A* or A in maths. Does it matter?

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If ds is eyeing up Oxbridge as possible uni's later on, is it essential he gets an A in maths? He is heading towards sciences as a future, but obviously is still early days. Maths is probably his weakest subject (bottom of top set) and his school put the top set in for maths gcse in jan - a few weeks away. I am wondering if I should ask for him to be put down a set and wait until July which would still be a year early. Or let him take it in Jan and hope he gets an A. Teacher says he "should" get A*.
Or would an A be ok anyway? Any Oxbridge people know?
Sorry, am rambling now….Thank you.

Thanks everyone.
I don't think the school would do anything to jeopardise it's future possible Oxbridge pupils, so if they put these boys in for exams early, then it must be ok. I am ashamed to say I don't even know what they do after January .
How does the entry procedure work anyway for GCSE's?

The school can't predict the future, and clearly they are a bit dubious about his potential result. A lack of A* might not affect Oxbridge applications but it does seem bloody unnecessary when there are 3 more sittings he could take the exam in with more confidence of getting the top grade.

For exam entries the school sends a list of pupils off to the exam board and pays for them. The deadline for withdrawal and still getting a refund is tomorrow.

I don't think the school would do anything to jeopardise it's future possible Oxbridge pupils,

That's exactly why I'd lean towards trusting them.

Deadline tomorrow!!! Eek.
Does anyone know what the A* mark is? His revision papers range from 78% - 92%. Many are between 80-87%

Iirc it's around 90%

oh. thats not good then. He'd better start revising then!

We're in Wales. DD1 has already done her maths GCSEs in Nov and is currently doing a personal finance course, equivalent to another GCSE. She's been predicted grades in terms of A and A*. I haven't heard anything about the change to numbered grades here. They have messed around with the curriculum and she's had to do a GCSE in Maths and another in Numeracy. So 4 exams.

She has her sciences in January.

And has already done half of her english exams I think.

There's not that much that's going to be left to do in May at this rate. I think it's to spread things out so they aren't overloaded so much as we were. But in reality, it means that DD has been stressed about exams more regularly.

Actually, this is very useful info

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwinl4rV2vTQAhVBOMAKHciQABcQFggmMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fqualifications.pearson.com%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Fpdf%2FSupport%2FGrade-boundaries%2FInternational-GCSE%2F1506-International-GCSE-Grade-Boundaries.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHAdPoYT3Y6puEcjlsLBuAv2yAxbQ&sig2=bfzWpcgdN5in32Las38Riw

I'm a little confused too, I'm sorry, having been through the university application process I've never seen it done on gcse, those are simply a predictor for a level, and both those results and more importantly a level is what's taken as predicted for an conditional offer, with many other factors included, from personal statements, extra curricular activities to interviews onwards.

I sat through the oxbridge presentation from both colleges at my daughters school, and my daughter had ten GCSEs, at a mix of a and a star, and was predicted and achieved two a star and an a for a level and she decided to not apply to oxbridge against her teachers wishes, and went for what is currently one of the top ten law schools in the U.K due to the teaching ethos and how she learned.

At no stage were oxbridge approaching her at GCSE, so honestly, im confused by this post, it was always at AS level they approached her, And GCSE was used as no more than a predictor for a conditional offer. Maybe it's changed? She's in her second year of her law degree so not that long ago.🙄

On the other hand, Is this some parental wishing? Because if it is, let your son do his work and then sit in if oxbridge present at your child's school for applications, and then help him decide if that's the best place for him based on what degree he wishes to do and how he learns best. For many as long he's in one of the top Russel group univestities then both yours and his aspirations will be met, but the Entrance criteria even in Russel group varies.

