Don't have GCSE maths but want to apply for new job

[twiceasnice47]

I am looking to change jobs as I work in a school and now my kids are grown up I want a job where I can work all year round and take my holiday when I want. My only problem is I only have 2 GCSE's at grade A-C and I got an F in maths. I originally failed all of them but went back to college and got a B for English and French. But Maths is an F and this job says that you must have English and Maths GCSE grade A-C. I managed to get on to a level 2 college course in business back in the early 90's and got a distinction and since then have really succeeded in the workplace, I also have an English A level and an English degree which I got a 2:1 for. So my CV is actually pretty good and I have said I have 8 GCSE's and haven't ever put the grades and don't think I have ever been asked. Not having maths GCSE has not hindered me at all until now.

I have worked as a team manager, a shop manager, a practice manager of a dental practice and am currently an HLTA and Cover supervisor in a school. I was never asked for any grades or proof of maths for any of these positions. Although I have no A-C grade in GCSE maths I often teach maths to year 6 students. I just had absolutely zero interest in learning once at school but as soon as I got to college I loved learning and have lots of different qualifications now.

I am looking at working in the NHS and their application forms want GCSE grades. If they see F grades for GCSE's (especially maths) surely they are going to reject it instantly. But I have lots of relevant experience and lots of other courses with distinctions over the years. It also says on the application form that all qualifications and grades will be checked. So basically as nowadays you have to have a C in maths is it worth me applying and do all application forms now ask for grades. I have worked in my current job for 15 years so applying for jobs is very different nowadays.

Honestly this shows how ridiculous the recruitment situation is right now. You've got high level qualifications and years of actual workplace experience.
Find a job in an institution that would value that.

Checking GCSE certificates from years ago seems petty v what a candidate has to offer, particularly if that candidate has much higher level qualifications.
Try and get a maths functional skills qualification which is the equivalent of GCSE 'C' (although these days its a grade 4 or a 5).
Good Luck.

Do the gcse maths. If you've managed a dental practice and done your own accounts you should be able to get a gcse in maths.
Can you get a tutor to start you off on the basics ? It may be there's something fundamental you were not taught at school. And maths teaching has changed a lot since our day.

I think we're of the generation where girls were told they were bad at maths, or maths was for the boys..

Oh god, I really, really don’t have dyscalculia. I really don’t. There are more symptoms that being shit at maths. The college tutor even agreed there was no point in an assessment, I clearly don’t have it.

I spent 3 years trying to pass maths functional skills so I could get on an access to uni course and it was quite expensive with tutoring. I am not on any benefits and I have A’s and B’s in everything else, so so don’t qualify for free courses.

I tried in my 30s. I’m 46 now, and I have no need or desire to do it now and I will be registered blind within the next 5 years anyway, so I really have no desire to waste my time on maths anymore. Working (very) part time is nice for my boredom levels, but I don’t need to work.

Sorry I don’t mean to get snippy - but honestly, people drop dyscalculia at the drop of a hat. You can just be really shit at something.

GCSE maths has lots of content that's simply nothing to do with just numbers.
Like algebra, surds, ratios, probability, geometry, statistics etc.
A lot of people who have GCSE 'C' right now probably wouldn't pass the exam again (if they had to take it tomorrow!)

That's good. I was referring to my local college that did them. They had an amazing program of night classes - a-levels, gcse's etc. I went a few years and completed my education there. I'd love to do more but the local big college only does day courses and you have to do them with the kids etc. I preferred the night school which was all older people.

I appreciate that. But the op doesn't have to 'get' everything to pass.
Also there are foundation and Higher levels she could opt for.

Oh I also want to throw in that one of courses does it where you can do the module, then the exam. I think it's edexcel. It's the one I did. Then you can get the module done and forget about it. It's much easier than trying to remember it all at the end of the year/course.

No wonder the NHS is in so much financial difficulty if they spend their time checking results from 35 years ago 🤦🏻‍♀️ Ridiculous, and a total waste of time.

I'd be screwed if an employer asked to see certicates - it's so long ago I don't think the exam board exists any more! JMB... and the last year of O levels

This is the problem - if you need to seek new employment now as a woman we are completely at sea. AI filters all applications meaning this kind of thing puts your CV into the bin and you never even get a call or interview.

