe see a school using combined papers for all pupils to make the exams fit better in a mock timetable (though I would argue against it as a science teacher, as it won't give as accurate a picture of what they need to work on for the real thing).

Taking combined won't affect his education going forward unless his A level choices are affected (I know if some placed where they take on pupils for Biology A level with a 7 for combined but a 6 for the stand alone GCSE, or if he's likely do do particularly better in one science over another, as combine would get him a middle grade).

I'd be trying to extract a bit more information from him - or possibly his science teacher.

MaizeAmaze · 09/01/2022 11:19

I think you need abit more information.
What GCSE's is he expecting to do? Triple Science or combined? And Higher or foundation?

iirc, most of the differences in topics covered in paper 2. There are longer questions in the higher papers, so level matters too.

RedskyThisNight · 09/01/2022 15:50

It's extremely odd for a school to let a child who is taking triple science (is your DC?) take the combined papers for mocks.

It's possible that they might let a child who was struggling with triple science take the combined papers to see if dropping down to combined might be a better option for them. So I think you need to understand if this is the case for your DC.

gsaoej · 09/01/2022 15:56

It's not just a mark or two. It's several subtopics as far as I am aware. Kids doing combined science and kids doing separate sciences are generally not taught in the same classroom as each other as the ones doing 3 science GCSEs need to cover stuff faster to get through it all.

Original poster

Frostytiger87 · 09/01/2022 15:56

If a child was to do very well in the mocks combined is there an opportunity to do the higher level for GCSE

OP posts:

titchy · 09/01/2022 16:00

I think you need to answer the previous questions before anyone can answer your latest....

If your child doing foundation or higher? Are they expecting to do combined or trilogy?

You need to talk to your kid and school to see what the expectations are.

Diditreallylookawful · 09/01/2022 16:03

I'm not sure I understand (sorry!). My DC is doing the separate sciences, so will do separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics GCSEs, with their separate exams and marks. Those of their peers that are doing the Combined Sciences have done less of the curriculum and are being examined on that.

If you wanted your child to move from the Combined, to the separate, exams, then I think there would be a huge amount of the curriculum that they haven't covered and, given that the exams are only months away, I doubt that there would be time to learn it.

TequilaShot · 09/01/2022 16:04

I would think if he's been doing combined all along it would be hard to go up to triple for the actual final exams as he would be missing a lot of the content.

RedskyThisNight · 09/01/2022 16:04

@Frostytiger87

If a child was to do very well in the mocks combined is there an opportunity to do the higher level for GCSE

You seem to be confusing 2 different things here. Combined science and triple science lead to 2 and 3 GCSEs in science respectively and both involved students taking papers in physics, chemistry and biology.

Within combined and triple science a student may take either foundation or higher papers.

You need to understand

is your child taking combined or triple science (very unusual to take mocks in combined science if taking triple science)
what is their predicted grade? Unless it's a 6 or over they will generally be encouraged to take the foundation paper. If they are borderline, then they might sit foundation mocks and higher GCSEs (or vice versa) depending on how they have done.

A child taking combined science will not be moved to triple science following mocks. They won't have studied a third of the syllabus!

clary · 09/01/2022 16:28

Agree with others - it would be very unusual for a student who had prepped for combined science (which is triology btw - confusingly named I agree) to be put in for triple science - ie three separate GCSEs - at this stage. Especially this year.

OP there is nothing wrong with taking combined science, and it is perfectly possible to take science A levels with it.

Science has a higher and foundation tier too, so there are four options overall - combined F, (two science GCSEs with grades capped at 5); combined H (two GCSEs with grades up to 9); in both these cases the grades must be within one of each other or identical (so 4-5, 3-4, 5-5, 7-7, 8-9 etc).

Then there is triple of single science GCSEs, where a student gains a GCSE in each of biology, chemistry and physics. They can take any or all of these at F or H level, with the F grade again capped at a 5. The H paper is in all cases for more able students as the intention is that the lowest possible grade is a 4 (though in fact in recent years for various reasons it has been possible to gain a 3 in H, rather than getting no grade at all).

