New Maths GCSE - Comments from Maths Teacher!

[BlueBelle123]

DS is currently in year 9 and it is the schools intention for pupils to take GCSE Stats at the end of year 10 and then the maths GCSE the following year - work for both these GCSE's has started this term. My concern given how much more difficult the content of the new GCSE will they have enough time to cover everything in enough detail for pupils to be able to have an opportunity to be able to answer all the questions on the paper?

I want to raise my concern at a forth coming parents evening but would welcome what other maths teachers think - DS is top set of an average comp.

What level is your DS?

Y9 top set at my school are starting GCSE maths and further maths this term, with the aim of sitting both in Y11. However, further maths is very algebraic and will support the new GCSE and they should hopefully be able to cope with both. These are kids who would have easily got an A* in the old GCSE and A+ in further maths.

In all his tests last year and this was level 8, they don't go higher, my concern is there is a large range of ability within top set and so the pace is is a lot slower than what DS and others could handle, so will they be able to cover all the material as well as the that required for the Statistics GCSE in the time they have?

DD's school is only offering the new GCSE itself, no extras, for reasons OP is worried about. They said it's plenty hard enough as it is.

They also have shortage of math teachers so don't have staff to teach more, anyway.

Sorry not sure that post made sense I meant to say the pace the work is covered is at a much slower pace than DS would like, ie would prefer a much faster pace!

Sorry not sure that post made sense I meant to say the pace the work is covered is at a much slower pace than DS would like, ie would prefer a much faster pace!

IIjkk that's exactly my concern I was wondering how other schools were approaching this new GCSE, are they also intending to cover an extra maths GCSE as well also this is for everyone not just top set!

Blimey, if they are expecting everyone to cover an extra GCSE they are nuts.

Top set might be ok. The problem is that we haven't taught it fully yet, and haven't got very much information to go on regarding what the exams will look like and grade boundaries. I'd ask what their plan is if it becomes apparent that it's too much from their experience with current Y10.

Thanks Noble I will ask about the current Y10.

My concern is that they are trying to cram too much in and so won't have enough time to cover the whole syllabus of the new maths GCSE. I don't want DS coming out of his exam saying couldn't do Questions XYZ as we haven't covered that!!!!