Yearly warning about taking A-level maths with a 6 at GCSE

[noblegiraffe]

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

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 I've posted), 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.

If your child is considering maths with a grade 7 but will be applying for extremely competitive uni courses, consider whether they actually need it as A*s and As from a 7 are not likely. Obviously, anything is possible, check how far they were off an 8, ask their teacher for advice, but please don't assume that an (old) A at GCSE translates to an A at A-level.

This data is from 2019, there's more recent data but not in as clear a format, and the message is basically the same.

If your child is keen to do maths, but gets a 6, please consider Core Maths instead, 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.

If they haven't been set any bridging work - don't assume that's ok! There are some resources here to help https://alevelmathsrevision.com/bridging-the-gap/

I found O level maths pretty easy when I sat it in the late 70s. Comfortable A. A level was really hard. I scraped a B with a lot of help from my proper mathematician boyfriend. The rest of my class got mostly Ds and Es. All fine then, but not when you need A*-B to get into a good university course.

That said, anyone who can do well in it is likely to find it beneficial on their CV later.

So according to the grade boundaries she was four marks off an 8, allthough it doesn't make much difference.

@Soporalt But grades are very different now. Maths has the highest % of A and A star. It’s not what it was in terms of a challenge. Plus the number of A grades has doubled since your day.

I'd suggest that some of the question is how the marks are lost to be not getting the 8/9. If the issue is exam technique/arithmetical oopsies or something memory heavy in the geometry side of things that's far less of an issue than finding algebra a big struggle. A Level is really algebra heavy and builds on the algebra. You can get around issues with stats or mechanics by rote learning but algebra does need to make sense as there's too many nuances to rote learn everything required.

That said I can still remember some of the repetitive bits of school maths (quadratic equation) and soh cah toa...

Also had to learn long division during A-level, everyone who had switched from state to private had missed it as it didn't come up in GCSE then, it actually made more sense with algebra than without for me 😂

No it was the actual GCSE. I agree that it makes no sense. I have no idea why they do this.

But 6/7 students will be the life-blood of most VI Forms. Not most Mumsnet VI Forms perhaps....
Agree re the Maths however. A colleague whose timetable was half Maths, half Psychology said that the intellectual demand and independent effort required by Maths A level was incomparable with Psychology.

Thanks for an interesting thread. Reading through this, anyone who basically doesn’t have a 7 or above in à given subject basically shouldn’t be doing A levels. Is that where we are with our education system now. For the huge number of kids who don’t get 6/7 qnd above - we should be moving them out of traditional À levels. What a situation we are at then, when A levels are considered the ‘ normal’ way forward but there will be significant numbers of children we should be saying leave traditional sixth form..

for me, I find this quite depressing however our education system is so very warped with up to à third of children not getting 4 or above. They fail. Then don’t get 7 or above you fail your À levels. Honestly this system fails our children

I don't think that's the message.
I think the message is to be realistic of the likely result and think whether that would be OK for you.
If your other subjects are aimed to be As then do you want to do Maths (or whatever) if that is likely to lead to a C if you don't need maths for next steps and could more likely get an A or a B in a different subject.
If you are aiming for Ds and Es then doing maths with a 6 is more reasonable than if you want an A.

I do however think maybe more kids should be considering T-Levels / BTECs. there are still too many that seem to think A levels at all costs rather than looking at other options properly.

I agree, it seems many more kids should be considering BTecs and T levels- however this is not what they are told in school. It is all about

À level( sorry the phone posted too quickly). Maybe all schools should be offering alternatives and presented as an equivalent alternative not as the choice for teens who aren’t clever enough for A levels. This just leads to yet more eating away at their already dented self esteem

Pps inc me have suggested A level subjects suitable for a candidate with grade 6s.

And A levels ate not suitable for all. One of my DC certainly was not a candidate.

There are lots of other options inc Btecs, T levels, apprenticeships.

Would you suggest A levels should be for all Yp? they would need to be very different if so. And then they would fail the more able. We all have different skills and abilities and wishes too.

This is not the case in all schools and all subjects.

We offer btec and A level. Many kids do a combination of both and still get into hallowed Russell groups. Some get interviews at oxbridge but, despite getting the grades, don't seem to get offers (but that's a different thread).

We take with 5s for most A levels. Sometimes 4, depending on circumstances.

Gcses don't always work as a predictor. Especially with boys. And especially in the comps I've always worked in.

However, I do agree with A level maths. And definitely when I think about ds and his 6. He was close to a 7, but he doesn't scream maths kid; just lucky.

That's mental! Is she retaking Further Maths this year? A 6 in Further Maths a year early suggests she can achieve a 9 if she takes it in Y11.