If you want to do a degree type qualification - is there anyway round not having Grade C at Maths?

[KatyMac]

My friend has grade 2 CSE & a degree

She wants to do Early Year Professional Status

They say she can't because about She doesn't have Maths

Is there a loop hole?

Sonetimes there are access courses to bring things up to speed.

I don't think there's any loopholes but you can sit a Level 2 Maths Exam. Its called basic Skills and most local colleges do adult courses for free, some even run in local towns and villages rather than at the colleges themselves.She needs to get in touch with the local college tofindout more, I'll try to find the website. Where does she live?

Found it! here

She may be able to do key skills level 2 numeracy but some uni's do not accept it and insist on gcse maths. I did it and it is not too bad the modular gcse maths-got the brain going.

OK Thanks for the site - Level 2 is apparently equivilent to 5 GCSE's - she only want one doesn't she?

A good point jellybeans but if she's struggling she can do the Level2 first to see if she's ready to take the GCSE, it probably depends on the course and the college.

It's not really a Uni course

I can't believe a 42 yo with a degree who has had a very numerate job is prevented from doing a 4 month validation course because of a 26 yo math qualification

Yes it does sort of suggest that Katymac, but i don't exactly see how it can. i used to teach basic Skills maths and it is an equivalent to the basic Level of GCSE numeracy, I can't quite see how that would equate to 5 GCSEs. As Jellybean said they might actually demand a GCSE for maths and a Level 2 would not necessarily be enough so i don't quite understand that bit

It's bizarre

In that case Katymac a Level 2 would almost certainly suffice as it is a minimum requirement for many jobs and that would probably be what she'd need. If she's doing a numerate job she'll almost ceratinly have no problem in passing it and might even be able to enter the exam at a college without doing the course. Its a multichoice paper, you can get egs online so she might want to have aook at those first and then decide whether to sign up with a course. my friend teaches TEFL and is required to update her Level 2 every 2 years.....MAD!!

We were told tonight at college that after we have finished our degree (Foundation Degree in Childcare) if we want to do teacher training or EYPS you have to do GCSE maths. I asked about Level 2 key skills and was told that it wouldn't be accepted for either of these courses so it looks like I will have to do it

So which bit on that site is maths level 2

I'm not nearly as clever as her I I struggle with this sort of stuff

Oh Lazylou - what a shame

I hope my friend can do hers easily enough

As she only has to do the 4 month validation thing it would be such a shame if she has to do a years GCSE first - I don't think she'd bother - it's such a lot of time (& she has 3 children)

Its a typical government site and not clear.
try this page.

Here's one for a practice test too.

I think though that she would be able to do EYPS alongside a GCSE course? Not sure, because I get confused with the different validation pathways, but I'm sure I know someone (on the internet of course ) who is doing EYPS and GCSE at the same time

But GCSE takes a year & her validation is 4 months - that won't work

You don't have to wait a year to do the GCSE as I think there are still two times in the year when you can sit is as an adult, ( although they may have changed that now so you'd need to check, it used to go along with the resit times but so many things have changed in the maths curriculum recently anything could go )
If you've done the level 2 lazylou you've done the basis for the GCSE if you sit the foundation level, its worth a try if that's the course you want to do and they should give you some help with that at college.
Katy, your friend needs to find out what her minimum requirements are, the ironly is that a grade2 cse qualification 26yrs ago was probably harder to get than a c at gcse these days, but .............sorry I'll be here all night and i need to go to bed
hope you friend gets what she needs.

Thanks lots for your help

I think we will do some phoning round tomorrow

Thanks again

I thought for most courses mature students were given allowances for not having the usual qualifictions?

I was given allowances for getting on my degree course. The requirements were 2 years post qualifying experience, I had about 4 months but 8 years experience, all the GCSE's except maths, plus, at 24 I was considered a mature student so was allowed to enrol that way but to go any futher, I have to have maths GCSE

She has to do a level 2 - but she doesn't need to attend college - she can just do the exam & see how she does & if she doesn't pass can have free maths lessons til she does

So that's not too bad

I did the level 2 Numeracy and Literacy last summer. From initial assessment, through some practice tests on line at home, then exam only took two weeks. So although it's annoying tell her it's not a big deal providing your initial assessment comes out fairly high. From what you've said about her it should be a doddle.

Well I'm doing a degree in Childhood and Youth Studies and nobody, to my knowledge, gives a rat's arse about my ancient F grade GCSE maths..

My friend on the same degree needed a Grade C maths for the job she's now doing so she popped into her local Learn Direct for info, did an test on their PC to show what her weaknesses were.. got given a disc to take home to work up to the required level.. went back to Learn Direct a week later.. did the exam online, passed.. and they printed our her new maths qualification there and then!

They will not let you do a teacher training qualification unless you have GCSEs (or equivalent) in english, maths, and for secondary school science.

I have a degree in Biochemistry, but I still had to prove that I had a GCSE in science (actually I'm so old I have an O level! )