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Secondary education

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

Original poster

gcse further maths discontinued??

46 replies

Masooma78 · 15/04/2016 11:28

Is that true that gsce further maths is discontinued by all exam boards? Is further maths only an option for A levels now? Many thanks!

OP posts:
tiggytape · 15/04/2016 11:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ladymuck · 15/04/2016 15:42

Edexcel are still doing further pure maths igcse.

AtiaoftheJulii · 15/04/2016 16:05

My son's in y10 and they've been told they're doing Additional Maths (which I think is the OCR version).

noblegiraffe · 15/04/2016 16:07

As far as I know AQA haven't discontinued their further maths GCSE yet but they did send out a survey to schools asking if we still intended to run it given the new GCSE so they may do in future. It would be a shame as it's a great course, and IMO the new content in the GCSE isn't.
While the new GCSE does have some Y12 content, it doesn't touch stuff like calculus.

Original poster
Masooma78 · 15/04/2016 20:50

Many thanks for your responses. I am really greatful for all the messages.
My sone is in year 10 at the moment. I called my child's school to ask about further maths but his teacher told me that further maths is discontinued by all exam boards including Edexle and AQA. She also told me that there is no alternative to additional maths. Though school is telling that there is no further/additional maths but I am surprised to know that children in year 10 are doing additional maths. Can anyone adviser me how can I make my son sit in additional maths GCSE or if school is not offering it then can we go privately? Your response will be of great help.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 17/04/2016 00:02

Why do you want him to sit it?

The school may be persuaded to enter him if he studies independently. The AQA further maths textbook is quite comprehensive, but tough so a tutor would be useful.

RalphSteadmansEye · 17/04/2016 08:18

I was idly looking at Core 1 paper (A level) the other day and the topics seem to be almost the same as those ds in yr 10 has already been taught for the new GCSE so it looks like further maths is less relevant now.

noblegiraffe · 17/04/2016 09:59

There always was a big overlap between C1 and GCSE, things like surds, fractional indices, completing the square, solving quadratics where a>1 were A* topics on the old GCSE.

What the new GCSE has which is also on C1 is a bit more coordinate geometry (finding the equation of lines given two points or one point and a gradient, finding the equation of a tangent to a circle at a point) and expanding triple brackets. It also has interpreting the gradient of a line as a rate of change and drawing tangents to curves by hand, but no actual calculus.

Further maths has quite a lot of the C1 calculus on it. Differentiating, finding and identifying stationary points as max/min, finding equations of tangents/normals.

Original poster
Masooma78 · 17/04/2016 12:52

Many thanks for your replies. I want him to sit the exam because not only he is extra ordinarily great in maths my husband who is gold medallist throughout his life and is PHD and a professor now is here to help him with maths at home. My husband who has been a tutor during his MSC (from Imperial college London) teaches him maths as his tutor at home and he believes he is ready to sit the exam even this year. We think that Russle Group Universities take further maths seriously while considering the applications and he believes that my son is ready for the exam then why the school is not offering him if it can be done. My son was also KS3 Lead Learner of the year at the end of year 8 and he got the trophy for it too. He was also in gifted and talented for maths register for several years. So as a mother I am keen to provide him opportunity to excel as I know he is able enough to achieve. He himself is a keen learner and ambitious in maths. Thank you so very much for all your help and guidance in this regard.

OP posts:
Pepperpot99 · 17/04/2016 13:10

"extra ordinarily (sic) great in maths"
" my husband who is gold medallist (sic) throughout his life"
"in (sic) gifted and talented register for several years"

Are you actually for real ? or did your mother just forget to tell you that boasting is deeply unattractive? Wink.

LIZS · 17/04/2016 13:23

Both are still being offered at dc school next year for top 2 sets afaik. Dd is taking GCSE in y10 and Add Maths in y11. 2nd set do Maths and Further Maths in y11.

Original poster
Masooma78 · 18/04/2016 01:00

I wasn't boasting and dragging someones parents into a serious discussoon is not my way of speaking. Its just that I never thought someone will be offended to know anyone's achievements. Alhamdullilah all the above is true. May be you didnt notice that mentioning all this was the reply of why did I want my son to sit the exam. If it will help you to feel better then I would be happy to tell especially you that I don't like maths and I was never hight achiever in this perticular subject. Hope you are happy to know this ☺ (though this is not the answer of why I want him to sit the exam).

