How important is taking triple versus double science at GSCE?

[Middleagefear]

Exactly that. What doors open/shut by taking triple versus double? I just want an idea of impact - thanks

This is really interesting. I do think that offering triple as an option (not how it was done local to me, as per my previous posts) is better in many ways - those who are not so academic but enjoy science get the choice, plus there is scope for mix and match among H and F tiers if triple is taken, but not for double.

But I also agree we should not narrow down sooner than we need to. Sadly that is more and more the case - a well-rated school local to me has students who take double taking a max of eight GCSEs, with only one free choice among those eight. The only difference there for the triple students is that they take nine GCSEs - still just one choice.

Yh lots of schools have pathways where your choice is geo or his, french or Spanish and only one free choice. If you want to do triple than that's your one choice. It's sad. I got 4 free choices, it was brilliant.
Do you mean with triple you could do for eg foundation bio but higher physics? If you're doing triple and you're weak enough in one to do foundation, surely a higher grade in double would be better?

Yes exactly that re tiers. So if you are great at biology but not physics (clearly possible if not v likely) you could take H bio and get an 8 but F physics and get a 4- instead of (say) 6-6 in double.

Is 6-6 better than 8 and 4? I guess it depends if you wanted to do biology A level.

Yes re pathways- the school I mention has the usual maths eng x 2, science x 2 or 3, then French (the only MFL offered) l, history OR geog, the whoopdedoo ONE option. It's a bit crap I think.

Yeah, real strength of DC’s school, which only dies double, was real choice for all. 5 option blocks (study support in 2 blocks for high level SEN); only restrictions were no more than 2 of the 4 DT plus Art subjects offered, and not Drama, Art and Music because of the coursework loads. Could do more than 2 languages and PE plus Dance if done as twilights. Genuinely wide curriculum offer.

I looked into this as my DD has just had to choose her GCSE options. She might want to do Biology A level but has little interest in the other sciences so doesn't want to do triple science. I checked A-Level requirements for her school and other sixth forms in the area for Biology A Level and none required triple science.

I would say triple science is a good choice for those who find science interesting and are likely to do well at it but it doesn't necessarily open or close any doors.

We had this dilemma at GCSE choices time. I had always assumed that DC would do triple science and indeed one of the key criteria for choosing secondary schools was making sure that they had a triple science gcse option because I always assumed the DC (who has ASD) would prefer scientific subjects.

However, as they have also chosen 2 scientific choices in the free option (computer science and design technology & engineering) and was finding the workload of a full timetable tough, we decided to ask for a drop down from triple to double to relieve the pressure.

We were assured at the time that taking double does not close any doors. Double science is still an adequate preparation for A Level sciences if that's their choice. There will be a little catching up as some topics in the Alevel syllabus will have had some initial content included in the triple science syllabus but not the double, but such catching up would not be too onerous, and there will be other students in any sixth form class who have transferred in from other schools and not covered the same topics at GCSE so the A level teachers would expect to cover such catching up as a matter of routine.

My A level chemistry classes are about 1/3 double and 2/3 triple. After the first term I couldn't tell you who did what. Many go on to do medicine, vet med, engineering etc - even Natural Sciences at Cambs.

Doing double won't stop you do anything. You just have time do a bit extra at the start of year 12.

Why didn't she take triple? The step up to a-levels is tough enough from triple.

Not that unusual. DC is at a school with about 110 in triple science and 170 in combined science. About 60% of triple science class scores grade 7+. Compared to 15%. From what DC says, anyone academic is in the triple science class. It’s a non selective comprehensive. The combined is the lower set and they are taught with the same number of lessons.

So to the OP. Really depends on your school whether you should take double or triple.

The actual triple science 7+ percentage is actually 60%, 60% and 67%. So the combined science with a 15% at 7+ is truly awful for the school. It’s filled with disengaged kids I would guess.

I don't see that much in it. Triple science is harder than combined. But even then you can do A'level in at least one subject.

Because it isn't an option at her school.

Who's given you these stats? Surely that's cohort dependent? A 7 is very high... if the school puts all the lower ability pupils into combined and 15% of them are getting 7s than that's pretty damn impressive!
Just because a child is not getting a 7 doesn't mean they're disengaged... can we stop this narrative it's really weird. Science GCSE is not easy by any means, just because a child didn't get a 7 doesn't mean they were disengaged wtf?

