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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

I need GCSE maths in order to achieve my dream job. Will this stand in my way forever?

41 replies

chuffinalong · 27/07/2016 21:49

Hi, I've decided that I'd love to train to be a teaching assistant. I've spent most of my adult life working with adults and young people with various disabilities and autism. I'd really like a change now, and have always been interested in teaching.
The problem is my maths. I just didn't get it at school and even now, as an adult it's pretty shocking. I'd need to re take GCSE maths and I'd need a C grade. I'm not sure if it would be harder still as an adult, as I've since forgotten everything I've learned at school. I'd also have to pay for it myself so it would be a huge waste of money and embarrassment if I failed to get a C grade!
Do you think it's worth a try? Can you teach an old dog new tricks, or do you think if I didn't pick it up with all the years of schooling then there is no hope of me picking it up now? Also, if you know of any websites that would help me or work books? that would be great. Thank you.

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wasninah · 28/07/2016 00:12

Whether teaching is the dream job is another issue ...

merlottime · 28/07/2016 08:42

Just to say where I am TA jobs are in such high demand that they do not look at anyone without at least a Level 2 TA qualification, so it might be a good idea to do this in parallel to the GCSE. When a friend did this they had to spend time in a school as part of the qualification, so if you start by volunteering that could be a good way into it. Good luck.

noblegiraffe · 28/07/2016 08:46

The government has announced that a grade 4 will suffice for most jobs

Have they? Have you got a link? It's not going to suffice for the league tables the whole thing is a mess, best avoided if possible.

sashh · 28/07/2016 08:59

You mat not need to pay for it, check with your local college.

I taught GCSE maths to a group of adults. One was in her 50s and at 14 the school had told her parents they couldn't teach her any more maths.

She kept saying in her lessons "I feel cheated, why did no one explain this to me before"

Go for it, you won't be the only one in the class resitting years after leaving school.

Yokohamajojo · 28/07/2016 09:19

I think also that learning as an adult, especially maths, is somewhat easier as you have used it on a practical level for many years even if it doesn't feel like maths! Good luck!

Pestilence13610 · 28/07/2016 10:44

1-9 GCSE grading

Gcse Maths and English courses are free in the UK if you don't have at least a C grade

lacebell10 · 28/07/2016 11:53

Most English and Maths is free at colleges or adult education if you don't have a gcse grade C. Contact now for an assessment. TA courses will probably take you on a level 2 course if you show enrollment on a course but they will also assess you anyway. You need to organise work placement do contact kids school now before all teachers and administration disappear to get the ball rolling

PonderingProsecco · 28/07/2016 12:33

I am educated to MA level but did not get O'level [old!] maths.
Last year I did family learning in maths which was a revelation.
It is clear that I have some thinking difficulties round maths but being older [ie not 15] made all the difference. I developed strategies and approached things differently.
I got level 2 functional skills with City and Guilds.
My first maths qualification!

Twink · 28/07/2016 12:52

I echo noblegiraffe's recommendation of Mathswebsite. Colin Hegarty is amazing and I frequently direct my students to his site when they need to be able to sit and work through something at their own pace. Good luck!

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 29/07/2016 07:51

I don't think the government can dictate what jobs will accept as a good grade. If they've said that they've overstretched their reach slightly. It's a bit like the ebacc.

I think they did say something about 5 being acceptable for league tables for the first cohort then it would be 4 but that raised more questions than it answered.

HairyMoose · 29/07/2016 07:59

I was terrible at maths at school and now I'm brilliant. I've grasped everything as I'm more confident now and also understand things more. So you will probably grasp it much quicker now than before.

user789653241 · 29/07/2016 09:35

I couldn't agree more with HairyMoose. I hated maths when I was in school, but I started learning again with kahn and I love maths now. It's so much easier to re- learn it as an adult.

Can I ask really dumb question? I am a foreigner, I have degree in my native country(English lit and Linguistics). But if I would like to apply for a new job in England, I need to get GCSE or I can't get a decent job?

Tallulahoola · 29/07/2016 11:06

Slightly different experience here but I was on course to fail my maths GCSE at school and that would have been a disaster because I had an offer of a sixth form place at another school conditional on me having maths. I was fine at other subjects but absolutely hopeless at maths. Because it was pretty crucial I pass it, my mum hired a tutor. It was a revelation - the way he explained everything made sense for the first time and I passed easily. So the teaching makes all the difference. Don't think of it as you being crap at maths, think of it as you not understanding your old maths teacher. You will get somebody much better this time around and it will all click into place, trust me!

minisoksmakehardwork · 29/07/2016 21:26

Definitely go for it. I did my maths gcse 3 times to get my C grade. I finally cracked it with a maths teacher who finally explained everything in a way I could understand, and I was in a class with others who needed that minimum c grade too. That was a great help as no one was distracted by silly shenanigans.

wangxiaosara · 30/07/2016 13:33

As long as you willing to work hard to practice, getting a c is not difficult at all. If you have not got a c above, register with your local college, the course is free.

jamdonut · 01/08/2016 14:16

You don't HAVE to have a TA qualification, but a lot of places expect it now. My local authority do. I did my NVQ2 TA course ( voluntary basis) 8 years ago now, with a colleague. We both got taken on by the school we volunteered at, afterwards. I don't have GCSE maths...I have a Grade 1 CSE ( old 'O' level pass at 'C' equivalent') and a D 'O' level ( was double entered at school). However, I passed a test they did at the adult education centre.

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