Sort of options related science question!

[mycatunderstandsme]

Sorry for yet another options related thread.

We also had parents evening last night for my year 9 DD.

She is doing really well in arts/humanities/languages. Pretty well in maths, OK in science but the teachers are surprised she isn't doing better.

She has to take double science but if she gets a level 5 or below in the end of year test she will have to do BTEC. Now it's pretty unlikely she'll get a level 5 as she always has had level 6 in her tests but her marks go up and down, she panics in science and in the last test only got 6c [she has been as high as 7b in some topics] so if she has a bad day it is possible she could get L5.

They take 9 GCSE's so she'll probably, with hard work, get A's in 6, probably a B in maths, not sure about science.

If she had to do Btec science would this prevent her from applying to a good/traditional university[not oxbridge] or should I fight for her to do GCSE if it comes to it[although I think it's pretty much non-negotiable].Also if she were to get C's in science at GCSE would this also go against her application.

Obviously I will do what I can to help her revise but she seems to find it hard to motivate herself as she is not really interested in science.[despite DH and I both being in scientific fields!]

Hope this makes sense!

Surely they'll take other tests throughout the year into account before allocating courses? It does sound very unlikely she'll get a L5, and even if she did, the fact that she's capable of getting L7s suggests she's more than capable of doing double science.

I don't know about the BTEC science I'm afraid (at my DDs school you can opt for either double or triple science if marks good enough, single science only allocated to those who really, really struggle and would have difficulty acheiving a C at GCSE), but my gut feeling is that C at GCSE would be better (though if you dd is getting L7's on some things she'd possibly get more than that?)

Not sure about university application - everyone says that they don't look back at GCSE's but I must admit I've got niggling fear that by the time my dc's apply they may well be looking at them as everything seems so hyper competetive now.

Fight for the gcses if you think she has a chance to get a B.

To give an example (which may or may not be relevant)... If she wanted to do Pschology at a good uni, then many of the unis currently wouldn't consider her unless she had dual science at gcse.

gcses are DEFINITELY relevant for uni applications. (maybe not for all, but for many)

or even Psychology

Thanks. To be honest I can't understand why she's not doing better-the questions don't seem that difficult-so I would have thought with some exam practice she'd be able to get Bs really.

Does anyone know if they have foundation and higher tier papers for science/additional. I should have asked all this last night but it all went out of my head!

I don't think she'll want to do anything even vaguely science related but she may change her mind and i think it will not look good if she doesn't do well in 2 of her GCSEs when she's only doing 9.

DSq currently applying for universities. The general talk is that they do look at GCSEs and I would say a CC for double science is thought better of than a btec. It is because GCSE results do show their abitlity at taking a range of subjects and writing exams in them. Basically, 'good/traditional' universities need students who can do this. From what you say she seems capable of higher than C and they shouldn't be basing it on one test.

BTW in my university research for DS1 alot of Psychology degrees are quite scientific and look for A level maths/biology. Some antropolgy courses specify double science GCSE. I haven't look at other sciency subjects though.

There is no 'only doing 9'. If these are good subjects it is enough. Totally unnecessary to pad it out with 'odd' subjects. Nothing wrong with studying these, but a GCSE in unnecessary.

DS1 is at a top performing school he has 10 of which one is art, none of them do more than 11. Also 11 is only done where they have taken one in year 10.

Thanks lazymum, she wants to do drama and art
as 2 of her options, others are all traditional subjects 2 eng, maths, 2 science[hopefully!] spanish and history.

She loves drama and does a lot outside school and also is very keen on art so wants to do these 2. I know a lot of people think it's better to do all traditional subjects but she may want to work in a field related
to drama/art and wants to keep her options open...it's very difficult as she only has 3 free choices.

Yes there are foundation and higher level papers for AQA Core and additional science - so I would presume there are for all exam boards

That a really good set of GCSEs. Drama and art aren't soft especially when attached to the other 7.

