GCSEs
- Thread starter coley
- Start date
purenarcotic
Conveniently Pocket Sized
That sounds a bit odd but each school / college can set its own criteria for studying at A level as far as I know. I think you'd need to speak to the school / college to ask why. Did he do separate science (i.e. physics, chemistry and biology as separate subjects in their own right with their own exams) or did he do combined sciences where although he studied different sciences it only amounted to one GCSE grade? That might be why he can't study the sciences separately at A level.
BlueSquareThing
With chips
It will depend on the school and probably on the department as well. Increasingly some will set ridiculously high entry requirements so that they get an awesome pass rate and others will let anyone with a C on to the course. There's a general opinion, I think, that sciences are "hard" and so you need to have a higher grade to get on to the course (because, like, the GCSE grade you got is the only thing that matters...). But then so is Maths I suppose. How over (or under) subscribed a subject is can make a difference to.
Is it the same school that he did his GCSEs at? That can make a difference - if people know you and so on they might be more (or less...) flexible.
Is it the same school that he did his GCSEs at? That can make a difference - if people know you and so on they might be more (or less...) flexible.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
I'd imagine this is the crux. He will have studied all three science subjects, but in about 97% of schools his qualification will either be "core science", "core and additional science", or "triple science". Only triple science is the equivalent of a full gcse in each subject.
What I'm more surprised about is the lower entrance requirements for English and maths. Maths AS level is notoriously hardcore, and English is full on too.
The reason for many sixth forms asking for a B at gcse in the A level subjects is that so much teacher effort goes into dragging as many kids as possible from a D to a C at gcse, that without those intensive extra classes etc, the kids can't keep up at A level.
fractionMan
Custom Title
I'm not sure I quite understand the OP. Which subjects is he prevented from studying?
If it's maths then I'm sorry to say but I don't see how someone with a C at GCSE has a hope in hell of getting through A level maths. I got an A at GCSE a year early but found the A level really hard going. Sure it's dooable, anything's dooable but your grandson would have to put some serious effort in to get a C at a level. I guess it depends on why he got a C at GCSE.
If it's maths then I'm sorry to say but I don't see how someone with a C at GCSE has a hope in hell of getting through A level maths. I got an A at GCSE a year early but found the A level really hard going. Sure it's dooable, anything's dooable but your grandson would have to put some serious effort in to get a C at a level. I guess it depends on why he got a C at GCSE.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
He's not being allowed to study physics / chemistry / biology.
fractionMan
Custom Title
That does seem a bit unfair. If he had a D then maybe, but a C? For some maths GCSEs a C is the best mark you can get.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
but as i say - unless he did 'triple science', he doesn't have a B in all three subjects. If he did 'core science', he has one third of a B in all three subjects, and if he did 'core and additional science', he has two thirds of a B in all three subjects.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
lower tier papers (where the top mark is a C) are sat by students who would likely not be able to do the A level in that subject anyway. If they had a strong chance of a B or above they'd be entered for the higher tier paper.
Bob_the_lost
Elsewhere
Double award science shouldn't be a blocker to doing one of the subjects at A level. Often it's the only option schools give.
I suppose that if you had a particularly 'set' school where it was assumed that anyone who wanted to do A level sciences would know and choose appropriately at age 13 (?) then they might skip some of the A level syllabus as it's already covered in GCSE tripple award.
If he really wants to do Sciences for A level i'd look at finding a different college. FWIW I got a B in double award GCSE science and did very well at A level Physics, and that was back when A levels were much harder etc. etc. kids these days...
I suppose that if you had a particularly 'set' school where it was assumed that anyone who wanted to do A level sciences would know and choose appropriately at age 13 (?) then they might skip some of the A level syllabus as it's already covered in GCSE tripple award.
If he really wants to do Sciences for A level i'd look at finding a different college. FWIW I got a B in double award GCSE science and did very well at A level Physics, and that was back when A levels were much harder etc. etc. kids these days...
fractionMan
Custom Title
We only had double or single science at my school.
does sound like the local cfe might be the best option.
Looby
Well-Known Member
Can I ask a completely unrelated GCSE question here please?
I'm signing up for GCSEs. Although I have studied recently (work and OU) I'm a bit rusty and old.
