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Teaching GCSE Sciences over 2 and 3 years

We are keen to offer flexibility wherever possible. The timing of the accreditation of our new specifications for GCSE Sciences allows you to:

  • teach these from September 2010 as part of a 3-year GCSE Sciences course
  • continue teaching the current specification to your Year 9s and then make the switch as they go into Year 10 in September 2011. All schools starting the new specifications for 2-year courses will begin in September 2011.

We realise that a lot of teachers will want to teach our Science specifications over three years, so we produced resources to enable you to start teaching from September 2010. For free resources visit our Nelson Thornes page, where you can find student and teacher books available to download now.

Your 3-year GCSE Sciences options

We aim to offer teachers and centres the maximum support we can and we offer two options for how GCSE Sciences can be delivered over three years during the transition period.

3-year GCSE Sciences Option 1 Find out more detail about Option 1

Start teaching the new specifications to Year 9s in September 2010 as they begin their 3-year GCSE Sciences course.

Advantages
  • The new specifications are studied throughout, enabling your students to benefit from consistency.
  • You won't need to implement changes in September 2011. You can just carry on teaching the new specifications.
Disadvantages
  • Unusual assessment for Unit 1s in this first year as assessments won't be available until students are in Year 10.
  • Teaching begins within one month of accredited specifications becoming available.

3-year GCSE Sciences Option 2 Find out more detail about Option 2

Teach the current specifications to Year 9s in September 2010. Teach the differences in the unit 1s for the new specifications in September 2011 before switching to the new specification for the remainder of the 3-year GCSE Sciences course.

Advantages
  • There is no need to rush into teaching the new specifications as the first year is based on teaching from the current specifications.
  • Students can take their Unit 1 exams during the year they study the content.
Disadvantages
  • Students might have to do two Unit 1 assessments – one under the current specifications, and one under the new specifications.
  • More organisation is required to build in 'extras' from the new specifications for Unit 1s.