Can Separate Sciences (3 GCSE courses) be taught in the same time as GCSE Science plus GCSE Additional Science (2 GCSE courses)?
In our view trying to teach triple science in no more than double time is a mistake. Much better to do what some schools are doing, which is to work from the separate science Biology, Chemistry and Physics textbooks, explore parts of the extra topics in B7, C7 and P7 to enrich and extend the programme of teaching and learning, but in the end to enter candidates for two GCSEs.
Note that you can keep this option open for a long time, so long as you take the B1, B2, B3 etc series of OCR exams, and not the B1, C1, P1 etc tests.
Knowing that some schools do not provide the full allocation of time for triple science, we have made some suggestions of ways of cutting down on the total time for teaching the separate sciences. These can be found in the introductions to the Teacher & Technician files published by OUP for the supplementary separate sciences modules Biology B7, ChemistryC7 and Physics P7.
The B7, C7 and P7 files are published by OUP. C21 at OUP
If you are really required to cover the triple science courses in the time for two GCSEs, then the separate Biology, Chemistry, and Physics workbooks published by OUP are going to be essential. These will save a lot of time with note-taking and help students to create a record of the courses from which they can revise. Yes quite a lot of money, but without supporting resources to do the job in this short time you are faced with a hopeless task which is likely to demoralise students. Much better to try to get more time.
For the publications mentioned see C21 at OUP
See also Running the courses
