To have not known kids have to attain grade 4 in maths?

[Pepperpotladles]

I did not know this!
I have obviously been living under a rock.
So today someone told me that if kids get grades 1, 2 or 3 in their maths GCSE, it is compulsory that all these kids have to keep on studying GCSE maths until they achieve a grade 4 or above, and they have to keep trying to achieve this up until their 25th birthday.
Is this true?!?
I can't believe my ears.
What about kids who simply can't achieve grade 4 or above in maths, for any number of reasons?

I think our children probably go to different types of schools.

Genuine question: do other parents really research the exam board and other external factors when their children sit GCSEs?
What will that achieve?

Our school only use WJEC so it was easy. But yes, to find past papers, revision guides etc you need to know which exam board they’re going to be sitting.

This sounds exactly like DSes 1 and 2. DS1 is gifted in maths, DS2 is phobic about it. He'd get 30 minutes homework, it would take him 2 hours. 1 hour to do the homework and 1 hour of breaks after each question to calm down. He absolutely won't get grade 4 and can't wait to leave school, so making him resit until he gets it will feel like a punishment and he'll probably run away again.

Bog standard comprehensive.

I get why a parent would do that.

But if it's a test that's supposed to demonstrate a basic level of mathematical literacy, wouldn't that be a teeny bit ridiculous?

Surely they should all measure the same things?

How's it general or fair if the variance is so great?

Which exam board set the exams which most eventual RG university students sit?

How can they predict that she will never achieve a grade 4 when she is only in year 7?
Have they put her in any math support sessions (usually on during tutor time or during a math lesson where she is able to head to the sen dept and work 1:1 with support staff/ta or work in smaller group?
If not then you should speak to the school head of year/maths teacher and fight for this to be put in place? Support using apps/ software to develop your child's understanding and ability to grasp math topics could help. As could asking for advice on getting a private tutor if you can afford it.

Earlier this support is in place the better for your DC. Building up confidence and skills together is so important.

Please don't loose hope. Speak to your daughters math teacher and try to see what they can advise.

Ofqual are the exam moderators, it's their job to make sure that exam boards are measuring the same things.

Same.

Never had anyone trying to flog me stuff at parent's evening.

Mind you, when my eldest was there, you used to get a cuppa and a Rich Tea.

There's none of that now it's all in the fancy new sports hall.

More basketball hoops than sense to my mind.

Maybe if they'd flogged more texts at a premium....

We can flog revision guides cheaper than WHSmiths because schools don't pay VAT when they buy them and can buy in bulk.

We're not allowed to make a profit from selling them.

My GS sat higher maths paper1 this time last year (again, a school in the SE) and that one was deemed to be ridiculously hard as well to all the local schools - the rest were much kinder!

They didn't sell at a premium. They sold them at cost. I know because I checked. The school wanted their students to do well and did everything they could to enable it.

Cross posted with @noblegiraffe

That's great.

So it is regulated.

Phew!

I'll sleep easier tonight knowing I haven't failed as a parent by not buying something that explained a difference between exam boards, learning and exam questions that contravenes regulatory standards.

Oh. A revision guide.

I've not had than pushed at me at parents evenings. But they can be bought through school.

It's supposed to be a general certificate of education. And it's regulated.

How can one exam board's questions vary so much from another if they're all testing the same thing?

I am the same as you, always read reports and attended every parents evening and didn't know this. Daughter is currently sitting GCSEs and predicted 6 so it has never been raised

And I didn't suggest it was sold to you at a premium.

I just thought there were too many basketball hoops and not enough biscuits.

I counted 18 hoops and not a single digestive. Chocolate or otherwise.

But I did AQA.

Maybe if I'd have sat under another exam board, it might have been 17 basketball hoops and a custard cream?

The revision guides weren't "pushed" but suggested as a good idea. And a very good idea they were too.

Downloading past papers for DD to practice on was also a very good idea.

It helped her with exam technique and timing, especially for maths and the sciences.

I'm surprised at how disengaged some parents are about their DC's education.

Just because exams are regulated doesn’t mean there aren’t differences.

For some subjects, even within a board, there are differences e.g. some subjects have more than one specification even within one exam board and some subjects have choices within the specification.

Genuine question: do other parents really research the exam board and other external factors when their children sit GCSEs?
What will that achieve?

Of course, we would need to know what exam board to use for previous pass papers and youtube videos.

Knowing which exam board your dc is sitting and what level paper means that you can download the right past papers, buy the right revision guides etc as the syllabus’s can vary slightly between different boards and definitely are different for different levels (foundation tier or higher tier for example).

it’s not about buying an advantage, just helping your dc to prepare as well as they can for the exams that they’ll be sitting.

I have just re-read the OP.

The retaking GCSE maths until 25 is something I have never heard of, but not knowing that students need a grade 4 minimum in maths and English is surely something every secondary school parent should know.

It's in the press and media, schools communicate this to parents and pupils, so how can any year 11 parent not know this?

Buying a revision guide doesn't make you any more 'invested' in your child's education than a parent who can't afford it or choses not to.

Revision guides can be useful.

But, if GCSE is a standard measure of ability, there shouldn't be any difference between revision guides from different exam boards.

Passing an exam isn't about learning. It's about passing an exam.

Which some people are good at. And others aren't.

Instantly, this creates inequalities.

I'm surprised how many parents aren't invested in their child's wellbeing and ability to think independently and critically.

Passing an exam isn't about learning. It's about passing an exam. Which some people are good at. And others aren't.

I don't disagree with you on this, but practising past papers is a good way to learn exam technique and build confidence, and it's free. Why would you not want to help your child to do well?

But, if GCSE is a standard measure of ability, there shouldn't be any difference between revision guides from different exam boards.

Surely you can understand just because exams are regulated there are difference?

For example, how would having a revision guide/past papers/other resource about South Africa 1960-1994 help you with AQA History GCSE when it isn’t on AQA’s syllabus? And conversely how would having AQA’s revision guide/past papers/other resources help someone sitting OCR History A’s South Africa 1960-1994 component?

I don’t know why anyone would think someone who takes an interest in knowing what exams their child is sitting isn’t also invested in their child's wellbeing and ability to think independently and critically.

My birth children are both pretty good academically.

Not Mumsnet good.

Youngest is 6/7 in their least favourite subject.

Eldest worked his socks off to scrape a 4 in Maths. Excelled in the rest. With a few surprising high grades.

They're really nice, well rounded people too.

My adopted step children are each lovely, really bright people.

Absolutely traumatised by exam conditions and schooling more broadly.

Both actually way more adept at numeracy in practice than my own kids.

Both made to feel inadequate (in addition to the absolute neglect they suffered in their formative years) through not being as good at exams as children who didn't face those challenges.

It's not fair.

I don’t know why anyone would think someone who takes an interest in knowing what exams their child is sitting isn’t also invested in their child's wellbeing and ability to think independently and critically.

Well said @perpetualplatespinning

Thank you.