Can a current maths level 2 reach GCSE grade 4 in a year?

[Clearsunnysky]

As per the tittle. Is it s GCSE of 4 achievable from a current level of 2? In a year?

Should we get DS in a maths camp. Intense maths tutoring for a year?

£50 seems an awful lot. I've been paying £35 (for 45 minutes) but that's face to face in my own home. Going to her house would have been cheaper.

Hi OP,

Does his maths tutor provide him with regular feedback of what he does either in the session or any practice work your ds has done?

I would have expected significant improvement with tuition and regular practice, but something hasn't aligned.

Has your ds always struggled with maths at school?

It is possible. My son who has severe dyslexia, could never get the dyscalculia diagnosed, and was at a SEN school for years, moved to a local small indep school in Year 9. By mid -year 11 he was working at Maths GCSE Foundation level 2 mid. Predicted a grade 4. I challenged that a lot. He was and is not the slightest bit numerical. He did actually get a Grade 4. I was hysterical on results day. In the true sense of the word. He benefitted enormously from COVID lockdowns. He was 2nd year covid, so not the full bounce but still a lot of good will on grading. Both his parents are highly numerate so there was no need for a tutor. The key though is to make sure your child never touches a real GCSE exam for English or maths, if they are likely to get a grade 2 or 3. We finally got the school to put him in for functional skills English; it was left too late for maths. Again he got the level 2 equivalent. Fuck knows how - his mock results were awful. But that was a lifesaver for college. He didnt have to retake any english and now has his full level 3 qualification. Now working full time in the career he has always wanted. I couldn't be more proud.

Great responses so far.
I would definitely check for dyscalculia if there aren't issues with other subjects and trial a 2/3 tutors with your child to see which one connects best with your ds.
The reality is tutors/teachers aren't magicians, if you are only doing once a week and your ds is not motivated to do the work independently to improve, plus poor maths teaching 4/5 hours a week, his grades won't move much unfortunately. To put it in perspective: 1 hour of tutoring is supposed to undo 4/5 hours of bad teaching. The tutor may be good but it is worth trying something different now as it is crunch time!
Please speak to your schools Maths HOD and your ds' teacher and ask what can be done to improve and ask if there have been any QLAs done as this will pinpoint the topics your DS is struggling with.
A 2 grade improvement is definitely possible in a year, I have done it with students in my classes and my tutoring students online and in person.
Please have a frank chat with your DS about what his issues are in maths, there may be something else we are all missing!
Hope this helps

Yes, my dd went from a 3 at the end of Year 10 to a 6 in the actual exam. We paid for her to have tutoring from the start of Year 11 to the exam - but in a group setting so only £13 per hour I think it was, term-time only.

Lots of people are asking what I also asked @Clearsunnysky – how much work does he do apart from the tutoring and his maths at school? Because maths GCSE is all about practice. He needs to be doing that on a regular basis.

If his other grades are OK then could it be dyscalculia? I don't know much about it but has he always struggled with maths? How was his maths at primary? if his reading is Ok then it's not about being able to read the questions (which can be a barrier ofc),

I agree maybe look for a new tutor. I don't think £50 ph is all that high for an exam level qualified teacher tho. I tutor and charge less that that but a) it's not maths and b) I think I am perhaps a bit cheap haha.

But yes for £50 an hour I'd be wanting improvement. What areas is he struggling with? What practice is he doing after the tutoring? Is he taking an active part? At the very least I would ask the tutor for some feedback on that. Do they set HW and does he do it? Setting and marking HW should certainly be included in the cost.

My child got very bored easily with the "practicing", so worksheets would come home, from primary onwards. He would attempt the 1st few and then want to move on to the next level. Before he was really ready. He is bright, but not a read-writer. You need to shake up the learning methods. So some online, some practical, some worksheets. Anything to embed the learning. I used smarties in egg boxes, pavement chalk on the patio, cooking, anything practical.

HE needs to get him through. The tutor can help but if he’s not working then it’s not going to happen.
Does he work and try hard outside of his tutor time?

That is very positive

That is lovely

Can the school put him for functional skills for Maths? Will college accept this? Is it easier?

Yes they can, but you'll likely have to put up a fight for it. It isn't something schools like to do. Being at a grade 2, they will probably feel he can make it to a 4. It's usually reserved for students who cannot access the GCSE content

Someone just quoted me £100 per hour.

We are in London, we won’t get it for less than £50 per hour; unless it is group tutoring.

GCSE really occupy my mind these days.

He is doing work outside tutoring but not as much as needed perhaps. Plus school homework

Will get in touch with Head of Math

State schools absolutely hate the idea of functional skills, but many now are recognising that is better for bottom sets. Further education college: ie FE. If your child turns up with a result grade 2 or 3 at GCSE at maths or english, they will not, due to highly complex funding rules, allow your child to take functional skills. So the child has to keep retaking GCSE. The data shows success of passing deteriorates. So much better for the student if they are this borderline to only take functional skills.

My DS took FS English (and passed at level 2, which is an equivalent level to a GCSE grade 4) but he was at college before he was able to take it and had to get three grade Es in English GCSE (a few years ago obvs) first.

I strongly believe that GCSE maths and English are too much for some DC and FS L1 and then L2 should be offered in school; but if school are predicting him a 3 in maths then he will almost certainly have to take the GCSE. And tbh I would say with work over the next 11 months he could achieve a 4. DS1 got a C in his maths at the first attempt, much to his and my amazement and delight.

I think the key is for him to work on what he is struggling with. Is the maths at a level you can master? If so could you spend time going through it with him?

Maybe that tutor isn't right for him.
I would expect a tutor doing 1-2-1 to know if it is working and of not then say so. If they are good they will probably fill that space easily enough. Your son maybe better with a different teaching style, or maybe in a small group and or face to face.
DC had a tutor for English. The relationship with the tutor was great, and I think they made a massive difference. They hated reading when younger, but is now a teenage book nerd that is predicted a B at GCSE.
If other subjects are OK, and only maths is the issue, has anyone mentioned whether dyscalculia could be an issue. Similar to dyslexia but in relation to numbers not letters.

Yes, maths has been s bit of a struggle but he was doing better in previous school where the teaching was better.

Hard to tell whether dyscalculia may be the problem here. Does his school have anyone who can assess him?

What feedback does his tutor give? I would think that as a tutor, they would have identified areas to develop and strengthen in order to help him improve.

If his tutor hasn't given any indication of progress or what to do to develop areas, then I would be looking to change tutors. Ideally to a face to face one so the tutor can see what he does.

My year 11 got 3 in his year 10 science and an 8 by the January mocks! Just doing his GCSE at the moment and I expect 77 or 78 is most likely realistic. Combination of face to face tutoring, a lot of online videos you tube etc and some serious hard work

Ex teacher

a lot depends on his specific issues.

for example many teens with severe Sen struggle to get anything above a 3.

if he can’t read (at all or only a few words) this also makes it difficult.

if no Sen and he can read and is on target to get 4s or above in other GCSEs then yes it is doable.

grade 2 is about year 4/5 primary maths. I’d presume he has been behind in maths most of his schooling.

as the others have said once a week is often not enough to overcome this.

daily practice, especially with a calculator.

Corbett five a day is good.

https://corbettmaths.com/5-a-day/gcse/

£50ph is well within the normal range for tutoring.

I think F2F is likely to work better for DS. However, just because DS is working at a grade 2 doesn’t mean the tutor isn’t helping. For some, a grade 2 or 3 is an excellent achievement and even with good tutoring won’t achieve a grade 4+.