OP posts:
Original poster
Masooma78 · 18/04/2016 01:09

Hi! Is DC a private school? Does that mean that they are offering additional maths in private schools only? I think that I should call AQA or edexcel to ask about what's really going on?

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LIZS · 18/04/2016 07:14

It is and will be igcse. Probably edexel as that is the board she sits this summer.

noblegiraffe · 18/04/2016 10:58

My school is a state school and still doing further maths.

Your best bet is to say to the school that your DS wants to sit further maths, you are willing to pay the entry fee and his dad will be tutoring him. See what they say.

Original poster
Masooma78 · 18/04/2016 11:23

Great! Thanks a lot everyone. I am so greatful for all the help and guidance. I have called aqa and they confirmed that they are offering level 2 further mathematics certificate. Some schools don't offer it but then anyone with similar situation as I am in where my kids 's school is not offering this course. You need to talk to the school for level 2 certificate of furthercmaths and if they cannot support then AQA (very polite advisor) advised me to register the child for this course in another school (which offers this course) to sit the exam for only this course. Childs current school should know all this as the schools will share the info about the child's ability.
The link that gives you links for course outline and past papers is...... www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/aqa-certificate/further-mathematics-8360
Hope it will be helpful for patents with similar situaton. Many thanks again all. May there be great rewards in your life for your unconditional help in all this

OP posts:
Original poster
Masooma78 · 18/04/2016 11:32

Noblegiraffe. Thans alot for thus suggestion. I think i will try your suggestion first as it will be much easier for us but if the school still wouldn't offer then I will bring forth the AQA plan. Hopefully something will work.

OP posts:
janinlondon · 18/04/2016 12:51

Can anyone explain to me what a level 2 certificate is, compared with a GCSE?

janinlondon · 18/04/2016 12:56

(I just looked up the GCSE results for the whole country - cannot see any school reporting a GCSE in further maths.......? Am b confused!)

LIZS · 18/04/2016 15:02

Level 2 is gcse equivalent.

Original poster
Masooma78 · 18/04/2016 17:16

This is what I found about levels of study... www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/qualifications-what-different-levels-mean
May be someone can guide about them even further.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 18/04/2016 17:28

AQA's Further Maths is a level 2 certificate, so equivalent to a GCSE. It's not a GCSE and has a different grading system - A^ (A star distinction), A*, A, B, C. You can't get a D or below.

Additional Maths (FSMQ) is a level 3 qualification and has UCAS points attached.

Original poster
Masooma78 · 18/04/2016 17:40

I have found this on AQA website and I am confused again 😐 the Web page is...... www.aqa.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/policy/gcse-and-a-level-changes/performance-tables/aqa-level-12-certificates

Any thoughts about this info. anyone.... or I understood it wrong?? It says.....

"2017

Our Level 1/2 Certificates in English Language and English Literature,the Level 2 Certificate in Further Mathematics and IGCSEs from other awarding bodies will no longer count; only the new, reformed English and Maths GCSE qualifications will count for these subjects in 2017. The other Level 1/2 Certificates listed above will count."

Can anyone explain what r 1/2 certificates?? As my son is in year 10 at the moment, this means he will give his gcse in 2017. Does that mean that igcse/ futher maths wont count in 2017?? Is that right or i got mixed up 😑 Many Thanks!

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 18/04/2016 17:56

It won't count in the league tables as maths GCSE.

Up till then, if a student failed maths GCSE but passed further maths, they'd still count in the 5A*-C inc English and maths (assuming they passed English). From 2017, students have to pass the new reformed maths GCSE to be included in the headline figure (and progress 8 maths measure).

LIZS · 18/04/2016 17:58

Level 1 is a qualification at a lower level than gcse pass. For Maths and English it may be called
Functional Skills. Level 2 is gcse equivalent. A lot of non academic subjects and lower levels ie. Level 1 vocational subjects are being excluded from the tables as the exam system is being reformed. As a result schools are shifting focus and dropping them.