Triple Award Science
Triple Award Science is the name for a course in the United Kingdom which delivers three separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
The course is usually studied throughout Years 10 and 11, but may be started in the later stages of Year 9. The course provides the broadest coverage of the main three science subjects at Key Stage 4 available, and incorporates the compulsory programme of study for Science.
The course is offered by the four main awarding bodies in the United Kingdom; AQA, Edexcel, OCR, and WJEC. In Northern Ireland the awarding board is NICCEA.
History
In 2008 the Government introduced an entitlement for all maintained schools to offer Triple Science courses to students who achieve a level 6 or above from September. Recent policy no longer specifies this entitlement and encourages the uptake of Triple Science for all students for whom it is appropriate. Although some schools still require students achieve level 6 or above .
An increase in the number of students studying Triple Science GCSEs has been identified as one way to encourage more young people to take science subjects at A-level and to continue into science in Higher Education. However, the exams are a lot harder and students are meant to spend 6 hours a day revising for them. But the year 2008 showed a resurgence in the popularity of Triple Science with around 556921.5 students taking GCSEs in biology, chemistry and physics rising to over 113,000 in 2011.
The Triple Science Support Programme, delivered by Myscience.co Ltd through the national network of Science Learning Centres, helps schools prepare and implement Triple Science GCSEs.
OCR
OCR have awarded a Triple Science award since 2007 through their 21st Century Science program. The course aims to develop scientific literacy.
In OCR's singular award science there are 3 modules of work, in their double award there are 6 modules and in their Triple Science Award there are 9 modules, which are made up of the six modules from double award and an extra one module from each science.
- The Biology module is called "Biology across the Ecosystem"
- The Chemistry module is called "Chemistry for a Sustainable World"
- The Physics module is called "Observing the Universe".[1]