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Secondary education

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Original poster

Not allowed to do Maths A'level....with an A

113 replies

AppleQueen · 31/08/2017 15:42

So DS has just been told he will not be allowed to do A'level Maths. He got an A grade rather than an A*. Head says experience shows, those doing Maths A'level with only an A at GCSE will only manage to scrape a D. So puff goes ds's dream to study engineering. Really gutted for him.

OP posts:
SerfTerf · 31/08/2017 15:43

That's an extreme policy.

Have you considered a last minute shop around for a place elsewhere?

museumum · 31/08/2017 15:45

Sounds crazy. I'd leave for college if at all possible.

SerfTerf · 31/08/2017 15:46

If engineering is his dream, that is no reason at all to give up in it at 16, is it?

Samsara123 · 31/08/2017 15:46

I agree, go somewhere else.

fatbottomgirl67 · 31/08/2017 15:47

My dd had to get a 9 to do maths and further maths despite passing with an A* a year early. They really can be picky at some of the 6th forms

mineofuselessinformation · 31/08/2017 15:47

Aren't maths grades numbers this year?

purplecorkheart · 31/08/2017 15:48

Who's experience shows? I would be demanding that he be let into the class. If engineering is his dream I am sure he will work hard.

Iris65 · 31/08/2017 15:49

Wow. If he genuinely wants to study engineering the school is preventing his progress to protect their results. It is worth asking to see the Head and making your feelings clear. No one knows how your son will perform at A level. There may well be a correlation between the two but that does not prove that your son will not do well! He may not do well, but they cannot say categorically that he will not.

FreedomMummy · 31/08/2017 15:50

Its been 15 yrs since I did A level maths but I got a C after getting a B at GCSE. I wasn't the hardest worker and I would say your DS would be fine.
Is the head ouright refusing or is it advise? It sounds to me that the head is more worried about the league tables then your sons education...

SerfTerf · 31/08/2017 15:53

The more I think about that, the more shocked I am. The assertion isn't even true. This is pure self-interest from the school (and extreme caution).

Please tell him not to take it to heart. They're wrong, they're out of line and he really should vote with his feet.

jeanne16 · 31/08/2017 15:58

As a secondary school maths teacher, I can understand why the school is saying this. An A grade at GCSE could be as low as around 66%. If your DC got 66% at A level, that would be a C grade. Added to that the A level is significantly harder which is where the D grade prediction comes from.

Having said that, one has to ask where the 'value add' from the school is. I would say if your DC worked extremely hard to get the A at GCSE, then A level is not a good idea. If he didn't do much work to get the A, then he could possibly manage A level. The question then is will he really work hard over the next 2 years. At the beginning of Y12, all the pupils and their parents swear they will, but not all maintain this.

My final comment is for your DS to think about how good his Algebra is. I find that is quite a good indication of success at A level. Can he easily solve difficult simultaneous equations, surds, functions etc without help. If he can honestly say he can easily do these, then A level maths will be fine. If he can't he will struggle.

noblegiraffe · 31/08/2017 16:30

If a school is only accepting A* students to do maths A-level then it isn't a very good school.

If your DS wants to be an engineer then he needs to find another college without such ridiculous entry requirements. If he wants an excellent grade at maths A-level then he needs to work his socks off from the start - students who fail at maths A-level mostly do so because they don't realise that for all but the best mathematicians, the bulk of work will take place outside of lessons. Lessons are for teaching the concepts, independent time is for getting to grips with them and practising them. Nothing like GCSE.

And yes, he needs to brush up on his algebra right now. Before he starts.

BeyondThePage · 31/08/2017 16:38

This is after results day... did he not know the course entry requirements beforehand?

Our DD is moving to a different school for sixth form because her school had some very lax requirements for A level, so moving to a grammar one - all the sixth forms she looked at gave a prospectus with things like 5As at GCSE and min A in subject choices alongside a min of 6 at both Eng and Maths (unless subject choices where a 7 was required)

Our local superselective required much higher grades - including an 8 in Maths to take it at A level and a 9 in Maths to study further maths,

our original comp - A-C in subject choices, no further maths offered.

There are a lot of different schools around with different entry requirements for courses - an that is before even taking colleges into account.

LoniceraJaponica · 31/08/2017 16:42

A couple of DD's friends achieved an A at GCSE and only managed Cs at AS level. Although, part of the reason is the maths teacher isn't very good (IMO). He was DD's maths teacher in year 11 and wasn't very good at explaining stuff and rushed the lessons. I sent DD to a tutor who managed to up her class grades from Bs and Cs to an A in the exam.

There was no way she was going to do maths at A level though. I think to do well in it you need excellent teaching and a talent for maths.

CruCru · 31/08/2017 17:39

That's terrible. I got an A for Maths GCSE and got a B for A Level.

TheFallenMadonna · 31/08/2017 17:42

Plenty of sixth forms, most, allow you to do Maths A level with an A. If he wants to be an engineer, he needs to be applying to them.

Original poster
AppleQueen · 31/08/2017 17:53

It's an Indy. We are looking for a new place sharpish. Just really upset.

OP posts:
ineedamoreadultieradult · 31/08/2017 17:56

Look around for another A level provider or depending on what he wants to do with an engineering qualification go straight into an apprenticeship.

LockedOutOfMN · 31/08/2017 18:00

Our school has the same policy. The head is correct that GCSE grades give a very accurate reflection of what the A Level grade will be, especially in Maths.

HashiAsLarry · 31/08/2017 18:05

It's been many years since I did GCSEs but I was placed in intermediate so came out with a b (best I could get). Did a levels and got highest mark in the school (a) and went to university and got a 1st in maths there, also highest mark in year.

I'd look elsewhere if I were you. Good luck to DS.

ragged · 31/08/2017 18:06

Good they let you know now it's not the place for your DS. I'm sure there's someplace better. See this as an opportunity & lucky escape from unsupportive environment.

derektheladyhamster · 31/08/2017 18:07

If it's a super selective indy , I can understand why. At the school I work at ( not as a teacher) most kids get an A or A. If they can't get an A with the amount of coaching they receive, they probably won't do that well at A level. Certainly they can't do A level if they 'only' get an A at GCSE.

Original poster
AppleQueen · 31/08/2017 18:11

I'm really confused by some of the comments. Is this general advise then that unless you get an A at GCSE there is little chance you will get above a C at A'level? I just can't believe that is true. I get that's it's a big leap etc, infact A'levels in general are a big leap from GCSE. DS has consistently got A's and A (mostly A*s) for the last 3 years in Maths, he certainly doesn't struggle with it. Infact his recent result is the lowest score he's ever had. I just don't believe he is doomed to get a D at A'level.even if he works hard.

OP posts:
Original poster
AppleQueen · 31/08/2017 18:11

'Little chance you will get above a D'

OP posts:
Cloudyapples · 31/08/2017 18:14

Ok so I did my gcses about 10years ago now, but I 'only' got an A (personally I was chuffed!) and went on to get a B at ALevel. I did do a few results to get the grade, but I think the HT is talking rubbish. Perfectly possible if your ds applies himself.