Yearly warning not to take A-level maths with less than a 7 at GCSE

[noblegiraffe]

GCSE results day and therefore A-level sign-up day is coming.

So with that in mind I just thought I'd post the table of conversions from GCSE to A-level results for maths to show that there is a strong correlation. This is because A-level Maths basically starts with a quick review of grade 8/9 GCSE algebra content and then gets more difficult. Students starting with a 7 will have to work very hard to keep up, students with a 6 often flounder.

There are sixth forms and colleges that will accept students with a 6 onto A-level maths, but from many years of experience, this is not a good experience for the student. Many will drop out and switch courses early on (and therefore not appear in the results table), but some will struggle on for 2 years and then come out with a grade that really doesn't help them with university applications.

If you take A-level maths with a 6, even if you manage to complete the course (and a lot won't), about three quarters will get a D or below, with E the most common grade.

This data is from 2019 because obviously more recent data has been screwed up by covid.

If your child is keen to do maths, but gets a 6, please consider Core Maths which is designed to be taken alongside 3 A-levels and provides supportive maths content for A-level sciences and social sciences (e.g. psychology, geography).

If your child is going to do A-level maths (particularly if they are on a 7 but also 8/9), check that they have done summer bridging work so they hit the ground running in September.

I can’t get my head around a school even allowing this.

On the basis that they did, I’d probably be suggesting my child move!

My child achieved a 7 in GCSE decided against taking maths for A level - after a term he switched to maths and achieved an A* in his maths A level last year. So can be done.

erm….I got a B at GCSE maths and a B at A level maths

I just a useless teacher at GCSE most of the class did worse than expected!

DD2 got a 6 in GCSE maths and a B in A Level maths. She also got 5-6 in combined science and got B in both Biology and Chemistry.

Think DD2 was young for her age and also a summer born baby. She grew up a lot in 6th form.

So she falls in the 6.5% in the chart achieving that grade from a 6 start.

It can be done , and is done, as the chart demonstrates.

And there will be mitigating factors that allow and enable that: particular reasons for underachieving at GCSE, poor teaching, exam issues, late developer etc.

But my Dc who got a 9 in maths and A in Further Maths still found A level hard (got an A)

If someone has a good reason for their 6 at GCSE like illness, bereavement or no teacher, and they should have done much better, then they could potentially do well at A-level if they work hard to catch up. But if the 6 is something that they worked their socks off for and is the pinnacle of their GCSE achievement, then it's much less likely.

Yes @noblegiraffe we have a Ukrainian foster daughter. She took her GCSEs with just a year in the UK. Got a 6 in maths. Predicted A * for A Level as her English has caught up (also she's got over the shock a bit). I'm glad her school was able to be flexible in her case.

Any thoughts or data on how performance on GCSE further maths might predict a level performance? So for example scoring an 8 on maths and a 6 on further maths?

Totally agree

Thank you for this info
DS is going into Y11 and DH keen for him to do maths at A level the year after but I have heard that you need to really love Maths to do well at A Level and while DS will probably get a 6 (maybe 7 on a good day) hes a bit "meh" about it (although he's meh about most things to be honest). I have urged caution and DH has told me I am being negative, I have kicked the can down the road by suggesting we see what DS Maths teacher thinks

Please can everyone understand that the stats are on a population level. Of course there are those that got a 6 at GCSE and then A*/A/B at A level, but that is pretty irrelevant when discussing the general point OP is making. I think it’s very good advice, and it’s useful for parents to know.

I got an A at GCSE (many many years ago, admittedly) and always got top marks in my class, but at A-level I only just scraped a D. It was a massive leap and I could not cope. Unfortunately the spiral continued and I did a physics degree on an extremely shaky maths foundation and I only narrowly avoided failing the whole thing. Why the university let me in with D in both maths and physics I'll never know! Maths is hard. Be prepared.

I wouldn’t do it. (Admittedly I did A levels maths as the first year who did AS levels and they made the syllabus too hard and it got changed the next year 🤯) but it was still like learning a new language. I got an A at gcse and found it mainly quite easy except for a few A/A* bits but didn’t have to revise much etc. it came naturally to me. One of my best subjects.

Then A level I got an E at AS and dropped it. It was just awful!

GCSE further maths is basically the beginning of a level maths.

They will see exactly the same content again just a bit faster.

I don't have stats but in most schools in order to be considered for the gcse further they would need to be top set/ on track for an 8 or 9 and therefore ok with a level maths.

It is still a step up and moves fast!

This is fascinating. Do you have a similar chart for further maths?

On A-level results day they said maths was the most popular a-level, and 42% of people taking it got A or A-star. which doesn’t really tally with needing to have an 8/9 to get a good grade! Unless a LOT of people are getting 8/9 at GCSE?

Most of the students will have an 8 or a 9, the numbers for 2019 are in the table. Then another chunk on 7 may have been high 7s/unlucky 7s.
I think in other subjects there will be more students in the 5-7 range, so maybe less top grades.

I think actually liking maths is important as well. Both DS and DD got 8 at GCSE Maths. DD knew there was no way she would want to do A Level maths so didn’t. DS did do it but definitely didn’t love it. He did A Levels in 2022 and I think grade boundaries were favourable to him as he (just) got an A. Pretty sure he wouldn’t have got that either this year or last year.

My sister got an A for maths GCSE and struggled with A Level maths.

My son got a C for GCSE maths and was discouraged from it at A level. However, he was allowed to do it. He got an A at A Level and a first in an integrated masters at a very good uni that's hard to get into. Obviously the statistics are true, but they aren't everything.

My son got a 7 in his GCSE. He just got his A level result and got B….it did cost £2500 in tutoring though - this time last year he was predicted a
D at best.

Be cautious would be my advice!

DD hopes to do maths. She is predicted a 9 in both maths and further maths. However, she has no bridging work....

If you have done gcse further maths and done well you won't need bridging work.

Good idea to look at anything you found difficult though

If he's a 6, maybe a 7, and is a bit 'meh' then I have seen lots of similar students who were made to do maths by a well-meaning parent. The kid thinks that turning up to lessons will be enough, do not realise that they not only actually need to do the homework properly, but will need to do shedloads of work on top of the homework to keep up. They get a U in the January exams, promise their parents that they'll turn thing around, not turn things around and then do the same in the summer exams.

Hopefully at that point they drop out and do something else.