Because she was employed to do the filing and couldnt do it as she couldnt read or write and i was being blamed for all her mistakes,

I disagree personally as a parent I would have serious concerns with a school who employed higher level teaching assistants to teach maths with a F. If my family is being treated by the NHS I want to be assured the person is actually qualified.

@Lovingbooks You no longer have to have any qualifications to be a teacher. They are called Unqualifed Teachers and teach full classes, often on their own. Paid not much more than minimum wage.
Yet another reason I left teaching after 20 years in last year. I spent 3 years at uni, 1 year PGCE and 1 year in school before I got QTS. But that is no longer a requirement. We are no longer needed.

There have been a few high profile cases where serious fraud and safety issues in the NHS have been uncovered through lack of proper checks at recruitment stage so no I wouldn’t agree it’s a waste of money when some people are fully prepared to blag their way into senior level or patient facing roles potentially putting people at serious risk.

Well, I did get a request to confirm grades taken by somebody who left three school closures, one merger and four site changes ago in 1974 from one online checking company.

I'd imagine that the more that State Pension Age increases and the less generous private pensions become (ignoring scheme collapses and people losing pension funds in later divorces), the more firms will be insisting upon confirmation of qualification data that doesn't exist until the people concerned are pushing 80.

Yes but they 1. Are paid much less than the initial starting wage of a qualified teacher and 2. Cannot advance into senior/middle management roles - so Head of Year, Head of Subject/Faculty, DSL, DDSL, SENDCO, Head of Key Stages, SLT Lead for Quality of Education and Teaching, Inclusion/EDI, Behaviour and Attendance etc. You will look very uncompetitive for those applications compared to your colleagues who are qualified with GCSEs, A-level, a degree and a PGCE and any further training from that.

The most common routes into teaching are 1. BA Primary Ed, with OTS (3 years), then straight into teaching

1. Degree and then a Primary Education PGCE
2. Degree and then a Secondary Subject specialism Education PGCE
3. New Teaching Apprenticeships (6 years from 18, you only need A-levels and GCSEs for this).

If you're planning for a long-term career with growth and promotions it wouldn't be recommended to do the unqualified route, most people do that 1. For the money and to see if they like teaching enough to do it as a whole career and go and get their PGCE. 2. As good experience for other education jobs - educational psych in the future, social work etc.

By the way I'm not saying it's a bad choice, just that if you want to go into teaching and are young (20s-40s especially), and want a long-term career with progression that you should get a PGCE. Unless they are unsure on whether they want to do teaching and so then they should try it and decide after a year perhaps - it will be good experience whatever they decide. As you are already a long-term qualified and very experienced teacher - it will be different for you compared to someone without QTS,PGCE or experience in teaching.

My DCs did their GCSEs recently, I honestly don't think I'd pass GCSE maths now looking at their revision 😅

It seems almost laughable that exams taken years ago, nearly 35 years ago in my case, could be as relevant to a job application now as a degree or actual work experience.

Use it or lost it springs to mind. I absolutely did not use any of the maths skills I learnt at school and remember zero of it!

I got asked to bring my O level, A level and degree certificates to a job as a carer
I still had to take a functional maths and English test despite me having a law degree and Maths A level.

I got really stressed trying to find mine - then the school business manager said they didn't actually need them. I could have cried!

So they have a degree, masters or phd … but all hinges on GCSE maths?!? 🤣🤣

i joined the NHS four years ago (at nearly 50) and had to provide all of my certificates: o levels, a levels and degree. I know people that have been turned down for promotions because they don’t have the requisite GCSEs. I think it’s definitely become more of a thing in recent years. I certainly wouldn’t lie as the NHS are pretty hot on qualifications these days. We have new Execs at our Trust being chased for proof of certification, so it applies to all levels!

i think the English and Maths GCSE requirements are a fairly recent change and are fairly universal. I definitely had to provide mine 4 years ago (also non-clinical), but didn’t when I changed roles/got a better job in the same Trust last year as I was already an employee.

Apply for the job anyway, do a really strong application emphasizing all your experience. You could also follow it up with a call to the recruiter so it reduces the chance or being instantly discounted. In the meantime, get going on the GCSE anyway as even if it’s too late for this job, there’ll be others.

You should be able to get the course free in adult education and I would advise going to classes as you won’t automatically understand current trends for how to learn maths.