Maths
Positive discrimination for white working-class boys, good for the goose, good for the gander
Positive discrimination for white working-class boys…. If it’s good for the goose, should it necessarily be good for the gander as well? A distinguished mathematician, Sir Bryan Thwaites, very recently had his donation of over £1m rejected by two public schools (public schools are top independent, private schools) – Dulwich College and Winchester. The reason…
Read MoreAlas, how come some public schools don’t teach their students GCSEs, and they still take exams in it
A lesson for me from a sixteen-year-old, which you may find intriguing I was at the intensive revision course for our A-level and GCSE students today and, during the break, I was chatting to the teenagers, as I usually do. I usually try and make small-talk and chat about their travelling experience, school and so…
Read MoreFailure to plan for A-level or GCSE Exams is a plan to Fail
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase several times that “Failure to plan is a plan to fail.” This very much applies to teenagers as many of them face what is, perhaps, the most important test in their lives to far – the summer examinations. Hard work is important and most young people are working hard…
Read MoreThe ‘Gromps’ have it! – Grammar Comprehensive Schools are head and shoulders above the rest
A new word, ‘gromp’, has just been introduced into the school vocabulary. Gromp stands for ‘Grammar Comprehensive’ – meaning comprehensive schools with the ethos of grammar schools. It was reported in the TES – Times Educational Supplements on Sunday of 20th August that the New Schools Network had conducted a survey which reveals that pupils…
Read MoreIs A-level Maths worth its weight in gold?
This is the conclusion of a four-part blog post in which I discuss issues associated with the decline in the uptake of A-level Maths by young people. In this final part, I will be continuing my argument as to why young people should not give up on Maths too easily and that we must do…
Read MoreA-level Maths – should I or should I not – will my figures add up?
In my last couple of blog posts, I looked at changes in the Maths curriculum and also highlighted the fact that there has been a significant fall in the number of students who are taking up A-level Maths. The reasons attributed to these are: the harder GCSE Maths, which has made more young people less…
Read MoreThe decoupling of AS from the full A-level means that it no longer counts towards A-level
In my last blog post, the first of a four-series discussion about the changes that are happening to both GCSE and A-level Maths, I explained the key changes to GCSE Maths and why young people and teachers are concerned. Today, I will first of all look at the changes that have been implemented in the…
Read MoreFewer young people taking A-level Maths – a tragedy or a blessing?
It was recently reported in the TES (Times Educational Supplements), among other media, that there has been a significant reduction in the number of young people taking A-level Maths. The TES report showed a table comparing the number of students applying to take A-level Maths in September 2016 to those who are applying to study…
Read MoreThree Key Components for Exam Success
Achieving highly academically isn’t necessarily about being super bright, as many wrongly assume. I’ve had the advantage of teaching Physics to many bright young people in grammar schools and independent schools over the last couple of decades and I’ve seen young people of average ability, or just above, achieving high examination grades. At the same…
Read MoreEBacc will be more challenging – higher goal post for measuring success at GCSE
The goal post for measuring success at GCSE moved – the EBacc will be more challenging I saw an article about the new yardstick for measuring success at GCSE level. The article was a little alarming as it highlights that the government has raised the barrier for measuring success for 16 year olds. It…
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