Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

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Blush2783
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 11:05 am

Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by Blush2783 »

Hi have been told by a friend who has a daughter at Nonsuch that they have lost their science specialist status and instead of doing three separate sciences at GCSE they will now be doing combined science like the majority of comps! She along with a lot of the parents of girls there are not happy about it. I'm not sure if this really is such a big deal but maybe for new parents looking round the grammar schools its a question to ask the science department as I thought if you wanted to go on to study medicine etc three separate sciences were an advantage? I don't know enough about it all to say if its a problem one way or the other but its certainly something I will be asking about as my daughter sits later on this year and we are halfway between Nonsuch and Wallington Girls so either is fine for us.
loopylou
Posts: 403
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:08 am

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by loopylou »

Specialist school status is obsolete in the sense that the original programme has effectively ended and specialism doesn’t attract any extras anymore. Of course, schools continue to benefit from the residual investment of resources and networking they built up in that period.

As for separate sciences, most sizeable comps including ones very near Nonsuch offer separate sciences GCSEs, slightly more challenging (supposedly) iGCSE separate sciences, combined sciences and a separate qualification for the lower sets too so I think you are doing them a disservice to imply comps don't offer the chance to study science at the highest level possible at each stage.

I would be really surprised if your friend is correct and Nonsuch won’t be offering them and just the combined course. I cannot imagine how could be the case and wouldn’t blame parents for being concerned. Separate sciences are not a prerequisite to study science at A Level but they definitely help and even the comps encourage students who know they will study maths and science subjects in higher education to take them.
modernista
Posts: 302
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:03 pm

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by modernista »

Hi,
DD got a 7C at the end of Year 8. She is now in Set 3. Should I be worried?
Is Set 3 condemned to a lower achievable target?
panicattack
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:28 pm

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by panicattack »

I'd be very surprised if Nonsuch doesn't offer single sciences though they may start off just learning combined science before splitting off the subjects at GCSE stage. Any Nonsuch parents who can confirm?
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by ToadMum »

Looking at the home page of the Nonsuch website, the reader is informed that the curriculum is broadened by the opportunity to study a second foreign language - and separate sciences . Under 'KS4 Curriculum Overview', triple science is mentioned as part of the core curriculum.

Is your friend trying to put your DD off going there, for some reason? Of course, it could be that the school is just slow at updating its website, but dropping triple science would seem a very odd move for such a school. Could it be that they are introducing the double award for lower sets?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
2outof3
Posts: 331
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:21 pm

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by 2outof3 »

Modernista

Please don't worry, I have had two DDs go through gcse at Nonsuch - one still there in the sixth form and one just left. Neither of them are natural scientists/mathematicians so both were in the lower groups for those subjects.

It really doesn't matter a jot what group they are in unless you want your DD to do maths gcse in year 10 as only the top half of the year do this. Neither of mine did maths early and they both got A* in year 11. They both got A or A* for all of their sciences too.

The teaching in the lower groups is still good it's just at a slower pace which is more suited to the pupils in those groups. Remember though that a slower pace at Nonsuch is still going to be pretty speedy compared to a non selective school.

As for the triple science thing the school does do separate science gcses. It's actually compulsory at gcse except for a miniscule minority of girls who are allowed to do double because they would seriously struggle with triple science.

Nonsuch had an amazing set of results this year and there are lots of plans for the future of the school. It's a good place to be (but that's just my humble opinion :D )
modernista
Posts: 302
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:03 pm

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by modernista »

Thanks 2/3

DD is in top set in maths without help. She complains of the pace but I think she is coping.

Didnt do well in EOY Year 8 and is now in Set 3. Feel stupid for not helping her. From experience in Maths, slow pace is not a bad thing but I dont want er confidence to be knocked
nonsuchgirl
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:14 pm

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by nonsuchgirl »

Nonsuch has lost it's science specialist status, it has also become an academy recently. Adding to this, any girl can take triple science for GCSE, it is up to the child and has not been put into place because girls cannot manage the syllabus.
Last edited by nonsuchgirl on Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tiffinboys
Posts: 8022
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by tiffinboys »

Does becoming Academy has any effect on specialist status? On the other hand, I think it lost the charm as probably now there is no extra funding for having specialist status. I may be wrong, so stand to be corrected.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Nonsuch lost science specialist status?

Post by Guest55 »

nonsuchgirl - that is not true.

All funding for specialisms was stopped several years ago for all schools; it was nothing to do with schools becoming academies.
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