Maths GCSE early?

Are they planning to change to the new GCSEs at some point out are they keeping the older style indefinitely?

I'm not sure about Northern Ireland looks like they will be offering a mix of English GCSE at 1-9 and their own GCSE which only one board decided to produce - but I'm not sure as I'm in Wales.

Wales is heading off on it's own I think at the minute - I think it's splitting maths into maths and numeracy. DH uni department got asked if they'd consider numeracy equivalent to maths GCSE and the answer was err no not for our subject.

My eldest is only yr7 - so I'm not completely sure about it all yet. She already has maths and separate numeracy lessons - though all I can get out from her about the numeracy lesson are there are two different teacher nether maths teachers and seem currently to revolve around PE rather than numbers.

Whether Welsh school's can choose to take English GCSE I'm not sure and if our current secondary would go that way in the future I have no idea.

Lots of state schools did IGCSEs until this year, especially in English Language. My DS is doing Science IGCSEs this year. Once the GCSEs are reformed (Maths and English this year, others following next year) the IGCSE doesn't count, as others have said.

Empress the only thing that stops state schools choosing iGCSE as well is the fact that they don't count in league tables so that school would look crap when compared to other schools doing GCSEs that do count, even if the iGCSE school performed better.

Because a student who gets top grades in IGCSE maths/English will count has having scored 0 in any maths or English measure, by which state schools are graded and scrutinised.

Private schools can afford to be bottom of the league tables with headline figures of 0, state schools can't.

I didn't realise that MrsG. I am in England so only really know about the English education system. Are they planning to change to the new GCSEs at some point out are they keeping the older style indefinitely?

What stops state schools from choosing igcses as well?

(I mean, nobody distinguishes between them in terms of university offers, job offers etc. There are differences but universities/sixth forms/apprenticeships don't ask for different grades. Private schools prefer IGCSE as they are not subject to political whims.)

www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-secondary-2/cambridge-igcse/uk-schools/newcambridgeigcse/

IGCSEs are changing their syllabi and changing their grading schemes to 9-1. As this link says, they will still not be included in the government's league tables and (more importantly) are not under the control of the government.

Nobody apart from the government cares about GCSE v IGCSE.

My DD goes to a private school. She isn't preparing for GCSEs yet, but they have mentioned that they will be IGCSEs and they will be on the numbering scheme when she gets there. I wonder if I have misunderstood something.

There aren't A any more in maths.*

Only in England are they gone- Northern Ireland and Wales are retaining A* - G at the minute.

No, I think the only people who will care that it's IGCSE and not GCSE will be the government. They don't want state schools to dodge the new GCSE (which is a bloody nightmare), so are forcing it upon them through the league tables.

does it make much difference long term whether it's IGCSE or GCSE?
Why is there two sets of GCSE's?

Yes my ds is at private. Now I don't actually know if he's doing GCSE or iGCSE. I probably should find out

There aren't A any more in maths. The last exams giving letters have already been sat. It's now numbers from 1-9 with 9 being the highest and higher than an A. There will be very few pupils who will get 9s, approx 2% apparently, so it seems counter productive to all but the very brightest to sit it early. There aren't sittings at any other time than the summer other than for resits either.

Some people on this thread may be talking about igcse which is a different qualification.

Is it a private school? IGCSE won't count for the league tables and students will be expected to take the new GCSE.

my ds is due to sit GCSE maths in Jan 17 - in year 10. They will only be allowed to take it this early if they are expected to get A*. I think they will also do french early in June/July 17 too. I think it allows the more able pupils to work at a pace that suits them. They def continue with maths lessons after January!

Did this 20 years ago before A star and got a B not an A as did most of the class - so I'm not in favour at all.

However eldest secondary school still does this - I think doing AS level in yr 11. We are not in England any more so possibly won't have as much upheaval and eldest is yr 7 so time for them to change their approach hopefully.

Badbunny - I thought the ones that took it early just to get a pass then usually retook it the following year to try and get a better grade?
User147 - I hope the transition is easier because the jump between the 'old' GCSE and A level is huge! 1 of DD2's friends got an A* at GCSE and an E at AS level.

I hope that early entry is coming to an end. My niece and nephew both took their maths GCSEs a year early and are both regretting it. Their respective schools sat the pupils for GCSE as soon as they were forecast to get the C grade, which the schools clearly think is a "good pass", but they've both been knocked back by further education and employers for only having C grades when they're competing against other kids with A and B grades. Far better to have another year of teaching to get that C grade up to A or B, or even A*.

I think the new GCSE will cover a lot more though so will make the transition to AS/A level easier.

But the new maths A level contains a lot more material too. Not clear that the transition is actually going to be easier.

They have to do maths in year 11. It is a legal requirement now (although I suspect some schools manage to find a way round it, I don't think it's a good idea). So if they do maths a year early then they will need to do some more maths in year 11, probably the further maths GCSE or additional maths.

With the new GCSEs you will find that there are far fewer schools entering pupils for any GCSEs early. Only the first entry counts for league tables, and the new GCSE contains more material so it would be more difficult to have mastered it all too the highest level by year 10 (of course some pupils will still be able to, they will just be rarer).

Oddboots, my DDs studied that in year 11 but were taught it. They found it a very good foundation for AS level maths. I think the new GCSE will cover a lot more though so will make the transition to AS/A level easier.

My ds did his maths GCSE in Y11, it wasn't a very high achieving school compared to some I have seen talked about on here but that is based on incoming students (the progress 8 is high).

Because of the cohort they didn't offer additional maths but they did encourage him to self-study the Pearson Edexcel Level 3 algebra award which he found really helpful when doing A Level Maths and Further Maths both in terms of content and developing the skills to study for something independently. The school was the exam centre and paid the exam fee but didn't teach it.

The good thing about the award is that the grades are just pass and fail so if you don't pass it then it doesn't need to go on a UCAS form but if you pass it is worth (a tiny number of) UCAS points.

My dd did maths in year 10 and then did fmq in year 11. Great if they want to do maths at higher level as it gave her a head start. Would add that if they didn't get an A* in year 10 they were expected to re sit

As a maths teacher I think its a bad idea... basically if he is able at maths he is possibly going to want to do something in the future involving maths... therefore needs to get as high a mark as possible in his GCSE. Taking it a year early will mean there is not sufficient time to cover everything properly/revise thoroughly so he is likely to get a lower grade than if he took it at the end of year 11.