Maths GCSE early?

[NickNacks]

I'm posting here even though ds is at middle school but I guess it's the same.

Ds is currently in year 8 and quite able in maths. We've just started looking around upper schools and looking at the GCSE results in particular. We have noticed that some take it early, would that be year 10? What are the pros and cons for doing this and does the school decide or can we enquire? Thanks for any info.

Yes my ds is at private. Now I don't actually know if he's doing GCSE or iGCSE. I probably should find out

does it make much difference long term whether it's IGCSE or GCSE?
Why is there two sets of GCSE's?

No, I think the only people who will care that it's IGCSE and not GCSE will be the government. They don't want state schools to dodge the new GCSE (which is a bloody nightmare), so are forcing it upon them through the league tables.

There aren't A any more in maths.*

Only in England are they gone- Northern Ireland and Wales are retaining A* - G at the minute.

My DD goes to a private school. She isn't preparing for GCSEs yet, but they have mentioned that they will be IGCSEs and they will be on the numbering scheme when she gets there. I wonder if I have misunderstood something.

www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-secondary-2/cambridge-igcse/uk-schools/newcambridgeigcse/

IGCSEs are changing their syllabi and changing their grading schemes to 9-1. As this link says, they will still not be included in the government's league tables and (more importantly) are not under the control of the government.

Nobody apart from the government cares about GCSE v IGCSE.

(I mean, nobody distinguishes between them in terms of university offers, job offers etc. There are differences but universities/sixth forms/apprenticeships don't ask for different grades. Private schools prefer IGCSE as they are not subject to political whims.)

What stops state schools from choosing igcses as well?

I didn't realise that MrsG. I am in England so only really know about the English education system. Are they planning to change to the new GCSEs at some point out are they keeping the older style indefinitely?

Because a student who gets top grades in IGCSE maths/English will count has having scored 0 in any maths or English measure, by which state schools are graded and scrutinised.

Private schools can afford to be bottom of the league tables with headline figures of 0, state schools can't.

Empress the only thing that stops state schools choosing iGCSE as well is the fact that they don't count in league tables so that school would look crap when compared to other schools doing GCSEs that do count, even if the iGCSE school performed better.

Lots of state schools did IGCSEs until this year, especially in English Language. My DS is doing Science IGCSEs this year. Once the GCSEs are reformed (Maths and English this year, others following next year) the IGCSE doesn't count, as others have said.

Are they planning to change to the new GCSEs at some point out are they keeping the older style indefinitely?

I'm not sure about Northern Ireland looks like they will be offering a mix of English GCSE at 1-9 and their own GCSE which only one board decided to produce - but I'm not sure as I'm in Wales.

Wales is heading off on it's own I think at the minute - I think it's splitting maths into maths and numeracy. DH uni department got asked if they'd consider numeracy equivalent to maths GCSE and the answer was err no not for our subject.

My eldest is only yr7 - so I'm not completely sure about it all yet. She already has maths and separate numeracy lessons - though all I can get out from her about the numeracy lesson are there are two different teacher nether maths teachers and seem currently to revolve around PE rather than numbers.

Whether Welsh school's can choose to take English GCSE I'm not sure and if our current secondary would go that way in the future I have no idea.