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Original poster

GCSE further maths?

21 replies

maw1681 · 04/07/2025 08:43

Just after some opinions on how useful /essential GCSE further maths is? I can’t remember it being an option when I was doing GCSEs/A levels.

My DD is just coming to the end of year 9, she will of course be doing maths GCSE, (the higher paper) and she has decided not to take GCSE further maths because she says she definitely doesn’t want to do maths A level and would rather focus on getting the highest grade she can on her normal maths GCSE.
I was completely supportive of that and thought it was a sensible decision.

Now though she has just done her end of year exams and done very well in maths papers (98/100%), she got 98% in her Easter term maths test too, and her teacher has told her to think again about taking the FM GCSE and decide by September.

She is saying she still doesn’t want to do it because she still doesn’t like maths enough to do it for A level and also doesn’t want to do anything like maths/engineering at university.

But I’m thinking in another 2 years if she’s still doing really well she might have grown to enjoy maths more and decide it is a good A level option for her.
How essential is the FM GCSE for doing maths A level? Is she ruling herself out of it now by not taking the FM GCSE?

I tend to leave this sort of thing up to her but wondering if I should have a go at persuading her to at least start the FM in September and drop it if it’s too much?

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 04/07/2025 08:48

It’s not essential at all.

many schools don’t offer it.

WhatDidIComeInThisRoomFor · 04/07/2025 08:52

If she doesn’t want to do it and she’s not interested in Maths as an a level then I think it’s up to her.

Original poster
maw1681 · 04/07/2025 09:06

Thank you!
This is along the lines of what I was thinking but just worried if she changes her mind about the A level is she shooting herself in the foot!

OP posts:
MiniMidiMaxi · 04/07/2025 09:13

Perfectly fine to do A level Maths later without GCSE further maths. The only thing I’d check is whether her decision influences which Maths set she is in - so she might not have the chance to be in say the top set for maths because they only put the FMaths kids together. Not that that should mean she changes her mind, but better to be informed about it.

Having had one DC do FM and one who doesn’t - I absolutely think doing FM helped with getting a good grade in normal maths - because they were just doing more Maths! And in no way felt like workload of an extra full GCSE.

Original poster
maw1681 · 04/07/2025 09:44

MiniMidiMaxi · 04/07/2025 09:13

Perfectly fine to do A level Maths later without GCSE further maths. The only thing I’d check is whether her decision influences which Maths set she is in - so she might not have the chance to be in say the top set for maths because they only put the FMaths kids together. Not that that should mean she changes her mind, but better to be informed about it.

Having had one DC do FM and one who doesn’t - I absolutely think doing FM helped with getting a good grade in normal maths - because they were just doing more Maths! And in no way felt like workload of an extra full GCSE.

Ok thank you.
Yes she will definitely still be in the top set for normal maths. They do FM one lunchtime and one after school session, which is probably contributing to her decision not to do it!

OP posts:
marcopront · 04/07/2025 10:08

I am not so sure it will be fine to do A’level Maths without GCSE further maths. Yes many schools don’t do it but this school does. If the assumption from the school is that students who do A’level have done GCSE Further Maths then that will be their starting point.

I teach the equivalent of A’level Maths but to people with many different backgrounds and so many topics I start with basics so they all have the same starting point.
When I have taught in a school with a more homogeneous cohort I don’t.

If she is going elsewhere for A’level it will be different.

TheNightingalesStarling · 04/07/2025 10:10

How many GCSEs is she doing?
I can understand not wanting to add an extra (especially if she is already doing extra, like Triple Science in the space of Double science like a lit of schools do for those good at Science)

tweetypi · 04/07/2025 10:11

I’m a maths teacher - she doesn’t need to for A Levels but if she’s already getting 98% on her tests, it would be a lovely way to stretch her and keep her enjoying maths. I’ve often found that kids who do the further GCSE do better on normal GCSE maths just because they do more maths.

SaffyWall · 04/07/2025 10:13

My eldest did FM GCSE last year - he's doing Maths at A-Level but not FM.

I agree with MiniMidiMaxi - the FM GCSE really helped to cement a good grade in the normal maths GCSE and DS looked at the extra lessons as bonus revision for normal maths. Apart from the one extra lessons a week there was no additional workload and DS took the exam without any real expectations of outcomes (if you get mark you're not happy with then no one even needs to know that you attempted the paper!)

Caramelty · 04/07/2025 10:13

What’s her total number of GCSE’s? A bright child can handle 10 or 11, it’s just convention that says 8 or 9 is plenty.

