Homeschooled DS - should we skip gcse Maths and just do a level?

[bubbleymajor]

Hi not actually sure how this would work. DS is very good at maths. I have looked at both and believe there are lots of differences in gcse and a level and find a lot of gcse work is never used at a level. What would happen if he had an a level in Maths but not a gcse in it? Will that affect him in any way?

I think it would be a ballache forever. Most job applications are electronic and not being able to tick a box saying you have maths and English GCSE will mean getting filtered out. Even speaking to an actual person with common sense you will have to give an explanation. Every job interview I have has been trying to make me sound more normal than I am and I hate having to explain oddities around the dates of my qualifications away. I'm 44 and people still ask why a particular (irrelevant) exam was sat in a different year to others.

Also, if their are subjects on it that aren't on Alevel, isn't that a reason to do it rather than a reason to not do it?

GCSE (Or equivalent) Maths and English is such an essential that I would just do them. Otherwise he has a lifetime of totally unnecessary explaining to do. If he's capable I really don't see why you wouldn't do it.

I am a tutor that has home ed clients
You need to do the GCSE it is essential as people are saying

IamFriedSpam, the UKMT maths challenges are not open to home ed students if they cannot find a school in the area willing to let them sit it as an external candidate.

There are other international competitions out there this group I met had qualified in the UK and we're about to off to the US (this was not the first time) I seem to recall they'd even been sponsored over the years in terms of airfares etc by FTSE 100 companies. But the parents/group leader was very organised and in the know and the group were specifically working at science/math/ICT/engineering type stuff.
I very much doubt many of these children were ever going to do "normal" jobs TBH.

How do home-edders take the exams for GCSEs & A-levels? Is a private sitting something that private schools offer? How much is the exam fee?

JustRichmal My students (admittedly only two HS students and one not in the UK) always found schools happy to do them. Even if he didn't actually sit the exams they are perfect for bright home ed students to cover at home as they're intended to be completely stand alone test - they're not meant to be specifically prepared for. They're also very good preparation for anyone thinking of a mathematical subject at university as they're much less standardised than GCSE and A-level.

I still can't see the objection to doing GCSE. There really is very little learning and 95% of it would be essential for A-level anyway. A few odd topics (e.g. Loci) don't come up again but they are generally very simple and would represent about two days work. I can't imagine why you wouldn't save yourself a lifetime of potential hassle and just do it.

Remember that at a good school in a top set students won't just cover syllabus topics - they'll be sideways topics and extra challenges for the brightest students; either maths challenge, Step papers or just random problems dreamt up by their teachers. For bright students this is where the real learning happens. GCSEs and A-levels are just boxes to tick (especially for maths as there are no long essays that take up too much time).

lljkk my homeschool student just paid to take it at a private school as it was close and convenient it was a few hundred pounds for A-levels though - might be a cheaper option elsewhere.

I have a friend who's currently sitting GCSE English even though they have a PhD all because they don't have an equivalent age 16 qualification and they can't start their teaching course without it. Bonkers but true.

Just to be clear not all jobs require a GCSE (or equivalent international qualification) my DH doesn't even list his GCSE or A-levels on his CV - as long as you have a 1st class degree and top PhD no one cares what you did at school, but there are enough that do care to make it worthwhile, I also think it's worthwhile from an educational perspective. If you're ready to start A-level it will only take a few weeks to brush up enough to take a GCSE anyway.

A problem is that increasing numbers of employer's are using on line recruitment programme's to which scoring /shortlisting filter's can be set. GCSE English and Maths Grade C or above is set as a standard filter on all jobs I put out, even though many of the jobs require a specific degree as well. Without them an applicant won't even get to the point of a human reading their application.

as long as you have a 1st class degree and top PhD no one cares what you did at school

I have recently been asked to show school certificates for a senior academic job. (I have Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees.) Presumably the absence of a maths GCSE (or equivalent) wouldn't have been a real problem in practice but this example demonstrates the use of standardised requirements, even for very senior jobs..

Same here user (but without the PhD)

I couldn't have done my MSc without my BSc or my BSc without my A levels or my A levels without Maths GCSE, yet still people want to see certificates for exams I sat using chalk and slate.

People don't get first class degrees and 'top PhDs' without maths GCSE because UCAS will filter them out and they will be all sad face in the daily mail with 'a clutch of top A-levels' and no place.

I would advise against leaving the GSCE out on the grounds that it might not needed to get into top universities. At this point, you may feel you know that he is bright enough to get into top universities, but you can't possibly know that this is going to be the route he decides is right for him. And a non-Oxbridge university or an apprenticeship/internship may well sort him out electronically.

I'd say definitely do the GCSE, my OH had to do his Maths GCSE at 30 (insane box ticking to allow for career progression).

Didn't matter that he already had a first class degree in Applied Economics from a RG uni.

I'm also inclined to think its quite a good life lesson, that sometimes you just have to buckle down and do stuff, even if you find it boring and would rather not bother.

User I definitely agree lots of jobs need the gcse as a box tick even if you have a PhD I was just making the point that it's not literally all jobs. My husband doesn't put anything below degree level on his CV, conversely I had to send off for ancient GCSE certificates to satisfy the job criteria.

You probably aware of this but the new a-level maths starts from September. If he plans to do maths and further maths he would be better doing both sets of exams at the same time, doing the old alevel maths next year followed by new further maths the year after wouldn't make sense as they are so different and may cause issues with university applications. New alevel maths is linear and has no flexibility in what to study. There is some flexibility at further maths