Dual or Triple Science ?

[loumum3]

Hi

Any thoughts on this ?

School seems to think dual is adequate but ds wants to do triple but this will mean he can't do Geography !

I think triple would be best, he is currently at a level 7, I don't understand why the school isn't pushing triple ?

[bruffin]

DS has to do triple science as a core subject but from what I can gather he doesn't get anymore timetabled time than those doing double science.

[mnistooaddictive]

That is double science Riven. Triple science is where you get a GCSE in each of the 3 separately. If he wants to go on and do anything remotely sciencey or do science Alevels then he is much better doing triple. If he is arty though and has no interest in continuing double could be fine. The problem is he will proabbaly change his mind between now and then about what he does want to do!

[gerontius]

Triple is unnecessary for doing A-level. It does more sideways rather than advanced concepts iyswim.

[snorkie]

A few years ago nearly everyone in state schools did 'dual' (now called core science and additional science) and very few did separate sciences (triple). The A level courses were (and still are) designed to follow on from the dual qualification and there was really very little advantage to doing the triple - indeed it was arguably better to keep a broader range of choices at GCSE.

Then just a very few years ago, the government tried to encourage uptake of science A levels by giving every bright child a so-called 'entitlement' to study separate sciences (this was based on KS3 SATs I think - how it's done now I'm not sure). This 'entitlement' was notional only as many schools still didn't offer separate science GCSEs, but as a result more and more schools did start to; separate science GCSEs became increasingly taken up by the brighter members of the cohort and so has achieved a sort of kudos. I'm not sure the initiative will succeed in tempting more people to do science A levels as my view is that the reason people aren't opting for them is because the GCSE courses (all of them) are dull, and giving children more of a dull subject seems unlikely to persuade them to elect to do still more at a higher level.

Now, with separate sciences becoming more popular again, a few schools are making it a pre-requisite to go on the A level course (eg: need Chemistry GCSE to do Chemistry A level and Core+additional science won't do) even though the A level course is designed to follow on from the dual. There are also some rumours that for very competitive courses like vetinary/medicine, some universities are beginning to favour those with the separate science GCSEs (not sure if this is true or anecdotal).

So, it is important to do separate sciences if you might wish to go to a sixth form that mandates it and study science A levels. It should be noted that only a very sixth forms do make this stipulation and they are all either independant or grammar schools as far as I know. Otherwise I think the dual award and a wider range of GCSE options is a good choice, unless your child actively doesn't want to do any other GCSEs & would prefer to study the extra science.

If your school doesn't offer triple and you really want your child to do it - discuss with the school the possibility of learning the extra work independently and sitting the exams at the school (all the core and additional exams can be counted to either dual or triple GCSEs, so an extra paper (or sometimes two) in each subject is all that is needed to make dual up to triple.

[loumum3]

Thanks for your thoughts...

He is thinking of a medical/science career so I think the triple would be best but the school will only let 20 children take triple (as long as they are working at level 6 or over- ds is a 7)

He has been told today they only offer it because the Government tell them to and it's a "waste of time and sad"

Great !

[bloss]

Message withdrawn

[seimum]

My dd1's school only offered double science, but she went on to do science A levels and is now doing a Physics degree.

My dd2 (at a different school) did triple science - but it was the new syllabus, and I'm not convinced she learnt any more science than dd1.

Much more important is the grade that you get - if you seriously want to do science for A level you need to have A/A* for GCSE. (My dd2 got a grade B and does not really know many coherent scientific concepts at all, due to the mix'n'match nature of the GCSE syllabus)

[shelleylou]

I did triple science at school. Had 2 lessons on each subject a week. Also had to sit and pass the double science award before doing triple coursework papers and exams. In my school we had the choice of either with no limits. Triple suited me and what i planned to do (just havent got there yet)

[mattellie]

This is all very interesting. We were keen for DD to go to a school where she could do triple science as that?s her main interest (in her first year at secondary school she?s a comfortable level 6) and fortunately her local school has just started allowing some children to do that.

seimum it?s good to hear of DDs doing science to ?A? level and degree level.

[mamasez]

my ds1 only had double science, (same school), my ds2 started his triple this year if they dont pass double by year 10 they dont do triple, it gives the less able in the school 3 years to pass double giving school better grade results. Not sure if it will work but my ds2 is delighted as he wanted to do the triple anyway.

[mamasez]

my ds1 only had double science, (same school), my ds2 started his triple this year if they dont pass double by year 10 they dont do triple, it gives the less able in the school 3 years to pass double giving school better grade results. Not sure if it will work but my ds2 is delighted as he wanted to do the triple anyway.

[mumblechum]

DS also wants to do medicine and so is doing triple science. They're only allowed to do triple science if they get high level 7s in KS3 (which they still did last yr even though it's offically phased out).

If your ds wants to do 3 sciences at A level plus presumably English or History, then I think you should push for him to do triple science at GCSE.