Is it usual to need a grade A GCSE to do A level maths now?

Thanks Noble, yes DS uses Kahn and Wolfram. He will get the answer in wolfram and try and work backwards if he is really struggling.
The furthermaths link looks good thank you

"unfortunately resources get a bit thin on the ground when you get to Further maths"
noblegiraffe we have discovered this. DS is doing FM AQA and wants to self teach M3 and FP4. I can't find any AQA books. Have sent for the OCR ones which cover most of the topics. It's probably useful to practise papers from other exam boards anyway.

I'm pretty sure the mark scheme at English A level when I took it was that each essay (answer) - you did 3 questions in 3 hours - was marked out of 20. 14 was an A. Sounds easy - but it really wasn't. It would be unheard of to get anywhere near to full marks on a question. (I got my A but the teachers wouldn't predict anybody an A - even if they consistently got high-ish marks for class/homework - because you just never knew what the examiners were looking for. As others have said, at least with maths, it's either right or wrong.)

I think Russians is right. Certainly when I was studying economics at degree level there was a general acceptance that it was 'easier' to get a first on the maths based papers in that there was always a right answer. Whereas getting a first on an essay based paper depended at least in part not only on your ability but the views and outlook of the examiner. The colleges that were looking to stay high up the league table definitely pushed their students that direction.

If you are good - properly good - at maths, it's a doddle to get A at GCSE and A level. Not very many people are properly good at it, though. About the same number are properly good at English or history. But it's much much harder to get A in those subjects. So which are the harder subjects? I'd suggest that the harder subjects are the ones where it's difficult to get top marks even if you are brilliant at them. We also see more and more kids who aren't great at maths and the sciences pushed into them, because they are deemed 'best' so it's not surprised that there are more people with poorer marks. Most of the people doing English and history at A level really want to do those subjects. So it's not surprising there are fewer outright fails.

I didn't have to expend any effort at all to get As in maths and further maths at A level before the dawn of time (the mid 80s). I had to work incredibly hard at history and music to get the same grades.

Balloonslayer, yes. Which supports the view that if you are good at maths, it is easier to get an A* but if you are not good you are more likely to fail.

What does that mean marco? - that a higher percentage of Maths A level students got below an E than students doing other subjects ? Blimey

One comment for those looking at the percentage of students who got A or A. Also look at the percentage who got A to E, this is lower for Maths than for a lot of subjects.

"There is no support we can give him with Sociology and Criminality other that watching reality programmes and every support we could have given him with maths."

Don't forget that it is essential at this stage that he develops independence and his own drive to research his subject. So perhaps having a subject that is all his own and not "in the family" is not a bad idea.

I understand why you need to coach him in maths because of the specific situation with poor teaching etc. But don't assume that this will be the same with all his A-levels and that you will (or should) be involved with everything he does. Ime (university lecturer) it is the ability to organise their own work that will make or break a student. So don't be tempted to take on too much.

What is coming across from all your posts is that you and your husband are running around doing a lot of the thinking and organising and phoning colleges and that your son is not doing it. But it would be valuable experience for him do some of this, to think and plan and organise, and not to assume he will be doing whatever his dad did.

If you carry on doing it all for him, he will be at a serious disadvantage compared to the thousands of 16yos who are currently out there negotiating with their colleges and getting themselves jobs and volunteering placements and other extra-curricular experience.

Sorry, my last post sounded a bit pointed. But I would like to know how this situation was arrived at because we have had similar at my school and I would like to know how to communicate better with parents. At the moment the onus is really on the students/parents to ask us if A-level is appropriate for them, we don't send the message out to those we don't want applying!

There is no support we can give him with Sociology and Criminality other that watching reality programmes and every support we could have given him with maths.

That is a defeatist attitude. Bright, educated parents are capable of helping with most subjects. If you actually mean to give this subject a fair go, then download the syllabus, past papers and mark schemes and buy the text books. Read the relevant sections of the textbooks as your DS meets them and engage him in conversation over the dinner table. Check that the whole syllabus has been covered. Review marked work and practice papers against the mark schemes. Identify links between the course material and current affairs on the news and in newspapers.

But that's fine if you don't want to. Just remember that if he gets an E or puts in a lacklustre performance and appears not to have made any effort during the course it may impact on the reference given for his UCAS application.

Jella, if your DS already feels Sociology is going to be hard, "harder" than maths, where he got a B, have you considered dropping Sociology and telling the school that you are going to be doing maths independently? You are effectively setting out to do 5 A levels. Based on your last post, Sociology is likely to be a black hole rather than an easy filler.

I have to ask, Jellua, was the B in maths a total shock? From the way you post about results day, it sounds like it was. But I can't understand that you wouldn't have at least had an inkling it was coming from predicted grades and his previous two module results.

Jellua C1 and C2 are assumed knowledge for M1, he will need to be able to differentiate and integrate before tackling some of it.

Wish this advice had been around when I was choosing my A levels (many moons ago), despite getting a A in GCSE maths I got an E at the end of the first year (just before they introduced AS levels), had an A in GCSE physics and failed it. Dropped both and managed to do English A level in a year. Fine, but I wish so much someone had explained that big jump to me - I got straight A and A* at GCSE and was very open to doing any subject really, wish very much I'd done English, geography, art and Spanish from the word go

Accountants generally don't do very complex maths - it is mostly adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing plus being able to calculate %. Potentially you might come across compound interest rates etc, but a B grade at GCSE is probably sufficient.

Never met.a highly mathematical accountant. Numerate certainly, but not the same thing.

Patent attorneys are primarily scientists, although language skills desirable too. Not sure how mathematical they need to be.

Would have though environmental science may require Geography?
Geography A level sits well with sciences and leaves more options open.

"In 'my day' (just over 20 years ago) the subjects in which it was statistically the most difficult to get a grade A were English and, I think, History."

That's interesting, OxfordComma - it absolutely chimes with my experience back in the late 80s. English was much more effort than maths, even though I am definitely more inclined that way (got the same result for both but I'd say put in twice the work for English - bloody Josef Conrad . . .).

I should have said communication and analytical skills in my last post.

You're wrong about accountancy - or at least, very few areas of accountancy require superior maths skills. Communication skills are much more important and those at the top of the profession tend to have degrees in subjects like history, politics etc rather than maths. Maths graduates tend to go more for actuarial careers anyway, but those that opt for accountancy often find it rather more difficult to progress than they had anticipated. Maths A level is always looked on with favour but people need other skillsets too.

Possible jobs for sciency people without A'Level maths (and my knowledge is out of date, so check!)

Pharmacy, Biology, healthcare related fields, I'd say chemistry, but others seem to think there was lots of maths. I'd disagree, but then I'm one of those A grade A'level mathematicians. A chem degree can lead to loads of labs / research jobs.

Lots of Science degrees go into law.

Banking and accounting are also popular, but tend to attract the strong mathematicians.

Environmental sciences is gaining in popularity

I'm on of those who was never considered bright at school, as my writing was awful, spelling even worse. Essays were a battle.
I've got 5 A'levels and 2 degrees. Think my old french teacher would have fallen through the floor if she saw all those certificates!