Just to reassure you a bit, my DN is at Uni studying Art, and he only TOOK 1 GCSE (Art), then with a school reference got a place on on Art foundation course, then started Uni, and is doing really well.

His severe dyslexia prevented him sitting the other Academic GCSE's.

If she is generally bright, then she shouldn't have problem with GCSE Science. It is normal to go up and down in levels with KS3 science because they are all determined by the individual topics rather than making a steady progression as you would in English. Some kids are just better at certain topics.

The way the GCSE Science courses are designed is very helpful for students who are good at some parts and less good at others. Their good topics can carry their weaker ones.

She should not be panicking - she probably just needs encouragement. Does she just have one teacher now and will she move on to three different teachers when she starts her GCSE? Perhaps she will get ones she really clicks with.

Fight at all costs to have her do GCSE. All of my students do GCSE, including the very weakest (we are a non-selective school). All of our pupils get at least a C-grade. Some of those C-grades are a result of much determination and nurturing, but at the end of the day, they are the students' own work.

The BTEC is there for the school's benefit, not your child's, especially if your child is looking at 6 As in other subjects.

GCSE grades are vital for UCAS applications. It's all the universities have to go on, after the personal statement and reference.

The don't put much emphasis on AS module grades, just on the grades that have actually been awarded, ie GCSEs.

There are Foundation and Higher tiers for GCSE Science.

I do Edexcel, and in Year 10, the students select the tier for themselves and can mix-and-match. They don't have to select all foundation or all higher. They can decide on the day when they see the paper.

MMeblueberry-She has 3 teachers at the moment-doing 3 separate sciences this year.

She finds the teachers Ok but doesn't like science and isn't really a worrier so is not particularly motivated to do well! Also seems to have a problem reading the question properly-because she can't be bothered I think.

It is me who is worried about the long term implications of her not being allowed to do GCSE.I think she will easily be capable of doing GCSE but the school seem to have this rule about the end of year exams. Nothing has been said about BTEC vs GCSE and I suspect they won't tell us which set they are in until the beginning of year 10.

At parents evening all the teacher said to her was make sure you revise so that you get into the right set next year-didn't specify what that was.

I am probably worrying over nothing- she left primary with L5 science so can't believe she will be the same level 3 years later!

It is very frustrating, and I think you are probably right about not being bothered. I see it all the time.

One of the best ways of raising achievement is to have high expectations for your daughter. If you can pass on this vibe to her, she will pick up on it. It is shocking that the school is letting her fester - as you said, she came in on L5 and has made no progress!

The school is obviously not doing their job very well, so I think you need to step in. Can you discuss scientific issues together - there are stories in the newspapers every day. Ask her what she thinks about them. Get her to start thinking with a scientific brain. If she does this, she will ace her exams.

I am not the kind of teacher that confronts the headteacher, but if offered a BTEC, then I would be banging on the door.

Thank you for your comments MME.I am also not confrontational but if it comes to it we will insist on GCSE. My husband and I are both in science related fields and I think she is determined not to be like us!
We can easily help with her work/revision but she is not interested.
I think the other good comments at parents evening have spurred her on and she did say she would let me help her revise for the next test.
She finished Y7 with a level 6B in her end of year exam [she would revise with me at that stage] but in year 8 was 6C- basically because she didn't like her teacher and would not do much revision. This year I know she has tried harder at school because her comments were good but science doesn't come easily to her and she can't be bothered to understand things.
I think she will work harder when GCSE's are imminent-I will just have to hope she can raise her marks for this end of year test.She is a teenager and trying to talk about anything is tricky at the moment!

The same thing was happening at my childs school the school hardly let any pupils take science at gcse fortunately my child managed to do much better than predicted in the sats If this had not happened we were ready for a change of school having phoned around we had discovered other schools in the area with better reputations which would allow pupils with level 5 to take gcse science

I am truly shocked, Marney.