Early maths Gcse

[Phoenix4725]

Ds is academic and he is starting new school next week after move and they talked about him doing his maths in Y9 anyone any experiance of this ,his last working towards was 7.6 end Y7

[inthesticks]

Thanks for this I'm going to look at these. I'll get the past papers for him to try and if it goes well I may try and get the school on board.

I've now found out that DS thinks that DH and I, along with his teachers are conspiring to hold him back. He's convinced he could do his AS and Alevel if we gave him the chance. However bright he is though, he needs the building blocks i.e.he needs teaching.
DH can help with GCSE level stuff but did maths A level 40 years ago so would struggle with that.

[wolfbrother]

inthesticks, have you asked DS whether the school already does the Maths Challenges?

I am a bit if not. I thought most schools did these, but clearly may be wrong. (My DCs are at ordinary comprehensives by the way.) If not, it doesn't sound as if the maths department is trying very hard to be honest. Am I being unfair? Perhaps a maths teacher will correct me.

[inthesticks]

I haven't asked about the maths challenge yet as I've only just heard of it via this thread,but I've just seen it gets a mention on on the school website, for year 10s.

Being cynical I feel that helping my DS is not going to increase their 5 A to Cs targets as he's going to get an A* without them putting any effort in. The headteacher seemed very keen to help when we approached him, but the Head of maths who is also his teacher was less enthusiastic. I suspect he was miffed because we had gone to the head after two years of very politely asking the Maths teachers to help.
It's a good rural comp which I'm very happy with apart from this one issue.

[wolfbrother]

(obviously there should have been a comma after "trying very hard" in my last post. )

Would you be able to find someone outside school to coach him occasionally in year 11? I mean, to introduce him to some higher maths concepts to keep him interested, while he has to do the deadly stats GCSE.

[harecare]

I did mine a year early and it meant the following year we could start on the A level modules. It was well worth it as we all did very badly in the A level modules so needed the extra year. The whole class who did early maths got As or Bs. I of course got an A!!!

[inthesticks]

He's in year nine just now so I haven't ruled out tutoring in year 10/11.
Have printed out a past paper from the maths challenge. It looks exactly the sort of thing he would enjoy.
He's currently groaning on the sofa with man flu a nasty cold so I'll wait a day or two before showing it to him.

Thanks to everyone who have given constructive advice here. Sorry OP for the thread hijack.