Maths Higher IGCSE 32 out of 100 in Y10

[jennylamb1]

DS got his practise paper marked today IGCSE Higher Paper from about 2017 I think. He got 32 out of 100 and was mortified. Said quite a few got a similar mark, a couple got 70 out of 100. He is Y10. He thought it was terrible, however looking at old mark schemes this seems to come out at an old C or new 5. Is this right?
He wants to do Computer Science at university so maths js pretty crucial. He’s doing GCSE in October and Further Maths next year.

Any thoughts.

I would assume there is a fair bit of the syllabus he's not covered yet, so that makes the top possible mark lower than 100 (maybe the 70 that the top achievers got).

My main thought would be to wonder why the school is pushing them to sit GCSE in October. But from your DS's perspective, it sounds like a solid mark at this stage, and I guess he can do a ton of work (including lots of practice questions which are really the key to doing well at maths) over the summer if need be.

Has the school not commented on the mark? Assuming they do this every year, they should have set the student expectations and/or given them feedback on what to expect.

I'd be careful with sitting anything early, a lot of competitive unis expect all exams to be sat in the same sitting. My DDs in Y11 at a state and the top maths girls are sitting maths and further maths this summer.

Thank you, he is saying that he hasn’t been taught a lot of it, they have Y10 mocks in 3 weeks time and he’ll be doing this sort of paper. Partner said that there were a few sloppy mistakes that can be addressed when he looked at it. The school has the top maths students sitting GCSE higher paper this November and then moving onto FM in June next year. He hasn’t warmed to his maths teacher this year, he says she is quite sarcastic and they seem to mark their practice papers but she doesn’t work through the answers with them.

The teacher has also said that they need to look online for videos on how to answer the questions if they don’t know how to do them. I think the students need a proper input and structured teaching rather than doing it themselves. This is an independent school so I’m at a bit of a loss to think what we’re paying for.

My DS did computer science MA. Your DS will need at least a Grade 7 at i/GCSE to continue to A level and will then need an A/A* in maths and the same in computer science and another science / maths A Level to get into a RG university. I would get him a tutor ASAP. I was able to get a tutee from possible foundation maths route in Y9 to high 90s / 100% in iGCSE at the end of Y10. A tutor will be able to assess him and fill in any gaps in understanding before going through practice papers and exam technique.

Yes, I did run that past DP but he wasn’t too keen given the expense of independent school already. I’ve found a work-through video of the papers he’s doing on YouTube so will check to see if he’s using those. He could do History or Geography at university instead, the one close to us is a RG and you do need the marks you’re saying for CS. The sixth form college we’re looking at has 50% of students achieving a A in maths, so we did hope that it would be a goer.

Yes, don’t know why they do it. We were hoping that he could apply for slightly less competitive CS courses, Southampton on a good day, Surrey if a B for Maths A level, that sort of thing.

Once you get to the uni stage just be very thorough with what modules they do etc. It can be hit and miss. Degree apprenticeships are often better but obviously don't come with the uni experience and are now more competitive than uni itself. I would speak to the school and see if there's a way for him to do normal and FM in one sitting. The rushed approach might knock his confidence and make him think he's not that good at maths when he sounds very bright.

Thankyou, I think the teacher should be contextualised the marks if they haven’t learnt a lot of the content yet. I can ask about sitting the Maths GCSE Higher and FM in one go, however it appears to be a whole school approach. Possibly as an independent school they find it a winner with parents.

It's not necessarily an independent school thing, some state schools do it but it wouldn't count in their stats. I think it makes little point to rush it if it's at the expense of confidence. With maths the best thing is practice so instead of a tutor I would get the textbook of the exam board he's studying and get him to worn through that. Physics and maths tutor is incredible as well, that website is a goldmine.

At my DD’s school, the kids doing FM sit their A level Maths in the Lower Sixth. If they get A/A star, they continue on to do FM in the Upper Sixth. If they don’t, they resit A level Maths in the Upper Sixth. It doesn’t seem to impact on offers - in fact my DD offers all seem to be based upon the fact she already has an A star. And those resitting still seem to be getting offers from good universities.

Op is talking about GCSE

It is a myth that universities care whether GCSEs are taken all at once, or staggered. Universities don't pay particularly close attention to GCSE and taking a couple a year early poses no problem at all.
The situation with A level is different. Unis generally want to see 3 A levels taken over 2 years and completed at the same time, to show the ability to handle the demands of a full-time university course.
The situation with Maths/Further maths A levels is different again. Most candidates taking further maths will be doing it as a fourth A level. The pattern of taking single maths in Year 12, then further maths with 2 other subjects in year 13 is a common one, well understood by universities. Candidates only taking double maths and one other subject (i.e. 3 A levels) would in general be better to wait and take all 3 in year 13.