Moving to the UK year 10

[Culdesac7]

What should be done about our daughter, who is moving from the US to UK this summer and has already studied what I believe to be the math offered on GCSE? I’m just curious what I can expect from the school. Appropriate placement? Or repeating everything again? Thanks!

I very much doubt she has unless she has already taken AP programmes. When we moved to the US after year 11 we were moved up school years over there as the US was behind the UK.

To start year 10 in September? She will be placed by the local authority wherever there is a vacancy, once you can confirm your address. You will be asked to express preferences but no guarantees any of those have places in year 10. Bear in mind some schools start the gcse curriculum in year 9, so she may need to catch up in those subjects.

Bear in mind the high school diploma is about the level of a GCSE it is highly highly unlikely she would have studied Maths GCSE in it's entirely already.

If she has, and has a qualification to show for it, you could speak to the school about her taking Further Maths instead, but it's likely she won't and thus can sit the maths GCSE with her cohort. She may need extra support as the content does vary.

I’m not 100% sure. It looks like she has. I don’t think there is a clear understanding how the two curriculums align exactly. She has taken algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and even precalculus to an extent (studied independently). Here she was to be placed in the honors precalculus at a excellent magnet school next year. She’s at least 3 years ahead by American standards.

But Maths gcse is far more practical, applying theory to problems, rather than the theory itself . Terminology will also differ. Some schools offer Further
Maths and Additional Maths(a separate qualification) to top sets in year 11 but not all.

She took the SAT when she was 12 and scored in the 83rd or 89th percentile in math. I think the first percentile is for college bound students. The second was just called “nationally normed”. And that was in 7th grade. So she’s had another year of math. Is it crazy to think she could take the maths GCSE in year 10?

Yes. I have no doubt she would need to prepare for the actual exam for the reasons you state.

Is further additional maths also a GCSE? Thanks.

Schools will want her to take it in year 11, to count in their stats. Honestly with all the disruption of moving cut her some slack and look for extension activities like Olympiads.

I think this is the Add Maths www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/fsmq/additional-mathematics/ and Further Maths is a gcse.

My kids have all done (basic) pre calculus in year 6.

Some schools offer this for Y11

www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/aqa-certificate/further-mathematics-8365

i think though, moving in Y10, she’d be better off trying to make sure she is up to date with the science/language curriculum. GCSEs are quite prescriptive and there will be no reward for being a gifted mathematician if she can’t do the specific type of question they ask - on maths or anything else.

Yeah. I’m just curious how this is addressed in the UK. If it’s unusual for a student to skip into harder maths then it’s not something I’d press for. In the US it’s not unusual. She was on track to take calculus and then two further years of post-calculus classes while still in high school. Its not the norm. Most able students will top out at calculus. But this isn’t unusual either. I have no problem with her sitting in whatever is the top set for her year. She does and should continue I hope Math olympiad.

Remember that GCSE maths covers a large range of abilities and skills (which is why there are two different levels of paper), so there's nothing wrong with her aiming for a 9 (top grade) and doing extension work towards further maths or A level. Just make sure she's at a school who have a top set who are predicted 8s and 9s.

Grammar schools sometimes do maths GCSE in year 10 one year early. The top sets then do further or advanced in year 11. You'd be hard pressed to get a place in one now for September though I'd have thought. Private schools, if they have places/wait list will also be more flexible and would probably consider letting her take it in year 10 if she consistently gets 90% in every test in the first term (they usually don't care as arent measured in the same way in league tables)

I think anyone can register for a GCSE cant they she could sit it as an independent student maybe? (I know you can do this with A levels, not sure about gcse).

I was moved up a year due to moving country and skipped year 9. I've always regretted it and wouldn't do it to my kids. In your case I'd follow the standard path and see the maths as consolidation/filling in gaps (any good teacher will give her stretch work too) to make sure she gets a 9 or even just an 'easy' subject to give her time to do the social side of a big move and make friends. Plus History etc is going to be all new presumably as will be more European History?

It is unusual and, if accommodated , it is mainly in private schools by top sets taking gcse earlier and/or supplementing with FM and/or Add Maths in year 11.

Thank you! We have an idea where we want to live and the school she would be in catchment for. It’s a pretty standard state school. There are no grammar schools in the area. We think the UK system is just superior, so we are thrilled to get her in and adequately prepared for university. But as Americans we don’t quite have an handle on the norms in the UK like we do here.

I went to an international school and did high school diploma and GCSEs, IB and A level.

She won't be advanced on the maths thing, (well, she might be, but she'll fit in fine).

Don't assume a catchment school is guaranteed. If it is popular and full they may not have a space.

The U.K. system doesn’t do much moving people up and down years compared to N America, and doesn’t have the AP culture of different people sound different things at different times. Just tick maths off as easy for her, and she can use that headspace for another subject, whilst doing olympiads etc. obviously do further or add maths if her school offers it, but most don’t. My DS is at one of th most academically selective London independent schools and the only subject they do early is french and, oddly, they don’t do further math gcse or similar - lord knows why when 88% of them get a 9 in gcse. So she won’t suffer for not having the chance

Assuming by UK you mean England?

Have you visited the school? The area? Sometimes schools don't live up to their promotional materials ...

You can get maths papers and mark schemes on the revision world website, or the exam board websites. I would print off an Edexcel Maths Paper and get her to do it timed, then mark it according to mark scheme and check grade boundaries for that year - just to get a rough idea of where she is at now. If she can get a 7 now, then in 2 years she could definitely get a 9, whilst giving a lot more of her time and effort to the other GCSE subjects. I wouldn't focus too much on the Maths at the expense of everything else though. She'll need to work hard on all other subjects to bring them up to her Maths level. Most schools do 9 subjects (separating English language and literature).

Some children do take GCSE Maths a year early in year 10, but this would only be a good idea if you are very confident she will get a 9 (the top grade). Since it's unlikely she will have studied the entire GCSE curriculum, she'd probably be better off waiting until year 11.

Have you looked through the GCSE maths curriculum (higher level paper) in detail?

Many schools (including state schools) teach beyond GCSE level to their top set. When you look at schools you can ask them about how they approach this.

OP are you moving this summer? How soon can you get an address in England (assuming you mean England? the education system varies across the UK)

When you get an address you can apply for a school place but it may not be at the closest school as it may not have a place, so you need to be aware of that.

What other subjects will your DD be doing? Tbh I would worry less about whether she will be miles ahead in maths (though it sounds as though she will have no trouble with maths GCSE) and think about what she might need to do to be up to speed in her other subjects. Most DC in KS$ take 8-10 GCSEs but itmay be better for your DD to take less, depending on her previous level of study in other subjects.

This is all great information. Thanks! I’d rather feel like I’m coming off as obnoxious here than at her new school.

I know all we can do is hope for a place at the school. We may have an address very soon. It could be before august. Yes, England.

I don’t really know what GCSEs are offered. Does that vary by school? I believe she is strong in science but it’s really hard to compare. She’s actually stronger in reading and writing than she is in maths. She’s kind of untested in history. But loves reading and writing as well as the general subject. She will probably struggle with everything else including and especially foreign language, having had no more than a basic introduction in French and Spanish. I would think she needs the very first class in either.

thanks all!