easy way to learn mathematics: Bridging The Gap To A Level

At 7pm on Tuesday seventh Oct I'm hosting a Twitter chat on the topic of bridging the gap from GCSE to AS level. Please bring together inwards using #mathscpdchat. If you lot haven't participated inwards a Twitter chat before, this guide explains what it's all about. I recommend you lot laid up TweetDeck in advance therefore you lot tin sack continue runway of the conversation.

In grooming for this chat, this post service outlines some of the issues that I desire to discuss. First I'll expression at why there's a gap, in addition to then I'll expression at some possible strategies for bridging it. I'm actually keen to hear others' ideas on Tuesday.

1. Why is at that topographic point a gap?

A. The work amongst GCSE grades
Most schools require that students acquire a degree B at GCSE to produce maths at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. This yr your AS aeroplane classes volition comprise a mix of students who got anything from 48% to 100% inwards their maths GCSE. This lower jump mightiness surprise you. Yes, students tin sack get less than half of the answers correct in addition to all the same acquire a B. That way a educatee tin sack embark on Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane maths amongst absolutely no agreement of algebra, or no thought how to add together 2 fractions without a calculator.

Students are oft 'taught to the test' therefore own got footling conceptual agreement - they tin sack acquire a decent GCSE degree past times learning some tricks in addition to doing lots of do questions. Around 15% of students who attain a B inwards their maths GCSE become onto to convey maths at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. The graph below, taken from this 2012 report, shows that of those students who got a B inwards their GCSE, exclusively 20% achieved A* - B at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. The bulk got a degree D, E or U. Were those students given the incorrect advice nearly their post-16 options? And why did they non drib maths at the terminate of Year 12? Bear inwards hear that having got a B at GCSE, they would own got expected to attain at to the lowest degree a B at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, therefore these students may own got been bitterly disappointed amongst their results.

Maths GCSE also doesn't produce plenty to differentiate at the move past times end. Around 5% of students nationally acquire an A* at GCSE. These students make from those who are incredibly intelligent to those who were well-taught in addition to hard-working. This volition alter - the novel 'A**' degree (Grade 9) volition move awarded to the move past times 3%. When the novel grades come upwards into play from 2017 onwards, I promise to run into schools setting a minimum requirement of Grade vii to produce maths at AS aeroplane (Grades 7, 8 or nine volition move equivalent to today's A* in addition to A). Am I beingness elitist? The novel core maths qualification volition move suitable for others.

The work is that GCSE grades currently produce non give us a clear indication of who is suitable for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane maths in addition to who isn't. I've taught many students who got an Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 or A* at GCSE but went on to acquire a D, E or fifty-fifty a U at AS level. Why did they of a abrupt halt beingness 'really good' at maths?

Last yr I introduced an entrance attempt inwards Year 12 - to a greater extent than on this here. It revealed shocking gaps inwards basic skills in addition to knowledge. Students who got an A* at GCSE could non produce long multiplication! I recommend that all schools produce an entrance attempt for 2 reasons:
1. To position weaker students in addition to intervene amongst extra back upwards from the start.
2. To cope expectations - students who got a skillful degree at GCSE volition move surprised if they acquire a depression grade inwards a basic skills test. They'll realise that they can't coast through the class in addition to volition move motivated to piece of work hard.

Is at that topographic point a instance for setting at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level? I know some schools that give a maths attempt at the starting fourth dimension of Year 12 in addition to and then pose students into sets.

B. The work amongst GCSE content
I did some analysis of the marks available on concluding year's higher Edexcel GCSE papers. This is what I found:

Approximately 40% of the questions tested skills that are absolutely essential for AS centre maths eg fractions, algebra, arithmetic, Pythagoras
Approximately 35% of the questions tested centre maths skills that are taught ane time again at AS aeroplane eg surds, indices, trigonometry, simultaneous equations, inequalities, quadratics in addition to coordinate geometry.
Approximately 25% of the questions tested applied topics (eg statistics) or topics that don't come upwards up at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane (eg loci, transformations).

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 educatee tin sack easily acquire a degree B amongst real few centre skills.

I wonder if schools that own got embedded a mastery curriculum from a immature historic catamenia own got managed to eliminate the work of Year eleven students lacking centre skills.

Upcoming reforms volition assist to address the electrical flow problems amongst GCSEs. Until they are implemented, what tin sack nosotros produce amongst our Year 11s to improve laid upwards them for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level?

