Advice with GCSE science dilemma following absence - double or triple

[RexelHolepunch]

DD is start of year 10. She had always been very academic, top sets, in "G&T" registers, etc. But she's had to have a year out for health reasons. She's rejoined the school (which she left temporarily), and is now behind, because they do GCSEs over 3 years at her school. She has to do double science, rather than triple (which she'd planned to do previously).

My question is: how much does it matter? Could she still do science A-levels if she wanted to? I'd like to not add extra pressure to her to catch up, and she seems OK with doing double rather than triple, but am I limiting her by not pushing to get her back into the "triple" stream? We're a family of scientists (although DD may not be), and I'm struggling to get my head around not doing as much science as possible at each stage!

TIA

You can do science A levels with double.
(She may want to go through missed content in the summer before y11 just to be aware of it.)

Is it one of those schools where they squeeze the triple content into the same timetable slots that double get? If so then she should definitely do double science.

ts perfectly possible to do science A levels having only done double. I asked the head if chemistry at the school my son went to about this and he said some of their best a level results came from those who had done double.

You don't need triple to do science A levels. You're better off with 2 good grades than 3 less good ones.

Yes, you can still do a levels with double. It’s really just a few sections of each subject that are missed out, and they would be covered at a level, and if you are a family of scientists it should be ok to look through some of the topics to give her a head start on them if needed.

I guess I’d think of this as “this IS as much science as possible at this stage” - it’s important she does what she can, rather than trying to cram and rush things, especially if she’s been out for health reasons.

If your daughter has missed a whole year of school, I would have thought you might be better trying to get her moved down a year.

Even if she is taking fewer GCSEs (which I assume is why she is taking combined science now), there will be a huge amount to catch up on in every single subject.

Completely possible to do A-levels on double science. Not all schools offer triple science.

Thank you all so much - this is very reassuring.

@redskydarknight I had wondered the same. But she wants to be back with her friends. In things like maths and English, she's basically caught up already, I think. She'd done bits of maths at home, and is getting high marks in top set. But the stuff with more "content" is the problem - science and history, primarily. In these, she's gone from top set to quite low down, because she just doesn't know it. Can she catch up without lots of extra work, do you think? (She can cope with normal school, but won't be able to go into intense catch-up mode).

I think it’s most difficult to do A levels with just double, you’ve not covered most of the more advanced content.

I would push for her to re-join the triple science class, she’s got time to cover the stuff she’s missed.

It's completely possible to do science A levels from.double science. Lots of people do as not all schools offer triple.

And a lot of colleges will I have entry criteria which mean is better to have 2 grade sixes, than 3 fives for instance.

It also frees up time to do a bit better in other subjects.

Double science is for bright students too.

It doesn't matter at all. My son did double science, then a science subject at A Level which he then got a place at a good uni to study. He chose double so that it didn't use up one of his options, but he did regret it as he was a bit jealous of his friends doing triple - they were learning more interesting stuff. But it didn't hamper him in any way.

I don't think it is true. It isn't 'more advanced topics' it is just 'more topics' that aren't any harder than the others.

Double is perfectly fine for science A levels. You can always get some summer tuition between y11 and y12 to go over the extra topics/sections if needed.

I tutor for science, I always have some space for this in summer.

My main worry would be if she's missed topics from year 9 already, how are the school addressing this? Being in a lower set but not catching up missed work isn't going to help her, she's going to feel lost without a foundation to build on for the current work, and won't be maximising her potential for understanding the current topics either.

If it helps, I did double science, then 2 sciences plus maths at A level, science at Cambridge, have a PhD in Neuroscience and am now a university professor in biology. So it doesn't have to hold her back from anything she wants to do in a science field!

At our school you need to achieve a 7,7
In double science to do any/all of the Science A Levels. If you did triple you just had to get a 6 in that particular Science to study it at A Level. DS missed out on doing Physics A level as only achieved a 7,6. Hated Biology. Worth investigating if your school has a similar rule so you are forewarned.

Fine to do A levels with double science.

And yes it’s not more advanced content you miss, just extra content. GCSE science has changed so unless PPs’ DC took the exams in 2018 or later they may be working off old specs.

Yes, if she goes for science A levels, it might be worth looking at the missing topics in the summer of year 11 (after GCSE exams that is).

I would also be concerned about her catching up though. What is the school putting in place to help her? She will need a fair bit of support to pick up a year of history and science topics. What about books already covered in Eng lit? What other subjects is she doing?

Could you stretch to some catch-up lessons from a tutor @RexelHolepunch? And would your DD be able to cope with that? I am thinking an hour a week on science, history and any others where she is missing out, maybe just for a couple of months? Or you could stagger it – science Dec and Jan, history Feb and Mar – if it would be too much.

Many schools only start in y10 so it should be possible in theory to catch up a fair bit, as either they are going slower, or they use a lot of y11 for revision.

I would start with the 'building' subjects (so isn’t lost in new lessons) ie maths (she has done that already it seems) and mfl, then science, and leave topic based eng lit and history until last.

Yes good point @TeenToTwenties can pick up missed topics in history at any time. Is she taking MFL - I had assumed not but see @RexelHolepunch does not say. Yy if so some support there would be v useful. The teacher may be willing to help (I would be in similar circs when I taught in school)