Does that make sense? What is your DS supposed to be sitting in the summer?

Frlrlrubert · 09/01/2022 16:34

Has your DC studied the triple content? If they have why are they taking the combined papers?

If they haven't studied the content there isn't enough time left to learn a whole GCSE before the real exams.

I can try to imagine scenarios where this might be an option, say if they haven't been applying themselves to revision and the school want them to have a crack with less to revise, on the proviso that they do well with less content, then pick up the pace on the rest after. It would be very unusual.

Are you absolutely sure it's not Foundation/Higher rather than combined/triple?

A student who should have the ability to do higher but isn't performing (have they already had a round of mocks? Most schools will have done one by now) may do foundation on the mocks with the proviso that they need to do very well in order to be entered for higher for the real thing, though at this point they will be doing foundation because the teacher things they are likely to get a U if they take the higher usually.

catndogslife · 10/01/2022 10:59

The January exams are often used to finalise GCSE entries so if he does the combined papers now, it is likely that he would also be entered for these in the final GCSE exams.
You can't mix and match different tiers for combined science - all papers sat must be the same tier. Also for the actual exams you can't mix and match between separate sciences and Combined Science - all the papers sat must be for the same qualification.
Your child's understanding isn't correct.

SnowDownShowdown · 10/01/2022 11:24

For mocks that are coming up ds class were also given the choice to choose the triple or combined science papers.
I have been previously told that everyone studies the triple science topics even if they are taking combined as they have found students do better. The science classes aren't set either,

RedskyThisNight · 10/01/2022 11:35

@SnowDownShowdown

For mocks that are coming up ds class were also given the choice to choose the triple or combined science papers. I have been previously told that everyone studies the triple science topics even if they are taking combined as they have found students do better. The science classes aren't set either,

That sounds extremely odd as well! Either schools are very bad at communicating with parents/students or some schools just do seemingly bizarre things

I'm not sure why you would force students with no interest or inclination in science to study triple science, particularly if they were then only going to be allowed to take combined.

TeenPlusCat · 10/01/2022 11:37

Snow Is that a selective school? I find it hard to believe that teaching 50% extra syllabus would be preferable for lower ability pupils.

SnowDownShowdown · 10/01/2022 11:47

@TeenPlusCat not selective in the slightest, in fact, although results are improving is lower than average

TeenPlusCat · 10/01/2022 11:49

And you really mean triple content not higher tier content?

SnowDownShowdown · 10/01/2022 11:49

I thought I must have misunderstood but I have an email clarifying and that's definitely how they do it. For mocks a science teacher came into his lesson and asked a few different students if they want to do combined or triple.

I have to admit I am rather concerned he chose to do triple as I don't see how they could have covered the content.

I also have an email confirming that the only lesson that is set is maths. It all seems very bizarre but. It sure what I can do

SnowDownShowdown · 10/01/2022 11:51

@TeenPlusCat definitely triple and not higher. He is looking at a grade 7/8 in all his subjects.

TeenPlusCat · 10/01/2022 12:00

Sounds unusual. I can understand not setting, but it seems strange to have those heading for combined foundation in the same class as triple higher pupils. Hopefully they know know what they are doing.

cherryonthecakes · 10/01/2022 12:10

You can do A-level science with GCSE Combined Science

Our school (a comp) has sets doing triple and other sets doing combined. The borderline students are offered the choice of doing higher or foundation for mocks but I don't think that it means that's what they are sitting this summer.

cherryonthecakes · 10/01/2022 12:12

Triple Science is 3 GCSEs.
Combined Science is 2 GCSEs

Sitting foundation means the maximum grade that you can get is a 5 (I think)
Higher means trying to achieve a 5-9 grade

RedskyThisNight · 10/01/2022 12:39

I also have an email confirming that the only lesson that is set is maths. It all seems very bizarre but. It sure what I can do

That's the same at my DC's school as well. That bit is not bizarre!

Flip

1 2