Criticism of early GCSE Maths

[Guest55]

Mathematics is the most least - well taught subject bar none. In the state educational sector this is down to a hang up with "professionalism" a condition whereby poorly performing individuals take a role in the education system as "qualified teachers"

Sassie's dad - where is the evidence for this outrageous statement!

My department and many in Buckinghamshire state schools are 'outstanding' according to Ofsted ....

It is the Private sector where you have unqualified untrained teachers ... even in Maudlin (your spelling) college

[Sassie'sDad]

I see we don't do sarcasum and certainly don't do serious, only make a pantomime|: funny not!

[yoyo123]

lighten up Sassie's dad...if you deal it out you have to accept it!

The thing that I love about this site is that we can help each other, share the highs and lows and still let off steam.

If you make such sweeping statements without backing them up then expect a bit of stick. I could have stamped on you with my big mod's foot ( think Terry Glliam) but didn't

[mystery]

And according to what is Magdalen College choir school the best school in the country? That's news to me. However I'm not surprised they are a little maudlin having to do daily evensong right throughout the year.

[sherry_d]

oh Dear, where is this thread going?

There was an interesting piece in the Sunday Times on how the government is going to clamp down on early GCSE as it's costing many kids a grade or more. What I found a little surprising was that nearly 80% of comps sit exams early compared to about 50% for grammars. I thought early GCSE where for the bright sparkles in grammars but its comps that are the worst culprits. Its all to do with how schools can bank the GCSEs and boost their league table position that has caused the mad early rush.

[Marylou]

This really is unfair, since some universities use the number or percentage of A*/A grades at GCSE as a means of filtering out applicants for popular and oversubscribed courses. Either this selection procedure should be outlawed as part of the government's "widening participation" measures, or early GCSE entry in schools should be optional and not compulsory. It must be very galling to find that you are precluded from applying for - say - medicine at Birmingham (min 6 A* at GCSE) when you know that the A or B grades achieved at GCSE could have been A* had they been taken at the right time.

[sherry_d]

You are right Marylou, I think the government is now trying to stamp it down but they dont say what they are going to do so it could be a while before this is stamped down on. This is quote from the Sunday Times about grades being hit as pupils take GCSEs too early

However, it can also deprive the brightest pupils of the chance to get an A* or A, harming their chances of getting into any of the leading universities which increasingly use the top grades at GCSE to help filter candidates.

“I am extremely alarmed by the enormous growth in early entry for maths and English GCSEs over the past few years and, in particular, by the relatively poor performance of those taking their exams at the end of year 10,” said Nick Gibb, the schools minister.

Michael Gove, the education secretary, believes his reform of GCSEs will help to end the “culture of resits” and curb the abuse of early exam entry. The study analysed GCSE results from 2007, the year after Labour began including English and maths C grades in league tables, to 2010.

It found 31,000 pupils in 2007 entered early for English GCSE and 36,000 for maths. By 2010 this had soared to 174,000 early entries in English and 152,000 in maths, about a quarter of pupils in each subject.

Those who achieved a C or above were more likely to have their grades “banked” by their schools and be denied the chance to resit. Of those who took the exam a year early and scored a D, 90% subsequently retook it. However, only 63% of B grade early entrants were given the chance to try again for the A* and A grades.

[mim]

Mathematics is the most least - well taught subject bar none. In the state educational sector this is down to a hang up with "professionalism" a condition whereby poorly performing individuals take a role in the education system as "qualified teachers"

Sassie's dad - where is the evidence for this outrageous statement!

My department and many in Buckinghamshire state schools are 'outstanding' according to Ofsted ....

It is the Private sector where you have unqualified untrained teachers ... even in Maudlin (your spelling) college

I don't know if this counts as evidence, but the Head of Maths at a school that turns out over 100 A*/As at A level Maths annually (over 95% of its candidates) is of the view that A level Maths is for "stupid" 18-year olds. Their words, not mine. So provided teaching is excellent, yes why not let "average" pupils sit GCSE early. That school doesn't in case they risk their 99+% A*/As, and part of a cohort sitting early will raise other issues if some don't wish to continue with Maths A level. But their teaching is good enough to do that. Some prefer to look to a school's participation in the UKMT team challenges and events such as the Hans Woyda, than rely on Ofsted rankings.

lighten up Sassie's dad...if you deal it out you have to accept it!

The thing that I love about this site is that we can help each other, share the highs and lows and still let off steam.

If you make such sweeping statements without backing them up then expect a bit of stick. I could have stamped on you with my big mod's foot ( think Terry Glliam) but didn't

Never mind, Sassie's Dad, being unable to let off steam must surely be better than being a long way up the proverbial?

[mike1880]

Thanks are due to sherry_d for finding the following, posted on another thread:

https://www.education.gov.uk/publicatio ... -GCSEs.pdf

[Guest55]

This publication is only one of reports going back several years which all say the same!
A report from ACME (advisory council on maths education) issued a report which starts:

"ACME is concerned at the increasing trend towards students being entered early for GCSE mathematics. The practice of early entry has a negative effect on most students‟ mathematical education, hindering their progression to a wide range of subjects post-16 and in Higher Education. It is an unfortunate example of how league tables and National Challenge status can encourage school leaders to put the interests of the school above those of the students themselves."
http://www.acme-uk.org/news/news-items- ... athematics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

QCA also published a report a few years back
"Early entry to GCSE mathematics
This practice has become increasingly popular, noticeably in schools where the proportion of pupils reaching the threshold grade C is crucial to school targets. There has been much discussion at national level between QCA, HMI, and the National Strategies regarding advice on early entry to GCSE mathematics. As a result there is a consensus among these bodies that wholesale early entry of an entire year group is not recommended and that subject leaders and their line managers need to make informed decisions on a case by case basis."

... yet some schools still do this.