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Original poster

GCSE Maths options - current year 9

37 replies

Strix · 21/02/2017 14:24

Please tell me what your school offers. DD's state Senior school is offering the new GCSE Higher Tier / Foundation Tier. I'm confident she will be in the higher tier. DS' school (although he is only in year 7 so not yet selecting GCSEs) is also a state school, but a highly selective Grammar, is also following the Higher/Foundation tiers of new GCSEs. But will also put top sets forward for the AQA ‘IGCSE’ Further Maths 8360.

What is your state/independent (hoping for answers from both) school offering to the top sets for maths?

Is anyone else disappointed to not have Further Maths on offer? And, if so, are you considering taking it outside school (privately)?

Or maybe Further Maths is a thing of the past and I'm crazy to even be thinking about it...?

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Original poster
Strix · 28/02/2017 15:35

The desire for further maths is hers. Some schools still do it. And she wants to be able to compete with those kids for A level places. But then she selected a total of 10 GCSEs, none of which are easy soft subjects. So we are thinking that is perhaps enough. As has been pointed out several times, we don't want to lower the grades because we took too many.

So we are going to see how it goes and make a decision when she is probably one term into GCSE course work. It may well be that the new Higher Tier Maths is plenty.

So we are not signing up to higher maths just yet...

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Iamastonished · 27/02/2017 23:11

Strix our schools are suffering massively due to budget cuts. DD's school is the 4th most underfunded in the country and they are holding emergency meetings with the parents in the next week to try and gain support.

I imagine that eventually GCSE option choices are going to be pared down to what is considered essential because they won't be able to afford to do anything else.

To echo Bertrand, why do you want your daughter to do further maths? Does she want to take it?

Stickerrocks · 27/02/2017 23:02

DD is in year 10, so the first to take all of her papers as new style GCSES. She is taking Further Maths, topping up the ordinary GCSE with an extra hour after school each week. We're treating the FM paper as a nice extra, but it's not a pre-requisite for taking A level maths.

It's been offered to less than 10% of the year group, but that's hardly surprising as it's a standard issue non-selective state school. Having read the thread on the new GCSE maths mock results, I think her year as a whole will have far more issues than whether or not they were given the opportunity to take further maths. I'm more concerned about them going into all of their other exams with relatively little to practice and no course work to cushion them (& I took O levels without the luxury of course work myself).

Perhaps the new system will have settled down a little for current year 9s.

BertrandRussell · 27/02/2017 21:14

Why do you want her to do further maths?

d270r0 · 27/02/2017 21:08

It really isn't neccessary to do further maths. The new GCSE gives grades 1-9. A grade 9 is the top- it is a higher grade than an old A*. So the new GCSE really is enough to stretch even the very able.
The jump to A level is not bad at all. In fact a lot of the harder GCSE topics are the first topics of the first A level module. Further maths at GCSE is not neccessary at all. I suspect the school is only doing it to get more points. In my opinion it is better to just concentrate on the maths GCSE and get a better grade.

OddBoots · 27/02/2017 20:59

"well they should change the sign out front" - They probably can't even afford to do that!

TheFallenMadonna · 27/02/2017 20:57

I think that you should take Maths A level if you want to do a degree with lots of Maths in it.

Original poster
Strix · 27/02/2017 20:52

Oh.... well they should change the sign out front. Or perhaps I should go read it and check for an update.

Anyway, it's a shame the funding is restricting the curriculum.

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noblegiraffe · 27/02/2017 19:51

There's no such thing as a maths or science specialism any more, they were scrapped along with the extra money a few years ago.

Original poster
Strix · 27/02/2017 17:52

I've now been to her consultation meeting, where most of the conversation was around GCSE selection. Maths teacher advised she was doing well and perfectly capable of further maths. But the school will not be offering it because there is no money in the budget to teach it. Shame. This is an "outstanding" school with math science specialism. Shame the education budgets can't offer further maths to theses kids... but other schools can? I suppose the school has maybe decided to allocate funds elsewhere.

Still considering taking it privately. But think we'll make that decision in autumn rather than now.

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swingofthings · 24/02/2017 10:28

Awaiting to see if DS' school is still offering it. DD did it last year, got a A*, now studying it at A levels. DS is doing very well in Maths (currently level 6 in year 9) and no specific clear interest so would be a good option for him. Last year, FM was offered to all pupils taking on triple sciences so hopefully it is still the case.

This is a very average local comp.

Traalaa · 24/02/2017 08:39

DS's school (state) definitely does it. Only for the most able in top set.

Bensyster · 24/02/2017 08:11

Well maybe it was just my University but the students who were taught calculus through a Uni course really struggled to go from first principles to advanced calculus in a handful of classes - I believe these concepts are better taught at school, the pace is slower, the teaching is more thorough.

titchy · 24/02/2017 07:48

If they need calculus at university but the course doesn't require A level maths then there'll be maths modules for students.

Bensyster · 23/02/2017 23:15

I really wish they'd teach calculus to kids who hope to do a numerate degree but don't wish or need to do A level Maths. My dcs are not top group - they'll probably get 7 but they are capable of learning and potentially needing calculus for degree subjects.

AChickenCalledKorma · 23/02/2017 22:10

DD1 is in year 10 and to set maths. They plan to offer Additional Maths GCSE to those who are up for it.

Original poster
Strix · 23/02/2017 22:08

Erm.... probably not. Blush

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Bensyster · 23/02/2017 20:18

Strix are there non-selective Grammar schools?

Original poster
Strix · 23/02/2017 15:46

I think some schools put whole top set through the further maths iGCSE. DS' school (selective grammar) put all but the bottom set forward for further maths. I think there are 3 sets.

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Bensyster · 22/02/2017 18:24

GCSE and a further maths GCSE qualification. I want dcs to study basic calculus - I'm not bothered if they get the further Maths GCSE or not I just want them to get their heads around the concept of calculus not for A level Maths but more for other numerically based subjects they may wish to take beyond A levels - Economics for example.

hanahsaunt · 22/02/2017 11:13

Ds1 is y11 so first cohort through the new GCSE maths. He will also sit the old GCSE further maths. His teacher described them last week as the new GCSE has hard ways of asking easy questions and old further maths are easy questions on hard maths. It will be possible to do better in FM than regular maths this year ...

AlexanderHamilton · 22/02/2017 10:57

But definatly check the syllabi.

AlexanderHamilton · 22/02/2017 10:56

Are they selective schools?

There are five maths sets at ds's school. Even set 5 take higher GCSE. My DS is in set 3 but has specific SEN. We were told that in a comprehensive school he would be in the top sets. No way would he be a further maths candidate. Top set of his school are children who under the old GCSE system would be working at a higher level than the old A*.

Dd is by choice at a non selective school but very high ability. She moved from a selective school. She is brighter than DS. She says the new maths GCSE is very challenging (but do-able).

Clavinova · 22/02/2017 10:43

Several of the independent schools near me still seem to be offering Additional Maths (OCR?) for top sets in Year 11.

AlexanderHamilton · 22/02/2017 10:42

And do remember that even if your child were at a school that offered further maths (mostly selective private schools) it's usually only those in the very top percentage that get to take it (I think it's something like the top 2/3%

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