Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Pros and cons of doing AS maths in y11

39 replies

TeenAndTween · 03/10/2015 18:37

Posting for a friend who has a very able daughter.

Her school are suggesting some of them take AS maths this year in y11 along side their GCSEs. My understanding is the aim is to stretch them a bit more, and either give them an 'extra' AS, or a headstart on Maths/Further Maths A levels.

I am wondering about the implications of this for 6th form if she decides to continue with maths. (Especially if she moves for 6th form which is a possibility)

Will maths be a split subject or is it / will it be an all through?

Any comments (e.g. from noble or anyone else) ?

OP posts:

Savagebeauty · 04/10/2015 20:43

DS refused to do it. Sat there in lessons with his arms folded. He hated maths and wasnt going to do it at A level.
After an interesting meeting with the head of maths he dropped it, and still got A* for maths GCSE which he was told he wouldn't get unless he was in the top ie AS set.

5madthings · 04/10/2015 20:49

My ds1 did the further maths gcse as well as normal maths gcse. Getting a* in both and is now doing maths, further maths, physics and computer science a levels. He did s lot of predatory work for the maths and further maths a levels over the summer after his gcses. But that is cos he is an oddball who likes maths and it's relevant for all the programming and app design he does. It was never suggested to do an as during gcse years. Sounds like a bad idea to me for all the reasons others have stated.

Brioche201 · 05/10/2015 13:35

..and don't forget if she is planning on doing maths at uni some of them eg cambridge and durham will want to see her UMS.Those who have taken it at the right time will be over 95%. The AQA Level 2 in FM is a much better idea.

Brioche201 · 05/10/2015 13:37

*DS refused to do it. Sat there in lessons with his arms folded. He hated maths and wasnt going to do it at A level.
After an interesting meeting with the head of maths he dropped it, and still got A for maths GCSE which he was told he wouldn't get unless he was in the top ie AS set.

GCSE maths is piss easy.Anyone with half an aptitude for the subject gets A* with their eyes closed.

Bunbaker · 05/10/2015 13:57

For you, maybe Brioche. Not everyone finds maths as easy as you do. And you would do well to remember that.

hellsbells99 · 05/10/2015 15:08

GCSE maths is piss easy.Anyone with half an aptitude for the subject gets A with their eyes closed*

I cannot believe you have posted this! The majority taking Gcse do not get an A*

jorahmormont · 05/10/2015 15:14

I was in top set Maths and got a C when I took it early, actually. I tried a re-sit alongside the Psychology GCSE and got a D. Thankfully they kept my first grade.

I already know I don't have even half an aptitude for the subject, as Brioche put it Why they put someone with dyscalculia in top set maths and basically talked me through it constantly for four years is beyond me, but I didn't complain. It meant I got to drop it a year early and do another GCSE where I got top marks instead.

Savagebeauty · 05/10/2015 16:01

Don't be stupid *brioche"
How patronising

roguedad · 05/10/2015 20:49

This would be perfectly doable for an exceptionally able mathematician, but I'd be more inclined to ask the school about whether they support the Intermediate and Senior Maths Challenges, which allow people who are naturally talented at problem solving to shine, and possible get into the Olympiad rounds. The workload is not so silly, but really needs and identifies natural talent. Top universities will look well on a good performance in those competitions. At my school (a long while before formal AS came in) a small group of us did the first half of the A level course in 5th form having done O level a year early, along with all the other O levels, and then did the single A level in 6-1. It gave us a big solid tick by the time it came to uni applications. SheGot... obviously had a similar but more recent experience. This is not intrinsically a bad idea, but needs some planning and confidence that the school knows what it is doing, and that the pupil concerned is really up to it - the range of talent in maths is so wide at the top end that this is not a problem for the truly able. I do not think a university entrance tutor is going to look down on someone having done their A level maths early. I used to do Oxford maths admissions and I have no idea where the notion that it looks bad comes from.

SilverHawk · 05/10/2015 21:02

My DD's school did what Chopstickandchillicrab mentioned. DD then did AS in Maths and FM then A level.
I was unlucky enough to do my 'O' level maths two year's early. A group of five, mixed sex and hand picked, we all got Bs. Not good. The school never tried it again.

Bunbaker · 05/10/2015 21:16

A B grade at O level was considered quite respectable (well it was in 1975)

SilverHawk · 05/10/2015 21:38

It would have been 1975!
Not good enough though. Lumbered with Bs when at 15 it would be an A easily.

SilverHawk · 05/10/2015 21:41

You don't know one of the other four do you?
You may do...

Bunbaker · 05/10/2015 22:17

I scraped a C at O level maths and was pleased with that.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread