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Original poster

Combined science v triple

29 replies

Hollyhedge · 17/03/2025 11:43

Regardless of A level options/ sixth form entry, would it be better to have 6,6,7 for triple or 77 for combined. I know there is no right answer to this question, but interested in your personal view if you were taking the decision. Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Hollyhedge · 25/03/2025 21:13

Justanotherteacher · 25/03/2025 20:44

@bluegoosie As a very experienced head of science I disagree with almost everything you are saying about combined science.

I hope you are not rejecting students from university courses because they chose not to narrow their curriculum at the age of 14 with triple as one of their options.

Schools that teach triple in double time can only do so by covering material too quickly to enjoy it or teach for deep understanding, which is what you are claiming triple brings.

Triple does not offer a massive step up to A level. It covers a couple of topics briefly that save an hour or two each at A level. And if the topic isn’t taught by Christmas in year 12, they’ve all forgotten half of it anyway!

The exam boards are required to check that the grades in triple and combined are equivalent in standard so the triple papers are not more difficult.

@Hollyhedge Is it possible the school have considered how much revision your DS will need to do to raise the grades at triple? It cuts the work by a third if he changes to combined. If he’s getting lots of knowledge questions wrong, especially in the triple only topics, then he will find it easier to get two higher grades at combined.

However, I understand your reasoning for sticking with triple and, in your position, with the information you’ve given, it’s probably what I’d advise. (You could always try getting him to sit and mark the double papers to see what grade he comes out with.)

Thank you. We just had a quick chat about it and two of his friends who got moved off triple previously are now getting higher grades, including 8,7. So I really don’t know what is best. He is going to talk to his teacher. Ultimately he will need to decide, but obviously i want to advise him.

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Original poster
Hollyhedge · 25/03/2025 21:20

Hollyhedge · 25/03/2025 21:13

Thank you. We just had a quick chat about it and two of his friends who got moved off triple previously are now getting higher grades, including 8,7. So I really don’t know what is best. He is going to talk to his teacher. Ultimately he will need to decide, but obviously i want to advise him.

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Just to add, I think quite a bit of the issue is revision. He has only refined a decent revision strategy recently. They have only just finished syllabus (one extra science lesson after school compared to double) so not done past papers etc yet in class, very little application. He hasn’t retained enough. If he does all he plans with CGP, free science lessons, practice papers I think he could make strong gains. Obviously if two thirds of content gains would be greater. Hmmm…his teacher end of year ten said he felt he could get 8s, something went awry or he is less able than they thought…

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cantkeepawayforever · 25/03/2025 21:50

Anecdotal - but I did look into this quite heavily, as a scientist whose DC went to a double science- only comprehensive (to then allow students 5 true options at GCSE: two languages, 2 humanities and a practical arts / design / music subject was a common combination but there was genuine flexibility).

  • After the change of spec and the move to numbered grades at GCSE, the amount of work covered in ‘new double’ is in fact very similar to ‘old’ triple
  • New double is therefore a very good preparation for A level.
  • Highly selective universities (I checked with my old Oxbridge college) do not have a preference for triple vs double, and at that point, around half of that college’s scientists and medics had double, having preferred to keep options broad.
  • A level science results at ‘double only’ schools in my area were similar to ‘triple as option’ schools, because they started the A level course from ‘where their students were’
  • While there was a slight disadvantage transferring from a double only to a triple offering school for A level, this amounted to a single topic per subject, which eg in Physics was not taught until Y13 so was simply taught again from scratch.
  • Those students who, like DD, moved to a local school where almost all their peers had done triple, had A level science results and high-level university entry in line with or higher than the rest of the cohort.
Antonania · 26/03/2025 01:53

Can he unpick a bit more why he got the 5 in Physics? That is quite a big jump to make up to 8,7 with double. For example is there a format of answers that he needs to use to bag the final mark or two in each question? If there are no such patterns/easy wins, yes I think I'd be tempted to stick with triple and concentrate on Chem and Bio.

The volume of triple for my daughter was a real issue in the last couple of months, but they were extremely late finishing the syllabus and she's autistic and gets very overwhelmed. FWIW though, I don't think the overload impacted on her science grades. It was more than science homework took over and revision for other subjects was compromised. But if he mainly needs sciences for A level that might not necessarily be a problem.

Early days as DD is only Y13 but I don't think anyone cares whether she has 9 or 10 GCSEs. This decision needs to be made on factors that are very specific to your son - just because his friends increased their grades by swapping, doesn't mean he will.

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