Crash in Maths degree applications following new Maths GCSE and A-level

My autistic DS got 8 in maths at GCSE. He has just had to drop maths A level in year 12 after a breakdown. He could do all the work but couldn't keep up with the pace and volume. It's very sad.
Gove's ill judged reform has destroyed my child's mental health, and he is by no means the only one in that position.

We need more maths graduates not fewer, so this is a shame if if the new exams are having this effect.

My DD (y12) is studying A Level maths but it is her least fave subject at the moment. However, I think this is due to the fact that her other teachers are more engaging.

Schools can't afford to offer AS level as it counts for nothing. Most places I know aren't doing it because they can't afford to.

Further maths is great for the best mathematicians, but many schools and colleges don't offer it.

And as for the AS almost disappearing, it is schools and colleges that are choosing not to offer it. It's still there and I'm glad my daughter's school still do (or at least did). Last year my daughter changed her mind about her 3rd A level on the basis of her AS results.

DS3 (Y10) has aspirations of studying Computer Science at university. The limiting factor in achieving this is likely to be Maths.

In the old exams, he would probably have got an A or even A* at GCSE and then (with hard work) been able to make a decent attempt at Maths A-level. With the new exams, the trajectory feels less certain.

Luckily he has a great Maths teacher this year who has increased his confidence, which has motivated him to put the work in.

DD was previously adamant about doing A level maths but now in Y9 and doing foundation papers for end of year exams - whilst doing well is just not loving it. She is capable but finds it irrelevant and a slog - it is hard for a just turned 14 year old to see why they are doing such complex stuff. She is starting work soon on the higher level stuff and at this stage determined maths is not for her.

I suspect the subject is now being more honest about what is involved. Whether that incorrectly puts off some or sets the right balance after some took the A level with misconceptions- I can’t say.

Wonder wether this will have any effect on other Mathsy courses like Computer science. DS has been grappling with Maths all yr. He had some tutoring yesterday and the tutor at the end commented that he’ll be alright and that FM is always hard. When I corrected him that it’s not FM buts Maths, his eyes were like saucers. He is a recent Maths graduate.

Getting rid of AS levels has just put much more pressure on the Y13 exams. Not at all to do with reducing overload, more to make A levels harder because the whole 2 years is examined in one go. Back to the old days as Michael Gove wanted.

I don't think it was about stress ; more about the actual volume of exams . Not sure that bit was Gove, to be honest.

My DS started doing Core Maths and probably would have done well noble but he swapped to a different school after a week and his current school doesn't offer it. Shame.

That’s interesting. DS3 is intending to take maths at university. He’s quite good and is enjoying the A level courses in maths and FM but he’s found the AS papers (mocks) much harder than any other past papers which must be from the previous syllabus. He is hoping for A* A next year but might get AB so I’m hoping a drop in applications might mean aspirational applications may be successful. Every cloud...

Personally I was sad to see the demise of AS levels. It seems like a huge jump from GCSE to A level now (as it was in my day, too, but I'm not saying that was a good thing!). Interesting that Maths was always considered to be a "hard" A level and as noble said there was always FM for the most able students. Don't get why not having AS levels reduces exam stress as now kids are stressed out of their heads as everything rests on one set of exams? Then again why am I trying to see any logic in Gove's thinking?

Really interested to read that noble has seen rumours that there may be more changes to come.

There was definitely a huge rhetoric in some subjects about 'tougher' A Levels. Maths, not so much.

I don't think you're wrong about Gove boys but the disappearance of AS had more to do (I thought) with reducing exam overload for students.

The new A-levels weren’t supposed to be harder
Weren't they? I thought there was concern about a rising number of higher grades for A levels in the same way there was for GCSEs. I though that was why A levels went back to being linear as it was felt (ie Gove felt) it was a more academically rigorous system than the previous AS/A level system?

I agree that the paper should cater for the full range of ability from A*-E. But I wouldn't be expecting those at the bottom of that range to be considering a maths degree.

I take titchy's point though.

If it's the people who would otherwise be getting the Ds and Es being put off that would not seem to be too big a problem - however it almost certainly will be skewed so perfectly capable mathematicians are being put off because of confidence and lack of guidance. So girls, state school kids and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

But what do you call A Level standard?

The paper should in my opinion cater for the entire ability range from A* to E.

I do think it's right in principle that an A level grade reflects someone's ability to answer A level questions, not easier AS level questions.

Surely someone who is considering a maths degree, ought to be good enough at maths to be able to answer questions that are A level standard? If people are being put off maths degrees, it's presumably the weaker candidates, who realise that if they cannot comfortably do A level questions they will struggle with a degree. That may not be a bad thing.

I'm not familiar with the new maths A level though. My older daughter took the old one.

Same here, we were worried that DS (current year 12) wouldn’t get high enough grades to do his favoured maths and physics A levels but he ended up with 9 s. He is enjoying maths A level but as a dyslexic he s used to struggling with material and being in the bottom half of the class so not as phased as some might be by newer harder papers

I think the grade boundaries will be on the floor so grades will be preserved,

That's awful. brilliant for ds though who just might stand a chance of getting the B he needs

I'm sure I saw on here a while back that to get a grade 9 in gcse maths you only had to get about 75% or something.
I guess being the select top 2% or whatever in the country and still not knowing 25% is a lot, and many might think too big a gap to continue studying.

The failed in inverted commas was to reflect the fact no one had a scooby about grade boundaries at that point.

Her English/humanities grade predictions/mocks on the other hand were pretty spot on. 7/8 in mock, predicted 8/9 got 8 9 in English.

Dd was in the second cohort to take the new maths gcse & first for the science and although she ended up with Grade 8’s in maths, physics & chemistry she was convinced from sample papers etc that the most she’d get was a Grade 6 (most of her class “failed” physics January mock, she got a 4) and this definitely affected A Level choices amongst her cohort.

Also, don't forget that 2001-2002 was the bottom of the dip in birth rate.