To clarify, my daughter needed her three A levels at A grade to get her current place , she had a condutiinal offer, three As and she had a place. She exceeded that, she got two a star and an a. She would have needed at least three a star at a level for a place at oxbridge for law and even then it was based on much more including her extra curricular activities. So possibly in the region of four or five a levels at a or a star plus extra curricular and work experience,

I think you're too early to be thinking about this. As is he. Support him through his GCSEs to do the best he can and as he moves forward he can decide what degree he wishes and he can look at what he can hope to achieve and what uni would be best for him.If it's oxbridge, you and they will know soon enough, 💐

Bluntness - that is good to know. So if he (only) gets an A it shouldn't close the door on Oxbridge should he still wish to go there later on.

I would just like to clarify, we are not pushy ambitious parents at all. His academic route so far has been driven by him. His choice of current school, and his interest in Oxford Uni have all come from himself.

I had no idea that Oxbridge present to schools. Surely they can't get round every school in the uk?? Both dh and myself work in an industry where place of study is irrelevant, so we understand Oxbridge is not always the best place to study.

My ds took Cambridge igcse maths - a* boundary is 85%.
He took maths in year 10 and then AS maths in year 11.

It's only worth doing the exam early if he will definitely get an A*.
Will he be doing further maths/statistics in the extra year? Or starting on an A level course. Absolutely no point in doing a subject early if there is no follow up.
Tbh you are unlikely to get into Oxford to do sciences without A* in GCSE maths.

We are in asimilar position, but in Wales. My DS is in year 10 and we have been told all student will take their maths gcses in the summer. As a pp stated in wales there are now 2 maths gcses, so 4 exams. There are three levels to select from foundation, intermediate and higher for both gcses Grades F-D, D-B and C-A*. So not sure which level he will be entered for but he is also in top set.

I am worried that although he will be capable of the highest grade in 1 years time, he may not be next summer. Just cant get my head around the rationale.

I would just like to clarify, we are not pushy ambitious parents at all.

That's what leads to the last minute "whoops have I done enough here" second guessing though, isn't it?

I have been such a determinedly slack mum that every now and then I've caused myself mini cardiac episodes realising maybe I've missed something I should have poked my nose into

Pfft. They're still all alive. And all doing different interesting things.

v. quickly , ds's school put those they were confident of getting an A in maths in ( for igcse not gcse ) a year early , those they were not, they sat them at the normal time - i.e. yr yr 11 not 10. but that was Summer , not just after Christmas. And DS thinks that for i*gcse when he did it , it was around 90 per cent.

Another Newt - When Ds did maths a year early he then had a year of 6th form ( A level type ) maths ( but unexamined, by which I mean not publicly examined at the end of the year) .

So if he (only) gets an A it shouldn't close the door on Oxbridge should he still wish to go there later on

I would just like to clarify, we are not pushy ambitious parents at all.

I'm sure you are perfectly lovely people but planning for oxbridge and doing gcses 18 months early (or choosing a school that does so) does actually make you quite pushy. There's no shame in it!

Oh give over xar. She said quite clearly it was her DS's own ambition.

DC do that you know. They develop their own ideas and ambitions about certain unis, ballet schools, drama schools etc.

Who is going to tell them to pack it in and make do with Recessionville Poly?

Getting an A rather than A star in a few subjects is OK for Oxbridge applications.

Getting an A rather than an A star for Maths, if intending to go into sciences, is much less OK. Regardless of the science being studied, Oxbridge would be looking for strong maths skills.

But there are quite a few successful Oxbridge applicants who take gcses at the normal time. Ds went to Oxford and yes he was self motivated but there is no doubt we pushed him more than ds2.

It easy to be determinedly non-pushy when you've sent them to the kind of school that will be pushy for you, as the OP has chosen. Mine went to a comp with very few oxbridge so I was very pushy, and rather proud of it.

I don't think you can generalise.

Generalize about what?

It is a fact that you are unlikely to get into Oxford without excellent GCSEs. It is a fact that it matters less for Cambridge. And it is a fact that some institutions require a certain number of GCSEs to be taken in a single sitting.

And it is also a fact that in the real world you are unlikely to get into Oxbridge without a bit of pushiness from someone-parent or school. Or, if Mumsnet is to be believed- the student him or herself.