AIBU to discuss GCSE and A-level realities with my Year 8 daughter?

I really would think about a maths tutor. Just having someone e explain at her pave and not the class pace and having the time to get the foundations correct to build onwards can make a huge difference. It really helped one of our DC's who loved science and struggled with some areas of maths.

Saturday mornings?

i would be so pleased if my kids wanted to do sciences. Can you afford a maths tutor?

Your daughter sounds an amazing girl OP. You must be incredibly proud of her.

I am dreadful at maths (I probably have dyscalculia). Even as an adult I can't do more than the absolute basics of mental maths in my head. I was in bottom set in secondary school, and was more or less written off. I got a C with extra Maths tuition (not sure what grade that equates to in the new number marking system mind?). Not quite the same as your daughter but I did biology A-Level. I then I did further science study (including physics and chemistry) through the OU - while working - and I work in a scientific field.

I didn't have the health struggles that your daughter clearly has, but it sounds like your daughter has much more natural ability than I did, given how well she is doing having missed so much schooling. So I wouldn't rule anything out, although I appreciate not wanting your daughter's hopes to be crushed. But she has so much potential. However I agree with PP mentioning she may be on a slightly different timeline to other students without her health struggles.

If she's doing that well at physics she ought to be able to master maths.
Look for a tutor just an hour a week. If she's missing basics sign her up to timetables rockstar or fables world maths. Don't be put off that they seem babyish. They really helped by secondary child to get basics under the belt.

The maths she needs for physics is the algebra skills! My mental maths is shite, apart from very basic fractions I struggle and I still don’t know my timetables - but I am great at algebra. (PhD in theoretical physics)

Primary school and lower secondary I am OK at maths but really came into my own late GCSE and Alevel.

She is doing amazing given how much school she has missed!

What does she want to do longer term?

Agree that dropping subjects to concentrate on Maths is the way forward. At my Dc's school, several kids with special needs are encouraged to do fewer options to concentrate on the core Maths and English.

It sounds like your DD is bright but has just had a tough life meaning she's missed lots of school. Hopefully she'll be able to catch up but I guess it depends on how her health is.

I’d get her a Maths tutor if it’s a real issue. Two of mine had a tutor and they went from being unsure in Maths to really enjoying it and doing well. The one who got a great grade without a tutor is also the one with no confidence in Maths.

Ok. From what you w written it sounds like your DD has a significant health issue?

Sounds like she misses a lot of school
due to that?

Maybe if she has her heart set on a specific route she can have a personalised education system whereby she only follows those subjects she must by law and wants to.

The law allows for reasonable adjustments so this can be done (work in education and seen it done) but everyone has to be willing to do what’s right for her rather than the status quo.

If she has missed a significant amount of schooling and is achieving in the subjects she’s spent time on she is obviously academically able.

Id start by having a conversation with the school sendco and the LA inclusion officer.

Sounds like she us doing amazibg. Support her. Dont tell her she cannot
Get her a great engaging maths tutor.
She may take longer to follow her dream pathway but so what
Plenty role models eg
https://linktr.ee/AlexandraElaineAdams?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcATruKVwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABp4pHyc2wkH3DNzpwdb9z_zDGb-mUSBrOIonsD0-2nVopQ3e3FP3NqtkJjTdy_aem_uPFSSpLrgo2x_stE8aUgsQ

And others with chronic illness or disability

For gcse she could focus on six core subjects and not do 10 for example . Conversations to have with school later

You know all this now when shes about to start Y8
Instead of pissing on her dreams, support her.
FInd her a tutor, explain the missing basic maths, and have them work on grounding her in the basics and then catching her up with her year group.
2 years is plenty of time to build up the missing knowledge & skills.

Ok, so next year is she continuing Spanish and History despite having missed the curriculum to the point of not sitting the exams?

It definitely sounds like you need a meeting with the school to not just react to how her education has gone so far, but a plan for the future and what you are working towards. If she is missing school due to illness, is there any plan for hospital education? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-education-a-guide-for-health-services/hospital-education-a-guide-for-health-services

I'm not sure why this all seems to have been left to you?

Bright dc should not be giving up any subjects in my view. A broad education has value. Tuition in the evenings or weekends is the way to go.

You can achieve a fair amount by working in the holidays.
I would go back to, say, y2 work. Is she secure on all of that? Then go onwards. It sounds like she is missing some fundamentals that need to be sorted.
If you can put back the missing building blocks then it sounds like she might have the ability to fly.

Also you could ask school whether she could drop a non core subject for maths intervention or self study, given the circumstances. (Probably a no but worth a try)

The secret with maths is repetition.
So is she doing a bit everyday through the holidays? She could go over the things already studied just to keep them in her memory.
Have a look at the CGP book for KS3. And/or BBC Bite size online.
If she is really sure on everything so far, it will give a good foundation for Y8.
Use each holiday to recap what she has done in the previous term.
Explain that if she really wants to do her dream she needs to be able to do maths, and that she needs to put in the extra time.

If she has her heart set on what she wants to be I would be realistic but would do my best to help her. Private maths tutor at weekends is the answer di not rely on the school. 1-1 classes will make all the difference. You seem to not have answered when people have suggested a tutor. If it’s cost that’s understandable but I would try and find a way.

Wow she sounds like a really bright girl to be doing this well after such a lot to deal with. I agree with others she just needs more time it’s not that she’s not necessarily capable. Good luck to her with the right support I’m sure she’ll go far (even if not in physics!)

This x100.
She definitely had time to catch up! I wouldn’t write it off yet. Tell her great then you need to do more maths and get her a tutor.

I think and hope the teachers would be tactfully discussing this scenario with her when the time comes. Is her illness likely to improve over the next few years - if so I’d leave it a bit longer. If not then has she got a tutor at school you could discuss it with sensitively. Another option for sixth form could be a BTEC in science. I know some of my sons friends did this and did well and went to uni etc but the pass mark for maths etc wasn’t as high as Alevel.

I agree it’s a good time to address this. Your dd seems really bright and it would be a shame to give up on her dreams. The reduced subjects seems like and excellent option. And I would also be speaking to the school about special dispensation for her GCSE grade if she doesn’t get a 7.

I think the problem will be that physics without maths does not go anywhere. Biology it won’t matter as much. She’s going to get advised by the school at some point that maths is a non starter if she remains at a 4. Let them advise. DD might change her interests too but even a grade 6 in maths is unlikely to lead to a great A level grade anyway and @noblegiraffehas all the stats on this. As she’s got to take maths and science GCSEs anyway so you have 3 years to see how it goes. Id offer help but say nothing about A levels right now.

If it's her dream OP and she's great at science but maths is holding her back, then get her a tutor. At 12/13 she's got time to catch up. If you give her all the extra support of a tutor and come end of Year 9 her SATs are average at best then you could consider having a chat with her.

I think a bit too early to decide on her potential when she's not had the best start in her education.

Give her the best opportunity now and see if she can do it. If she can't then it'll become obvious because of the results and marks she gets over the next couple of years. Too soon to crush her dreams and to decide what she can't do. At least you can say you gave her an equal footing to see what she can really do.

I say this as someone who scraped a C at GCSE Maths, was told I couldn't study my chosen science at undergraduate and MSc, only to go and get a First and Distinction once given the chance and opportunities :)