Would I be silly to try and do maths English and psychology in a year?
I have to do maths and English but think the psychology would help too as I'm lacking in GCSEs.
I'm good at English but rubbish at maths and have never studied psychology.
Help, I'm applying today!
I'm signing up for GCSEs. Although I have studied recently (work and OU) I'm a bit rusty and old.
Would I be silly to try and do maths English and psychology in a year?
I have to do maths and English but think the psychology would help too as I'm lacking in GCSEs.
I'm good at English but rubbish at maths and have never studied psychology.
Help, I'm applying today!
fractionMan
Custom Title
Are these one year courses? I think maths+english would be enough for anyone who's doing them part time. Also, they're considered the 'important' ones so if you can concentrate more effort on them and get a better grade I'd do that.
Looby
Well-Known Member
Yeah, one year. I think it will be tough but I'm fairly academic. Well I was...
The requirement for the degree is 4 GCSEs at C or above plus UCAS points (I'll be doing an access course next year) but I might be able to get away with 3 if I ace the access course and get some good work experience. So, if I don't do 3 this year I'll have to do at least 1 next year on top of the access course.
Gah, why is this so hard.
Sorry for the derail!
The requirement for the degree is 4 GCSEs at C or above plus UCAS points (I'll be doing an access course next year) but I might be able to get away with 3 if I ace the access course and get some good work experience. So, if I don't do 3 this year I'll have to do at least 1 next year on top of the access course.
Gah, why is this so hard.
Sorry for the derail!
fractionMan
Custom Title
Yeah, one year. I think it will be tough but I'm fairly academic. Well I was...
The requirement for the degree is 4 GCSEs at C or above plus UCAS points (I'll be doing an access course next year) but I might be able to get away with 3 if I ace the access course and get some good work experience. So, if I don't do 3 this year I'll have to do at least 1 next year on top of the access course.
Gah, why is this so hard.
Sorry for the derail!
A GCSE takes about 5 hours a week for a year if you do it at school (not including homework!). It depends if you can spare 10 or 15 hours. Source: http://community.tes.co.uk/tes_modern_foreign_languages/f/28/t/535384.aspx
BlueSquareThing
With chips
Remember that GCSEs are aimed at 16 year olds. I would argue that anyone with a bit more life experience should be pretty OK. Whether or not you'd want to do the three I'm not sure.
purenarcotic
Conveniently Pocket Sized
Yeah, one year. I think it will be tough but I'm fairly academic. Well I was...
The requirement for the degree is 4 GCSEs at C or above plus UCAS points (I'll be doing an access course next year) but I might be able to get away with 3 if I ace the access course and get some good work experience. So, if I don't do 3 this year I'll have to do at least 1 next year on top of the access course.
Gah, why is this so hard.
Sorry for the derail!
Have you spoken to the uni directly about your plans? Sometimes they will accept slightly alternative routes into the course so they may accept the two GCSE's alongside the access course.
Looby
Well-Known Member
I spoke to my closest uni today. They said the 4 GCSE requirement isn't set in stone but the course is oversubscribed so I need as much as possible to stand a good chance.
If I can get 3 out of the way this year, I might have some time to do voluntary work next year.
They like a science subject too so I'm hoping psychology will tenuously do...
There's an open day tomorrow but we're camping. There's another in October so I hope to be able to talk to the tutors/admissions staff.
I know it won't be easy but if I can't hack this then what hope is there for a degree!
fractionMan
Custom Title
BlueSquareThing
With chips
I did the OU's MU123 course a couple of years ago - basically the Maths for people who aren't doing a Maths degree course. It felt and seemed like mainly GCSE level stuff - I think it covers most of higher tier GCSE - but starts very much from scratch. I really enjoyed it and felt it helped me, 30 years after last studying Maths at school, understand a lot of stuff that I'd just done at that point - stuff that I'd been able to do OK but never really understood why it worked (and I have, err, an A Level in Maths and Stats).
No exam and pretty straightforward for the most part. I don't know whether a uni would prefer that to GCSEs and so on - it'd be worth asking them. The problem is that the cost now that fees have gone up may be way more than the GCSE course.
