GCSE Science#Double Award
{{short description|British educational qualification}}
File:Ruthin School Uploads 03.jpg as part of a GCSE Biology lesson at Ruthin School, Wales]]
In the GCSE system in England and Wales, science at GCSE level is studied through Biology, Chemistry and Physics.{{Cite web |title=GCSE Science 2025: What GCSE options are there? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zrjh92p |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=BBC Bitesize |language=en-GB}}
Double Award
Combined Science results in two GCSEs. Those with GCSEs in Combined Science can progress to A Levels in all of the three natural science subjects. Prior to this, around 1996, Combined Science GCSEs were available as an alternative to three separate Sciences for many exam boards.
Combined Science consists of either Higher Tier (HT) or Foundation Tier (FT) papers
AQA offer two different specifications entitled Synergy and Trilogy.{{Cite web |title=Combined Science: Synergy |url=https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-synergy-8465 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240619195822/https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-synergy-8465 |archive-date=2024-06-19 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=www.aqa.org.uk |language=en}}
Triple Award
Triple Award Science, commonly referred to as Triple Science, results in three separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics and provide the broadest coverage of the main three science subjects.
The qualifications are offered by the five main awarding bodies in England; AQA, Edexcel, OCR, CIE and Eduqas.
History
In August 2018, Ofqual announced that it had intervened to adjust the GCSE Science grade boundaries for students who had taken the "higher tier" paper in its new double award science exams and performed poorly, due to an excessive number of students in danger of receiving a grade of "U" or "unclassified".{{Cite news |last=Turner |first=Camilla |date=21 August 2018 |title=Failing GCSE science pupils given 'safety net' after Ofqual moves grade boundaries; Last-minute science GCSE changes saved failing students |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A550990787/STND |access-date=2022-06-05 |via=Gale OneFile}}
Criticisms
In 2020, Teach First published a report stating that only two female scientists, chemist and crystallographer Rosalind Franklin and paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey, were included in the GCSE Science curriculum, versus 40 male scientists who were named.{{Cite news |last=Woolcock |first=Nicola |date=February 6, 2020 |title=Girls have few role models in GCSE science |work=The Times}} The report argued that the lack of female role models in the science curriculum was perpetuating gender biases in the profession.