Long reply here which might shed some light as we've just switched Y11 DS from Triple to Double (AQA Combined)

He's in a school where 3 classes do Double and 1 class does Triple.
He's been a 6 sometimes a 7 since Y9 when they started the content but despite working at full capacity he got three 6s in his mocks which was disappointing as was aiming for 7s. His classmates got 8s & 9s

School have never pushed us to switch but have said it's always an option as he is borderline. He likes Triple because he's in with all his friends.

I asked at the post-mock parents evening just before half term what a switch would entail given he is unable to 'go up a gear' for the looming GCSEs and got a really honest & frank response from each of the 3 teachers. It would be a smooth transition after half term, he'd likely get 2 much stronger grades vs risk three 6s, he could cut down his revision content by a quarter (it's not quite a third) and there would be no impact on A level choices or stigma. DS was sold & decided on the spot to switch.

I spent half term comparing the Triple and Combined Specifications as wanted a list of what Triple content to cut - it was about a quarter but crucially it was all the really quite hard stuff.
Ds is now sitting Combined Physics papers weekly for homework and is getting 9s.
The papers are 1 hour 15 min each rather than 1 hour 45 minutes, there is less content to revise and the harder content & questions are dropped

We are both so relieved to have made the switch at this late stage. The volume of content for GCSEs is just vast and this has slightly taken the pressure off all the other areas he needs to address!
Hopefully he'll get two much stronger grades than risk 3 lower grades.

Do Triple if you are a science natural, find it easy and love it. If you have to work at it go for combined.

Two high grades open more doors than 3 lower grades.
There is a bit of catching up for A level apparently but lots of people seem to manage it.

I encouraged my kids to do triple:
A. It's a few extra modules not a whole different subject
B. Grade boundaries are lower I think
C. The kids in triple tend to be better behaved and more academic (double science is compulsory) so there is less 'behaviour' to deal with. Not important in all schools but v important in my DC's school.

A lot of schools only offer triple science to the top set. This explains the higher percentage of grade 7+ for triple science when compared to double - the academically more able kids are generally the ones doing triple. Combined science doesn’t disadvantage in anyway but for those who are interested in A levels in one or more science subject, doing triple science ( if able to) makes sense.

@Foxesandsquirrels it is on the school’s website.

@Foxesandsquirrels clearly there are smart kids in the combined science class. Not all smart kids like the sciences. But if the OP is considering doing triple, then they must have a child that wants to continue onto A level. Otherwise it is a clear choice for combined surely.

My ds has recently made his choices, he was unsure between double or triple, he loves science but was worried about having less choices for his other subjects if he went for the triple.

However at the options evening, his science teacher said one thing to consider, is everyone has to do double, so the double classes have children in who don't want to do science at all & who don't want to be in school. Essentially behaviour in schools is going down hill, but the behaviour in the triple lessons is better because the students are more engaged. I'm sure that's not the case across the board, but definitely the case for ds' school and other local schools.

If your child isn't easily distracted then it probably wouldn't matter, but my ds is, so he's gone with the triple, where hopefully the environment will be calmer.

I'd agree with the 2 posters that have mentioned better behaviour in the Triple Class. I'm glad we made the switch from Triple to Combined at such a late stage even though DS 'wasted time' on unnecessary content as it's definitely rowdier in the Combined class. Luckily this close to GCSEs they are just revising material in Combined rather than still being taught new triple material

Grade boundaries are lower I think

@PrincessOfPreschool not the case actually - quick glance at 2019 GBs for AQA - biology and chemistry around 140/200 for a 9; combined trilogy 269/440 for a 9-9 - so actually a lower mark needed for the highest grade.

Interesting to hear others agreeing about possible behaviour issues in double science.

It's a bit like a top maths set - surely @Foxesandsquirrels you couldn't deny that behaviour is likely to be better? I'm talking here, let me reiterate, about schools which stream for triple/double, so that all the most able students sit triple. It's different if triple is an extra option, although even then it will be populated by students who have chosen it (but of all abilities) so again, I would expect a greater level of interest, as opposed to those who have got to do it but don;t all perhaps enjoy it. I don't really think that's a good reason to choose triple as an option tho!

I am not saying that all less academic students behave badly - but as someone who has taught set 9 and set 1 in the same year group for French, I can't lie, the learning environment was much more easily calm and engaged in the top set, despite there being some lovely kids in the lowest set.

My ds did double as not wanting to take Science A Levels, and it gave him wider choice of other GCSEs, and my dd triple as she did. Anecdotally ds' double science class did have poor behaviour which was an issue for a while.

But you can easily do combined if you want to do science A Levels.. and there will be kids doing triple that don't want to do it for A Levels.