Maths GCSE

Discussion and advice on GCSEs

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Belinda
Posts: 1167
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Maths GCSE

Post by Belinda »

Hopping mad atm. And concerned.
DC4 (Y11) proudly showed me her maths mock papers. Grade A overall :D but... Question 1 on the non-calc. paper was 1.87 x 48 (or similar) and she got it wrong - worse still, she appeared to have no idea how to work it out! Says she didn't know where the decimal points went! :shock:
Same child got A*A*A in the three sciences in Y10 - generally capable of the basics in maths - or so I thought! And I'm pretty sure, if memory is correct, she could multiply decimals 6 years ago for her 11 plus exam. :?

She seemed not to know which method to use. I tried to butt in with helpful advice but got told off before I had even uttered a complete sentence. Not entirely sure what (half) came out of my mouth would have constituted a grammatically correct sentence anyway.

Looking through the paper it didn't seem to be a one off either.

What concerns me is that such simple maths I thought was ingrained - i.e. so well known one just couldn't forget how to do it. Obviously not.
How can a bright Y11 child just forget how to do this?

I just don't get how she could forget.
(no, if you're wondering, she has not picked maths as an A level)
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by Guest55 »

She should be encouraged to estimate and so will know where the decimal point goes!

These questions do catch out pupils because they have not done them for several years unless the school encourages them to!
Belinda
Posts: 1167
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by Belinda »

Thank you Guest 55,
I think part of her overall revision will have to be a crash course in Y7 maths.

I would ask DD to estimate but Q2 of the same paper was:
Estimate the following: 31 x 0.891 divided by 0.51
She rounded to 1 and 0.5 but left the 31 (should have made it 30) and got 1 out of 4 marks for that question. :roll:

As for drawing a simple (and I mean simple) mirror reflection of a right angled triangle on a xy axis type graph for Q3... well... her sketches (there were at least four :roll: ) got nil points too!

I could go on... but am a bit :oops:

Note to self: I must try hard to maintain a sense of humour during this summer's exams, especially results day in August!
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by Guest55 »

I often tell my classes to make sure they revise the D and C grade stuff as they are 50% of the marks at Higher!

Unless teachers are careful students spend all their time on A and A* topics and make silly mistakes on easy stuff! At least you've only got one student to nag; we have whole classes .... :lol:
Belinda
Posts: 1167
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by Belinda »

Thank you as it's really useful to know that (I didn't) and she now has time enough to carefully go back over the basics and C/D grade stuff. Thank you. :D

And yes, thank goodness it's just one child - argh... maybe two if you count A2 level DC but I don't count DC1 uni finals and DC2 2nd year uni as they are both 'out of sight out of mind' so far as exams go! Haha. :D
moved
Posts: 3826
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by moved »

I, now, only have two to worry about at GCSE, but sadly that is over 20 subjects!
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by Guest55 »

PM me which board and whether linear or modular and I'll point you at some resources.
scary mum
Posts: 8840
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by scary mum »

Belinda, this reminds me of my DD last summer. Supposedly capable of an A in maths (from Yellis), but had never achieved any more than a C all through school. We decided a tutor was needed, and things seemed to be progressing very nicely as they went over the harder stuff & DD seemed to pick it up fairly easily. A few weeks before the exams they started to work their way through a non calculator paper at which point the tutor discovered that a whole load of the basics were missing (long division being one of them). The next few weeks were spent covering the basics. What I'm trying to say is that there is still time, and if she is fundamentally capable in maths there is time for her to polish up on these skills. Good luck to you and her!
scary mum
KB
Posts: 3030
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by KB »

Maybe get a revision book for the C grade paper - hopefully she just to be reminded and will whip through it?
Belinda
Posts: 1167
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Re: Maths GCSE

Post by Belinda »

Thank you for your helpful replies. I've pm'd you about the board etc. Guest 55.

I'm glad my DD is not the only one Scary mum, and yes, now she is aware of it she can do something about it. I've just dropped her at the cinema and told her a 'maths teacher on my forum said...' :lol: She can't escape from me at 70mph on the motorway!

I was genuinely quite shocked at the mistakes she made in what (in our house) we'd call basics. It was stuff the Y5/6's are learning for the 11 plus! I'm so glad I found out now and not later.
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