Which A Levels for Computer Science degree eventually?

[Gunnersforthecup]

DC wants to do either Computer Science or Music at University.

He likes the idea of Music, but also really enjoys, and is good at computing, and sees that it is a more reliable lead into decently paid employment.

He wants to do A levels in Music, Maths and Computer Science.

At one open evening, the sixth form tutor was not very encouraging about Further Maths, saying that most unis did not insist on it; if you were down as attempting Further Maths, you might well get an offer demanding an A*; and as this was difficult to achieve, it could then become a liability.

However, I have just been watching a video about uni application (high end) where the must have is Maths, the desirable is Further Maths, and other options are left open.

I have also seen a very highly selective sixth form (not one he is applying to) insisting in their criteria that people wanting to do Computing Science have to take Computing Science, Physics, Maths and Further Maths.

Can anyone shed any more light on this?

Are you suggesting that further maths A-level should be discontinued? If you think it should be continued, who should study it?

I am not convinced that studying further maths narrows the curriculum. Generally those who study further maths should study two other non-maths A-levels (which is the same number of non-maths A-levels which people who just study normal maths do).

@Pythag not that it shouldn't exist at all but that it's a shame it seems to be becoming an essential for competitive courses in so many different subjects.

So puts off people who might have wanted to do a language or art or music as a 4th. Or those who just weren't extremely committed to maths aged 15. And this in a context where students are already coming to university better prepped with just the single maths A Level than students in other countries.

Right from their inception in the 1950s, A levels have been heavily shaped by the university sector. Fewer people went to uni then but also fewer people did A levels; the numbers doing both have expanded dramatically over the years. Unis are the driving force behind early specialisation of education in England. Rightly or wrongly, it is not going to end anytime soon.

In defence of FM, I have two DC who were not deemed 'natural' mathematicians in the Y7-10 period but whose algebraic and related conceptual abilities kicked in, leading up to GCSE. They took FM, enjoyed it, managed that alongside three other levels and other stuff and would say the discipline of logical thinking instilled by FM supported their physical science A level and their humanity A level (as well as, of course, their Maths).

It seems to me that a requirement for two maths A levels narrows the curriculum and should be unnecessary as the universities ought to just teach the maths in the first year. Anyone with a good grade in single maths has demonstrated the aptitude.
It doesn't have to narrow the curriculum. Often it will depend on how the college or 6th form timetable the Maths/FM students.
Some colleges will make FM a second option so Maths/FM takes up another option, which does narrow it if someone was only going to do 3 A Levels, but generally students doing FM do 4-5 A Levels in my experience, or 4 A Levels and EPQ. Others I've known make Maths/FM one option block but the students work at twice the pace of a standard A Level course, taking Maths in Year 12 and FM in Year 13.

@PerpetualOptimist this sounds like my daughter! Always meeting expectations for maths but never exceeding, which I was secretly a bit sad about as I studied maths at uni. Fast forward to year 10 and she has suddenly blossomed. Getting 90-100% in her all her maths tests and assignments and maths teacher telling her she should be aiming for a 9. My daughter is summer born and I think she has taken a while to find her confidence. She’s not going to consider Further Maths though as needs to dedicate all her time to aiming for A stars on her A levels, one of which will be maths.

He should do further maths. Unis don’t insist on it but that’s largely because not all schools offer it (it was expressed to me as “students should do as much maths as possible”).

It doesn't have to narrow the curriculum. Often it will depend on how the college or 6th form timetable the Maths/FM students.

So in practice it's more like extension work rather than a narrowing. (The 'problem' is more that the norm is just 3 subjects - that's not new). And then once at uni on the relatively small number of courses where you pretty much need FM they can get on and build on that and do more, maybe a wider range of CS or engineering options etc.

And fortunately there's lots of other very good unis in these numerate subjects which don't require/assume FM .

In the 90s my A-levels were maths, further maths, Eng lit and French. So further maths didn’t put me off wanting to do a language :). I am still not convinced further maths really is a reason for anyone not doing art or a language etc. Overwhelmingly students who do further maths do 4 A-levels and have a free choice with their other two A-levels.

It is true that fewer and fewer students are studying languages, but I am not convinced that further maths and wanting to study computer science is a large part of the reason….