New maths and further maths A Levels

My lessons were always quite good like that, but the Maths was no way near that level, even at age 16! The units I suggested cover really all the areas that used to be covered: basic calculus, stats/mech, complex numbers, matrices etc, so if a modest percentage of young students in the pass could do it, why only a miniscule number now?

What is the scope for schools saying "sod this for a game of soldiers" and entering pupils for something Welsh or international?

Yes however you'll essentially alienate a massive group of students. Let's take biology for example. There's only so much maths you can include before you end up in the situation of needing some serious understanding of differential equations (systems is what comes to mind). This wouldn't be covered till FM at least. The same goes for psychology. You need a good understanding of statistics so the option should be there for maths but making it compulsory for A Level could have a serious knock on effect up to university level.

In addition, I remember taking biology A Level. It was the hardest thing I took at A Level and dropped it the moment I could!

For Biology/Psychology, the maximum requirement would be A2 Maths. It's also why I suggested teaching C1/C2/S1/M1/FP1/C3 in KS4 (or as much of it as students could handle), because then we would have highly competent scientists:
AS Biologists/Psychologists would have done all the above plus C4, S2 and M2.
A2 Biologists/Psychologists/AS Chemists- as above + FP2/FP3/S3
A2 Chemists/AS Physicists- as above + M3/S4/M4
A2 Physicists- as above plus M5/S5/M6 or S6.

Let's go back to 1979, when I took my O Levels

Yes - we did calculus and a lot more trig, we even touched on some complex numbers
No - we did not do matrices and we did almost no stats - apart from averages I did no stats until I started teaching
We certainly did not do everything that you are now suggesting

In that year about 24% of students achieved a C or better in O'Level maths - I do not know the break down of A/B/C grades but the norm referencing suggests that it would certainly be less than 10% - probably close to the % that currently achieve A*

So - the students did different things (harder perhaps) and still only a small number achieved the highest grade

Presumably the top quartile could virtually all get Cs or above then? Presumably then the top 10% or so could get an A (2 years worth of Maths study early).

You have lost me - how do you think the evidence I gave means that we could have achieved that 2 years earlier?

I got lost about 20 posts ago.

(Please note the periods.)

Have you just discovered your American roots?

Yes, but we would also have a bunch of students who don't get maths struggling to get a C! (and these are students who didn't get picked up in the system at an earlier stage and it's only when they can't do simple linear equations before they sit their GCSE exam in May that eyebrows are being raised)

Your idea assumes that:

1. The pass rate for A/A* is fairly high
2. The pass rate in general is fairly high

Which we cannot assume.

You have lost me - how do you think the evidence I gave means that we could have achieved that 2 years earlier?

You have lost me - how do you think the evidence I gave means that we could have achieved that 2 years earlier?

For Biology/Psychology, the maximum requirement would be A2 Maths. It's also why I suggested teaching C1/C2/S1/M1/FP1/C3 in KS4 (or as much of it as students could handle), because then we would have highly competent scientists:
AS Biologists/Psychologists would have done all the above plus C4, S2 and M2.
A2 Biologists/Psychologists/AS Chemists- as above + FP2/FP3/S3
A2 Chemists/AS Physicists- as above + M3/S4/M4
A2 Physicists- as above plus M5/S5/M6 or S6.

zero scope for state schools as they will not count in the Dfe measures

If a school has two A level sets, surely not counting the bottom set in the league tables by teaching them something else improves the school's overall performance.

Isn't it the same as sending the disruptive kids on a field trip on the day of an inspection?

The challenge from those units should be similar to those of your O Level, perhaps purposefully set at that sort of level if my suggestion is deemed slightly too hard.

You are deluded mate.