Triple Science Lower Set

I am a Mother asking a query on triple science, as not receiving any help from my daughter's school. I don't know if anyone had a similar experience and if so, what was the solution? My daughter (Year 10) is in the lower set for triple science, she is doing really well in physics and chemistry, but not biology, hence the lower set, you have to get high grades in all three to be moved up. She needs to attain a grade 6 to take A Level Physics, as she wants to be an Engineer. The school have basically said she needs to review her career choices!!! She takes her GCSEs in 2021. Any advice or experience on this situation would be appreciated.

I am a bit confused- do the sets directly affect her achievement? Surely not being in the top set would not necessarily mean that she can't achieve a grade 6 (especially as she's actually sitting the exams and its not based on her teachers' assessment).

In my opinion, I feel the school is being perhaps somewhat unreasonable. I wasn't in top-set science (set 2 out of 4 sets) but that didn't stop me - she can do the same too!

Thanks. Sorry yes it is her tier, where she can only achieve a grade 5. I believe they are being unreasonable and could support more to allow her to take physics at the higher tier - which she is quite capable of.

Thanks. Sorry yes it is her tier, where she can only achieve a grade 5. I believe they are being unreasonable and could support more to allow her to take physics at the higher tier - which she is quite capable of.

Durring lockdown there is plenty of time to potentially catch up on it.
Ask the school if they would reconsider after the end of lockdown.

The schools my be reluctant to move her up to the higher because she will not have learnt any higher tier only content. It will also be far more demanding in terms of the maths needed.
Durring lockdown there is plenty of time to potentially catch up on it.
Ask the school if they would reconsider after the end of lockdown.

Even if she remains on the foundation tier, its not the end. Although she probably won't be able to do A-Level physics it may be worth looking into a 'Level 3 BTEC extended diploma in Engeneering'.
BTEC Level 3 Engeneering is commonly accepted by universities and apprenticeships.

Thanks. Sorry yes it is her tier, where she can only achieve a grade 5. I believe they are being unreasonable and could support more to allow her to take physics at the higher tier - which she is quite capable of.

Hi

As a science teacher, I think you need to dig into this a bit more deeply. I'm surprised the school has a triple science set that is only taught foundation content, but honestly the grade boundaries on the higher papers are so low, you could a get 6 just by doing well on the foundation only content.

However, the higher paper is different in lots of ways, not just content. Questions are written in a different way and there are far more extended response questions on the higher paper, and fewer 1 mark or multiple choice questions. I have taught a few students who were solid 5s on the foundation papers, but would fail completely if given a higher past paper- and this is the risk of moving up to higher. The lowest grade possible is a 4, so if you don't get that, you end up with a U.

Unless your school has taught the content in an unusual order, she will have done most/all of the paper 1 content by now. I'd suggest printing off a foundation and higher physics paper, and getting her to sit them under exam conditions at home. You can mark them, and look up the grade boundaries online, and then you'll be able to see if there is a big difference between how she performs on each paper.

Science A-levels are really hard, and it is worth listening to the school about this. Even for a borderline 5/6 physics student, A-level Physics would be a real struggle. However, there are other Level 3 options available, such as Applied Science BTEC and Engineering BTEC which can still lead onto a career in engineering.

What is she predicted in English and maths?

I believe they are being unreasonable and could support more to allow her to take physics at the higher tier - which she is quite capable of.

PRSOM. I've never heard of triple being taught at foundation only.

I'm aware of some private schools that teach triple only (as in don't do combined science at all) and sometimes have a lower set that ends up being all/nearly all foundation- but I think even these would usually teach some/all of the higher content to the lower sets.

Yes, exactly.

Excellent post by the way, as usual. You very clearly highlight the dangers of going up to higher when you're a borderline candidate - and not to assume that the only difference between F and H is the content.

Thank you

I had a few Y11s in my borderline set unfortunately go to pieces this year during mocks, and have to be moved down to foundation, so I've practiced the conversation with parents!

I think biology is often a good predictor of how people do at higher, because at foundation it tends to be the wordiest paper where you have to write the most. You could get a 3 on last year's physics foundation doing the maths only, without writing a word.

It isn't necessarily fair, but some of the higher questions are at least partly a comprehension test, so if English isn't a student's strong point, they can come really unstuck.

Hi

As a science teacher, I think you need to dig into this a bit more deeply. I'm surprised the school has a triple science set that is only taught foundation content, but honestly the grade boundaries on the higher papers are so low, you could a get 6 just by doing well on the foundation only content.

However, the higher paper is different in lots of ways, not just content. Questions are written in a different way and there are far more extended response questions on the higher paper, and fewer 1 mark or multiple choice questions. I have taught a few students who were solid 5s on the foundation papers, but would fail completely if given a higher past paper- and this is the risk of moving up to higher. The lowest grade possible is a 4, so if you don't get that, you end up with a U.

Unless your school has taught the content in an unusual order, she will have done most/all of the paper 1 content by now. I'd suggest printing off a foundation and higher physics paper, and getting her to sit them under exam conditions at home. You can mark them, and look up the grade boundaries online, and then you'll be able to see if there is a big difference between how she performs on each paper.

Science A-levels are really hard, and it is worth listening to the school about this. Even for a borderline 5/6 physics student, A-level Physics would be a real struggle. However, there are other Level 3 options available, such as Applied Science BTEC and Engineering BTEC which can still lead onto a career in engineering. ETA: There are also some great engineering apprenticeships out there which can ultimately lead onto a degree/degree apprenticeship.

What is she predicted in English and maths?

I totally agree with that. And the wordier the question is, the better the exam technique needed to answer it properly to ensure the right words are used and the marking points clearly made. As you say, higher questions are more involved than foundation, and this is another step up for a borderline candidate.

PRSOM. I've never heard of triple being taught at foundation only.


Why unreasonable? Do the grades she's been getting bear out the suggestion that she could do higher tier physics?

Hi, thanks for the detailed response, certainly makes a lot of sense. Her English and Maths are predicted as 7/8s, maybe 9 for maths, her physics she has always found easy, but the school wouldn't put her into the higher group due to her biology being a 4. I will certainly do as suggested and print off the two papers, this would also give me grounds for the school to find a solution should she do well in the higher paper. Where would be the best place to download these from please?

Yes, she has always found the physics element easy, I've been trying to find out why she isn't allowed to move to a higher tier, but the response I receive is that she can't as her Biology isn't good enough.

You can download them from the exam board website- the AQA ones are here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/physics-8463/assessment-resources?f.Resource+type%7C6=Mark+schemes&f.Resource+type%7C6=Question+papers&sort=date&num_ranks=20

Look for the ones that say "Paper 1" on them- it's unlikely she'll have done enough content to have a go at Paper 2.

If she does a different exam board, let me know and I'll find them for you.

If she's working at a 7/8 in English/maths, then there's no real reason she should be working at a 4 in biology. Have you ever explored this with the school, and found out exactly what's going wrong in biology? If it's just learning the content, then can she make a big push with this over the summer, with the aim of going up a set for next year? There is a lot to learn, but if she's capable of getting an 8/9 in maths, she's capable of memorising it.

Final decisions on tiers aren't made until February of Y11, so there is plenty of time to sort this.

I would actually work with the aim of her going up a set, rather than worrying about tiers for the moment.

Thank you so much for the advice, it has certainly helped me understand it better. I will see if the school replies with a positive suggestion and download some papers in the meantime.