Yearly warning not to take A-level maths with less than a 7 at GCSE

The big gap between GCSE’s and A Levels is a problem with our education system, particulary when pupils are expected to be in education to 18.

I don't think the colleges around here allow it anyway. They seem to ask for grade 7's for children who want to continue with maths and science.

There are A levels that are accessible to people who get 4's and 5's. Some consider these the 'easy' A levels but I would disagree with that. For example, Sociology and Psychology. As a teacher of both I would prefer a student with a 6 in biology but, I have taught many students who have had 4's and 5' and they have done very well indeed. Some young people develop later and I'm not sure I like this push towards subjects areas wanting 6's and 7s in everything to access A levels.

On another note, I think it's a failure of the exam boards if A level Maths is not accessible to those students who get C's and B's in Maths..why make it so damn hard??

Agree with the others, BTEC Extended Diploma or T-Levels, or 3 separate Level 3 BTEC certificates.

Out of interest, is he glad he did it??

Excellent grade. I think all A levels are hard and B+ is rarely going to come easy except the occasional genius.

DS1 got a 7 at GCSE maths and came away with a B at A level. And we paid for a tutor for the last few weeks. He sweated blood and tears for it.

DS1 had this. Started A Levels (and a BTEC) in the hopes that less subjects would make him more focused. Did not turn out that way, so left the A Level course and is now quite happy on a Level 3 extended diploma.

You can get level 3 BTECs.
Or T levels?

Level 3 Extended Diploma?
That might be a better fit for him if there is one in a subject he is interested in.

Just wondering what students are meant to do when they get all their gcse's above a grade 4 but nothing higher than a 6. Ds2 got mainly 4's and 5's for his gcse's and a 6 I'm maths. So he was way over qualified for a level 2 pathway but he is now struggling with his a levels.

A-level Physics teacher here. Currently campaigning to not allow students with less than a 6 to take Physics. I'd prefer this to be a 7. Teaching students with 5s or 6s (and remember, this means half marks in the GCSE exam, such are the grade boundaries) is a struggle as they are not confident on the fundamentals.

It depends on WHY you are doing A level maths. My niece did it as a 4 th so want that concerned about getting g a decent grade (I think she got C or D) but what she learned has helped her enormously in her further studies

My son says he found the papers on tiktok so could go through them and work out what he had got wrong!

20-22 report. If child gets a 7 in a GCSE odds of an A or A* at A level: maths 16%, Spanish 15%, Eng lit 23%, Biology 18%. Not hugely inconsistent although maybe more variance with B+. Anyone reading should also remember huge variability with child and support they had/ how hard they worked etc.

https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/707601-progression-from-gcse-to-a-level-2020-2022.pdf

Yeh @Hollyhedge you are seeing 2015 as the year reformed GCSEs (in Eng and maths) started being taught... first exams in 2017. Then most other subjects (apart from tech and a few others) started 2016, exams in 2018. My DD did GCSEs in 2017 and as a result has a mix of letters and numbers. My DS2 took his in 2019 which was the first year you could get a number grade for DT and other tech subjects.

I know the most about MFL as it’s what I teach and there’s not much point looking at exam grades pre 2018 as the spec was so different. DD took French A level and found her GCSE was not much of a prep even tho she got an A (the A level spec was already reformed even tho the people taking it had sat the old GCSE).

Oh! So there really isn’t any reliable data then for other subjects, yet, because they all did A levels in Covid years…22-24? The tends gives enough of an idea for my purposes!

The OP’s figures are 2017. I thought GCSEs reformed 2015??

Can’t find anything 16-18,17-19. Then it’s Covid. Link I gave above in terms of 6 at GCSE, 2020 A level, % getting B or above: 22% in Maths, Spanish 38%, E lit 48%. But for an A or A* Spanish and maths v similar for those with a 7: 18 and 19% chance, Eng lit 31% and History 27%.

Gives an idea of trend, even if inflated. Will try to find more recent, but pre-Covid data

Ooh interesting this thread has popped up. My duaghter is sitting gcses now and I see in November she definitely wasn't doing physics for A level... Right now she's talkinf as if maths, physics, chemistry were of course all she ever wanted to do!!

I really hope she gets the 8 she wants in maths. She said the first one went well but the grade boundaries are so high she could easily have dropped. Her maths teacher thinks she's clearly capable it's just the fear that if maths drops for her gcse her whole A level choices come undone 😬.

Chemistry which is her next favourite went well.Not sure about physics. Is physics still okay of you drop down?

Yes to MFL - would not advise A level with anything less than a grade 7. The subject is Linear and A level assumes a good deal of GCSE knowledge.

Im thinking figures before 2018 would be of limited use as the GCSEs were so different? MFL is anyway.

Sounds good! My DS v keen to do A level maths and is looking at a 7. I am going to try and look into the stats a bit more. Covid has made recent comparisons more difficult.

Edited to say also comparing to other subjects. Obviously the correlation exists with all subjects, although I think maths and physics it is more pronounced. MFL pretty strong from what I can make out.

Just wanted to add an agreement for core maths. Dc got a 5 on the foundation paper for maths, opted for core maths, with agreement from the teachers to help with the maths elements of her other courses, (science and geography). It was such a good choice, the teachers are so pleased with the effort and progress and it definitely has helped those other courses. The UCAS points are an added bonus if they get their predicted grade.

Thanks! I found Cambridge uni progression GCSE to A level but obviously Covid years skewed and I can’t find earlier years. 2018 -20 45% of those with a 7 at GCSE were getting B+ and 22% with a 6

www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/674348-progression-from-gcse-to-a-level-2018-2020.pdf