Are current year 9s doing iGCSE Maths in state schools now?

[Martin_Procter]

Hi all,

I have a question for anyone who has a son or daughter in year 9 in a state school which has previously taught International GCSE Maths (known more correctly as the Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Mathematics).

Some background… We know that a number of state schools, especially selective schools in SE England, have moved from the standard GCSE to the “iGCSE” in recent years. The idea was to provide a more challenging curriculum. Many of these schools finish teaching the Key stage 3 curriculum in year 8 and start teaching GSCE in year 9 (rather than in year 10 which is more usual). But, the “iGCSE” will not count towards the school’s statistics from summer 2017, so these schools’ published performance statistics will take a nose dive unless these schools switch back to the GCSE Maths and teach the new reformed GCSE (which replaces the old GCSE in Maths, English language and English Literature in summer 2017).

Does anyone have any knowledge of what’s being taught in year 9 Maths at these schools? Are any moving back to GCSE? Are any independent schools moving back to GCSE from iGCSE?

Thanks in advance



START OF QUOTE FROM EDEXCEL WEB SITE…
16 September 2014
Edexcel GCSE Mathematics: Performance tables in 2017
On 24 July 2014, the Department for Education (DfE) released an update on types of qualifications to be counted in 2017 school performance tables.
The only Maths qualification that will count in the 2017 secondary school performance tables will be the reformed GCSE Maths, first teaching September 2015 and first examination in summer 2017.
The current arrangements for recognising other academic qualifications will end with the introduction of the reformed GCSE Maths: the Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Mathematics will not be included in the 2017 performance tables (due to be published in January 2018).
… END OF QUOTE FROM EDEXCEL WEB SITE

[Amber]

May I ask if your interest is a personal or a professional one?

[Ladymuck]

Independent here, still working on Edexcel iGCSE with top set sitting OCR Additional Maths, and Set 2 sitting AQA Further Mathematics. But tbh most parents look at one of the newspaper league tables rather than the DfE ones IME.

[Martin_Procter]

Yesterday (16th Jan 2015), The minister for exam reform Nick Gibb wrote to the exam boards in general (although it was clearly aimed at Edexcel). The letter not only confirmed that the existing International GCSE would not be counted in school statistics once the new GCSEs are introduced but also warned that any future tweaked International GCSE would not be accepted for school statistics.

I think this means that league table pressure and pressure from the regulator will mean that those state schools (mainly, but not entirely, selective schools) taking International GCSE Maths, English Language or English Literature will have to switch to GCSE from Summer 2017 (affecting the current year 9 and younger). They will have to switch to GCSE for all other subjects from Summer 2018 (affecting current year 8 and younger).

[Guest55]

They will be switching to the new GCSE syllabuses I expect.

[moved]

Can someone shoot Nick Gibb, odeous man, utterly driven by ideology and no idea about what he does. He belittles all educational research as left wing and pointless. So nothing that comes from him is based on research, good practice or anything else useful.

[Amber]

Can someone shoot Nick Gibb, odeous man, utterly driven by ideology and no idea about what he does. He belittles all educational research as left wing and pointless. So nothing that comes from him is based on research, good practice or anything else useful.

Whilst I would never advocate shooting, I echo and endorse all your other comments, moved. I have actually been in a room with the man and it is very very hard not to attempt some kind of throttling in the name of public service. His most recent views are based on a few brief jollies to the Far East where he was impressed to see children sitting in rows and, he judged at lightning speed, having a marvellous grasp of things way beyond our own dullard population of small people. This led him to the following erudite opinion

'Schools should copy China - and ditch trendy teaching for 'chalk and talk': Teachers speaking in front of a class 'much more effective than independent learning'.

It strikes me that as the man is so adept at instantly assessing children's capabilities on sight, he ought be allowed to nip into all the schools in the land and deliver a verdict on the students. It would save a lot of time wasted on tests and exams.

[moved]

Sorry OP, off topic.

I've also had the misfortune to be in a room with the man, sadly there were only 3 other people there, so tricky to perform the necessary euthanasia. The DfE lift should have provided me with that opportunity, again another missed opportunity as I'm not really the murdering type. Anyway back to wistful fantasies. I would not normally advocate shooting either, but there are exceptions to every rule!

Two weeks ago, I had a party of teachers from Beijing who were visiting to learn from our child-centred approach to teaching. Although they have some excellent facilities, minister Gibb hasn't mentioned providing those, and have single subject teachers who only teach for two hours a day, again minister Gibb isn't advocating that, they recognise that they are not giving their children the necessary skills for the modern world. Two of my teachers, at their own expense, visited the Chinese school too as they wanted to develop cultural ties. Sadly we can't import the best bits of their education system as there is such poor funding for schools and teachers are not given the opportunities to plan, mark and rest that those in China are given. So the only element that we can import are those that the Chinese want to reduce in their own country.

[Guest55]

Yes - and you never see them admitting that in those 'international tests' the UK does very well in problem solving questions.

[moved]

Don't get me started on PISA!