I would try it and can drop it if too much?

pharmer · 04/07/2025 10:37

IME it is done in normal maths lessons with the top sets. Maths gcse is really very easy for kids with any sort of aptitude and they will be at A* level years before they sit it. Further maths just relieves the boredom for them really. If they need extra sessions for it, their set probably doesn't fall in that bracket.

AuntyBulgaria · 04/07/2025 11:37

My DS is doing maths and FM at A level and did not do GCSE FM. It has not made a spot of difference to him. So I think if it is going to distract from the other GCSEs she is sitting I wouldn't bother with it.

arethereanyleftatall · 04/07/2025 11:42

My dds grammar school don’t even offer it, as they would rather the pupils get 9s - most there do.

Original poster
maw1681 · 04/07/2025 12:41

She will be doing 10 GCSEs and yes is doing triple science- do I definitely don’t want to add extra pressure and risk her not doing as well overall because of high workload.

I will maybe suggest she thinks about it over the summer holidays and let school know for definite in September - trying it until Christmas could be a good option

OP posts:
Lemonsole · 04/07/2025 16:03

It’s a great qual, as it cushions the jump
to A-level really well. As previous posters have said, it means that they generally bake in a top GCSE grade, because they’re doing more Maths. DS did it in twilight sessions on Friday afternoons, and he felt that he had a real advantage in the first year of A-level over students who hadn’t done it. His school were happy if anyone wanted to do the course, but not sit the exam at the end.

labradorservant · 04/07/2025 16:50

It’s not got the volume of a normal gcse but my DD said it helped her on the harder questions of the gcse. She is in top set and they finished normal content quite early so then moved onto further maths and past papers. The only downside is it’s the last gcse exam usually.

MarchingFrogs · 04/07/2025 19:22

arethereanyleftatall · 04/07/2025 11:42

My dds grammar school don’t even offer it, as they would rather the pupils get 9s - most there do.

DS2's grammar school did offer it - he got a 9 for Maths and A* (so one step down from the highest grade) in the Further Maths. Whether he felt it really helped him in A level Maths (I suspect it must have done, if only a bit), he never said.

No way was it a requirement at the school for taking the A level, nor even FM A level, though; the school has quite a significant intake of 'externals' into year 12, and not all the schools they would be coming from offer the GCSE.

puffyisgood · 04/07/2025 22:49

I think it's a good thing to have a go at, a little bit of a taster of what 'harder maths' is like. the modern regular maths GCSE is by design light years easier then an old O level or even an early GCSE. FM isn't horrendously difficult and as others have said it's only one of many GCSE's, it doesn't really matter at all if you drop it or do badly in it or...

RomainingCalm · 05/07/2025 00:25

Lemonsole · 04/07/2025 16:03

It’s a great qual, as it cushions the jump
to A-level really well. As previous posters have said, it means that they generally bake in a top GCSE grade, because they’re doing more Maths. DS did it in twilight sessions on Friday afternoons, and he felt that he had a real advantage in the first year of A-level over students who hadn’t done it. His school were happy if anyone wanted to do the course, but not sit the exam at the end.

I agree with this. For capable students who enjoy maths it’s a great qualification and not necessarily an awful lot more work.

Bear in mind that whilst they may not be interested in A-Level Maths just now a lot can change in two years and lots of degree courses such as economics and computer science will ask for maths.

For DC who was great at STEM subjects but didn’t enjoy languages and history it was an opportunity to add another high GCSE grade to their results - it was the difference between getting 4x 8/9 grades (which they would have been ok with) and 4x 6/7 grades; or 5x 8/9 grades and 4x 6/7 grades (which they felt looked better for university applications).

TakeMeToAnIgloo · 05/07/2025 09:29

Maybe also look at how many maths sets there are at her school. If the FM set is where all the children aiming for Grade 9 go, then the top higher maths set might not actually stretch her or give her the interesting problems and classroom environment that will lead to a good grade 9. She'd be taught the concepts, but there is a lot that is learned by practising applying them to interesting questions, and when all the pupils in the class are quick and enjoy maths, they can do a lot more of it and spend less time on the basics. And those are the problems that will be at the end of the GCSE and distinguish the grade 9s from the others. If there are lots of higher sets and lots of people wanting grade 9s without taking further maths, then that's fine, but in a small school, that might not be the case. So actually the FM class may be more likely to cement a good grade on normal maths than the regular GCSE class.

She could also ask if she could be in the FM class but not decide about taking the exam until nearer the time.

Foxhasbigsocks · 07/02/2026 22:45

Is anyone aware of anyone offering good online tutoring for further maths gcse?

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