Further Maths as third A level

I think doing it consequentially is normal - A level first, in the first couple of terms, seperately to those just doing maths. Then onto FM, because that builds on the regular A level. DS did that (he did maths, FM, biology and physics)
What's less normal I think is to not allocate more hours to maths for those doing both.

DD's college insist they start with 4 A-levels if one is further maths as apparently they get a high drop out rate and a lot just end up doing AS instead of completing it.

That’s what happened in the last school I worked in. 5 50 minute periods a week for Maths and F Maths, taught in a separate group from the A level groups so they went twice as fast.

I think FM got two extra lessons per week in the U6.

It was before number grades: I don’t know if they accepted Bs or if it had to be A or A star in GCSE Maths.

There's a certain amount of overlap between those 3 subjects (vectors and mechanics overlaps physics) and it is very much all eggs in 1 basket. If you're going to cope with a maths degree, that should be the equivalent workload of 2-2.5 A-Levels rather than 3 unrelated subjects.

I'm old but found the workload of Maths, Physics and French (didn't fancy further maths at that point and suspect would have found the wall in further pure) plus another language GCSE ab initio much easier than GCSE.

This wasn't my original plan - had initially (Nov of Y11) been planning French German Geography and English Lit A-Levels before a rather large swerve after GCSE (and not because of grades - I got A* in everything except English Lit and Music and A in those 2) so I was a bit constrained by timetabling...

Further Maths was definitely it's own block though, although GCSE top sets did triple in the time of double plus a couple of lunchtime lessons.

DS 2 is doing those 3 A levels (all at AS level
in year 12) as well as Welsh Bacc. He’s really enjoying all 4 courses and will be applying for Maths / Financial Maths degrees.

I got the impression that his school just squeeze Further Maths into the same time slot as Maths and kids either cope or drop it

Are you sure? That sounds absolutely batshit, there is so much content to get through. Do they only accept kids who have a 9 at GCSE?

DS1 is planning on Maths Physics and Computer Science plus starting Further Maths and seeing how it goes - I got the impression that his school just squeeze Further Maths into the same time slot as Maths and kids either cope or drop
it . Does that sound at all realistic do people think ?

The other thing that I’d add (to support comments re starting with 4) is that my DS found physics a breeze at GCSE and has loathed it at A level. If you start with three, there’s no scope to drop any ones that turn out to be a disappointment in this way!

Agree maths A level is a big step up and doesn’t always work out so 4th subject is needed. At DS school FM was only timetabled for half the time of other A levels and could only be done as 4th as it wasn’t considered an equal amount of work. Art / design + maths also options for engineering or architecture. Or computer science.

If he didn't like Further Maths it would be unusual to then want to do a maths degree!

Does the school do A-level maths first, then FM the next year? My school does them both as two full A-levels in Y12 and Y13, some drop it almost immediately, others struggle through Y12 and then drop it having taken the AS. It's usually clear fairly early on who is going to find it easy and who is going to find it more difficult.

My DS who absolutely flew in maths at GCSEs absolutely hated further maths. Good job he started with four! It ended up destroying his love for maths, he got an A in the A level maths, and wants nothing more to do figures. Shame……

Those 3 are fine for maths, physics and most engineering except chem. But I definitely concur with the other posters, start with 4. Some hit the ‘maths wall’ sooner than they might expect, some change their mind, and apart from that a bit more breadth is a good thing. My DD started with those plus CS, dropped after AS (pre reform) - what she did was useful to her. One of her peers started doing maths at Cambridge but decided in the first year it wasn’t the right choice - fortunately she’d done a language as well as those 3 subjects and was able to switch to MFL.

Do NOT start with just this three. Add another subject in so if Further Maths doesn’t work out then there is room to drop it. Cannot stress this enough!

Those three are fine for a maths degree.

Yes. Fine for Oxford and Cambridge.

however, I recommend at least starting Y12 doing a fourth as most people do further maths as one of four. Consider Chemisry, computer science or economics, all of which would complement the above, or you could have a contrasting fourth. This gives you a switch option if physics isn’t fun. Further maths isn’t as much work as a whole a level for good mathematicians.