There are extra qualifications to see - the Certificate inwards Further Maths has some dandy content similar matrices in addition to functions. Additional Mathematics is a challenging course, especially suitable for students looking to convey Further Maths at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. Regardless of whether your move past times students are taking these extra qualifications, produce you lot expression at interesting, non-curricular mathematics amongst them inwards Year 11?

At Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, students oft fighting amongst the alter inwards the way questions are worded. Perhaps nosotros should start looking at these kinds of questions earlier. For example, the interrogation below is from a C1 newspaper but would move suitable for a GCSE student.

C1 Edexcel May 2013

2. Strategies for bridging the gap
So let's merely convey our electrical flow predicament - students commence their Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane maths class totally unprepared. What tin sack nosotros produce to back upwards them? Here's a few ideas in addition to questions.

A. Bridging resources
summer work to do. They also recommend resources that students tin sack usage over summertime to fill upwards inwards whatever noesis gaps - hither are a few examples:

In my experience, urging students to produce piece of work during the summertime preceding Year 12 isn't especially effective because students merely don't run into the necessity. I've considered running a 'summer bridge' or transition class inwards the calendar week before term starts. I'd move interested to hear from teachers who produce this.

B. Intervention
At my schoolhouse nosotros run compulsory remedial sessions inwards the Autumn term for students who don't produce good inwards their entrance test. We also offering an optional weekly Help Club to all students all yr round. When I was Key Stage v Coordinator I offered additional back upwards through a student blog. What does your schoolhouse produce to back upwards students who are struggling?

C. Course structure
Does your schoolhouse offering students flexibility over modules? Which applied modules piece of work best? We discovery that M1 is also hard for many of our Year 12s (except those taking Physics) therefore is best tackled inwards Year 13. The planned changes to Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane maths volition standardise the course, removing the chemical cistron of choice.

How many hours a calendar week should students pass inwards lessons in addition to doing homework? When my Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane teaching hours were cutting from 4.5 to 4 hours a calendar week due to budgetary constraints, my students suffered.

How large are your classes? At my schoolhouse nosotros currently own got xviii - xx students per Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane class. I've heard of schools amongst fifty-fifty bigger classes. At Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane I retrieve 10 - 12 students per shape is far to a greater extent than effective.

D. Delivery
How produce you lot organise the delivery of the class content? Do 6th shape classes own got to a greater extent than than ane teacher? What lodge produce you lot tackle the modules in?

At the starting fourth dimension of Year 12, how much fourth dimension produce you lot pass re-teaching GCSE topics such every bit algebra, surds, indices in addition to quadratics?

Do you lot own got whatever item strategies for teaching Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 aeroplane lessons? Any item resources?

E. Effort
How produce you lot encourage students to piece of work hard? Do they produce every bit much do every bit they bespeak to? At my schoolhouse nosotros laid out our expectations in addition to outline the back upwards available inwards a student handbook.

My students are given Alps estimates every bit targets to piece of work towards, but these are based purely on GCSE grades in addition to inwards my sentiment (partly for reasons outlined above), they are meaningless without instructor input.

Target setting (source: FFT)

Summary
I've made an infographic to summarise my thoughts in addition to questions nearly the path to Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. On Tuesday I desire to focus on 2 telephone substitution questions:

1. What structures should nosotros own got inwards position at Key Stage 4 to assist our students laid upwards for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level?

2. What back upwards tin sack nosotros offering during Year 12 to ensure students hitting the terra firma running in addition to don't autumn behind?

I expression forrad to hearing your ideas. If you lot can't participate inwards Tuesday's chat in addition to then delight portion your ideas inwards the comments subdivision below.

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Update: 6/10/14

@srcav shared his thoughts inwards response to my post service inwards 'A Level Ready?'.
@Just_Maths shared 'KS4 to KS5 Transition', which she wrote concluding year.
@DrBennison wrote 'Thoughts on Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Level Mathematics in addition to Making the Transition'.
@nik_d_maths shared 'Why One Hundred Percent is Important' nearly early on testing inwards Year 12

All iv posts comprise lots of skillful ideas in addition to insightful reflections.

Thanks also to @paulsuvs for pointing me inwards the direction of these National Transition Matrices which furnish interesting information nearly the grades achieved at AS level.