DUAL AWARD SCIENCE

Students have studied the three sciences as separate subjects in Year 8. In Year 9, we begin following the AQA GCSE content in the three sciences. These courses are exciting and stimulating; rich in content, they provide a strong academic basis for further study of science subjects at A Level and beyond. At the beginning of Year 10, however, some students may prefer to follow the Combined Science: Trilogy course (worth 2 GCSEs) and thereby free up space for another qualification in a different (non-science) subject.

When making this decision between qualifications worth 2 or 3 GCSEs, it is important for students to consider whether they want to pursue science courses at A Level – students will be allowed (with at least grade 7s) to progress onto A Level science courses if they have done the Combined Science: Trilogy course (worth 2 GCSEs). However, the increased content covered by following the 3 GCSE option will provide a more secure basis for progressing to A Level science courses.

Students considering A Level courses in sciences or careers in science/engineering should think very carefully before choosing the Combined Science: Trilogy (worth 2 GCSEs route) and must discuss their ideas with their form teacher and science teachers.

In particular: n Biology A Level is often a requirement and strongly recommended for prospective students of medicine, dentistry and veterinary science and for most biologically-related courses n Chemistry A Level is a requirement for medical, dental and veterinary courses at university and highly desirable for a wide range of other science disciplines n Physics A Level is a requirement for many engineering courses (as, indeed, is Mathematics) and it provides an excellent foundation for many scientifically and technically related courses and careers.

The structures of the two science pathways and their examinations are broadly similar. Although there is a strong emphasis on the practical aspects of science, with lots of experimental work, there is no controlled assessment component (i.e. no coursework). Assessment is based entirely on the examination papers taken at the end of Year 11.