Further maths? Comp and grammar

Go for the grammar and you can say to yourself you've given them equal opportunities. Or stay at the comp if you truly believe they will serve the top set just as well. Where do you think his potential will be most realised and where he will be stretched and challenged? Sounds like both great options but I'd inclined to offer three same for both regardless IMO.

Don't let the fact he's had a week, 5 days at a school alter your view.

What would you have chosen in March, in June, in July and 10 days ago? Whatever the answer was then, still stands, because the reasons you would have made that choice still stands and he is still the same boy and you are the same family.
Yes he's a boy who has had 5 days to get used to something and feels happy, but that's not a deciding factor to overrule all the other issues.

I can see that broaching this will be tricky and his reactions Unknown. However, I think you can relieve him if the burden to have to choose and remind him that you have got all of you through these months of struggle and he can trust you to do the same again. I think he sounds like a lad who will be able to understand that and know it's true in his heart, even if his first reaction is to not want it.

And it's about the whole family isn't it. It's about all of you going through Secondary together and being a twin where the sibling is at the same stage of education and avoiding comparisons if experience almost impossible. Best wishes....and I think you deserve a big glass of wine tonight to celebrate your sons achievement...because whatever you choose, this is an offer to celebrate.

A school with a GCSE pass rate of 61 percent is not going to have as many educational opportunities for a bright DC as one with 91%, as you can already see from the further maths and triple science. And this will bite as you will have a direct comparison with his brother, it won't be a case of what you don't know won't hurt you.

Bloody hell, bite their hands off. Or politely accept the place and then think about the fact that some other child will get his place at the comp and that will be nice for someone else. I think you were the poster that fought for his place at the comp after the grammar appeal failed, if you wanted the place at the comp so much, so will someone else. .

And we are only a week into term in most schools....it is nothing. Starting now will be almost as good as a week ago. People barely know each other's names and he will never be 'the new boy' because no one will ever remember it's so soon.

Yes it would have been better if this came months ago and weeks ago, but now is still fantastic.

Beyond the first thought of 'he's done really well and seem happy and I've bought the bloody uniform' I can see nothing to stop you biting their hands off and starting him there in a couple of days time. Get the uniform and start again. How wonderful for your whole family.

That's amazing. Is it the same Grammar as his brother?

I would go for it...I absolutely would. Yes, he's done a bit of settling g and this will be a bit hard for him.....but in the wider scheme of things, it's all nothing.
Absolutely go for it and know they will both have the same opportunities.

Well done to him and to all of you for getting to this point through all the struggles.He's in and he's earned his place like everyone else. Celebrate and seize it!

Oh bloody hell what bad timing. Two weeks ago you wouldn't have hesitated. Who wants to go through all that settling in again especially when he seems happy.

But it might be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain? He got 120 in the maths SATs, which is pretty bloody impressive. You said it had been a hard year when he was rejected. The term is still new enough that everyone is still finding their feet and he'd be with his brother.

I have absolutely no idea! I only looked because dd (now y12) said they weren't doing the further maths anymore. I thought it had been pretty successful, dd was the only one in her set not to do it last year.

No choice at all for A-level, everyone does stats and mechanics.

For Further there's a bit of choice, you sit two core papers, then two out of mechanics, stats, decision and additional pure. You can sit all 4 if you like and they maximise your grade from your two best but there's no swapping modules with A-level any more.

So what will the students be studying in Y11? A bit of A-level content? The further papers assume knowledge of A-level so they can't make an early start. And they can't sit anything because it's all linear!

And the reasons why the 'top' engineering, physics and maths degrees want people who've done FM is surely because they want people to know this stuff before they get there, not just have aptitude.

Despite coming from a place that does insist on FM, I don't really buy this.

In the admissions procedures it is easier to compare students who have all done the same maths (maths and FM A level) but a small numbers of students are accepted who haven't covered all the FM topics (from doing IB or other international qualifications). It's not so hard to compare the latter with UK students coming through the standard route.

Now in terms of the students needing to know the FM material before they get there - FM material is covered in the first term of any of the other top 20 UK maths courses. It doesn't actually buy you that much more teaching time that the students come in knowing it.

All the same now Errol and Deciscion is gone.

Oh... Are there options for stats and mechanics (and decision if thats still in the spec) or does everyone cover exactly the same now?

There aren't any modules any more

I've misrepresented them I'm afraid, I went back to check it again & they aren't doing the AS in y11 .... "... students study for an AS level module during Key Stage Four ... giving them increased scope to study for an extra AS module in Further Mathematics if they wish to in the Sixth Form."

... sorry!

Laniakea - not only what Noble says, but it is likely that if the students do Cambridge where at the moment at least they have to write down the minutiae of their maths AS result it's going to possibly be a big handicap for them. I know that's a very specific example that will only apply to a tiny number of students, but nevertheless why put them at a disadvantage?

And what if someone wants to take FM to AS only which is actually a really nice thing for someone who is looking at a reasonably maths-ish degree? Do they not get an opportunity?

Our comprehensive is stopping offering the FM maths iGCSE after this year, and many did last year when the new Maths levels 1-9 came in - reasoning I think that the new Math GCSE is harder and enough to contend with at year 11.

They are still offering FM A level though.

However from next year they are doing maths AS in year 11

😭 this is such an unbelievably terrible idea. Do they know that the AS grade, however terrible, will supersede GCSE grade in progress 8, so is not only bad mathematically but also risky for the school?

This is getting a long way OT, but Cambridge engineering, for most colleges 'wherever possible, A/AS Futher Maths is normally required, including M1 and M 2'
https://www.admissions.eng.cam.ac.uk/guide/table1

So, presumably allowing for the fact that its not possible for all candidates to take it, and may make exceptions for some that could have taken it.

And the reasons why the 'top' engineering, physics and maths degrees want people who've done FM is surely because they want people to know this stuff before they get there, not just have aptitude.

If one intends to do Mathematics at university, Further Maths A-Level is typically a requirement. Doing Maths A-Level early allows more time to study for Further Maths A-Level during sixth form as well as the additional papers (e.g. STEP) that some universities require.

I thought universities preferred /required 3 a levels taken at the same time? Maybe they make an exception if a school does the maths in 12, fm in 13 thing. but many simply do them concurrently over 2 years, which works absolutely fine (and doing it that way means the modules can be to some extent grouped to maximise grades).

Had another look at the website - It's the maths degree at Cambridge and the Computer Science with mathematics that will require Further Maths at A level. I think if your school doesn't offer it you'll be studying it independently.
Computer Science on its own hasn't changed but its own computer apititude test.

dd's comp have always done further maths (the one with the A^ as a top grade) with GCSEs & also do further maths A level. However from next year they are doing maths AS in year 11 rather than the further maths.

They don't do any AS levels in 6th form now.

That has to be Further Maths A level, doesn't it?

That's at least only a bit discriminatory, not wildly, shout from the rooftops discriminatory....

they won't be the only ones

Outside Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, Warwick, nobody else could insist on further maths without losing up to half their student cohort.