GCSE mathematics linked pair
pilot qualifications presentation
November 2010
Using this presentation 1
This presentation includes messages and information
about the pilot qualifications
You should select appropriate slides from the
presentation and adapt them to help you produce a
presentation for a particular audience
You should include the main messages in presentations
to any audience
Using this presentation 2
Possible audiences include:
learners in the pilot and their parents and carers
staff in centres involved in the pilot
staff in centres not involved in the pilot
admissions officers for higher education and further
education
employers and employer representative bodies
mathematics subject associations and other subject
associations
information, advice and guidance providers
other organisations, including local authorities and
networks for non-local authority schools and colleges.
Main messages about the pilot 1
• Two distinct pilot qualifications:
– GCSE methods in mathematics
– GCSE applications of mathematics
• Together they cover the key stage 4 programme of study
with some additional content
• Students must be entered for both qualifications
• They are equivalent in standard to other GCSEs in
mathematics
• Learners will have a broader and deeper experience of
mathematics
Main messages about the pilot 2
• Schools started teaching the pilot qualifications in
September 2010
• Results for the pilot qualifications are available from
summer 2011 in England and summer 2012 in Wales
• Around 250 schools and several thousand learners are
involved in the pilot in 2010-11
• Ministers are expected to make a decision about any
possible roll-out and the future of the qualifications after
2013
Messages for learners in the pilot
(and their parents and carers)
• You have a chance to get two GCSEs in mathematics
(like English and science)
• These qualifications are the same standard as other
GCSEs in mathematics and are graded from A*–G
• These qualifications provide a richer mathematical
experience
• These qualifications will be considered to be equivalent
to other GCSEs in mathematics, for example, when
applying to courses for university or applying for jobs in
the future
Messages for centres in the pilot
• Support to help you deliver the pilot qualifications is
available from a number of sources
• NCETM have an online forum for teachers in pilot centres
• Either of the pilot qualifications will count as a GCSE in
mathematics for school and college performance tables
purposes, provided the learner has taken both
• Participating in the pilot (and the evaluation activities)
gives you an opportunity to help the development of
GCSE mathematics qualifications for the future
• You should make information about the pilot qualifications
available to learners, their parents and carers and
providers of further education and employers
Messages for centres not involved
in the pilot
• The qualifications are being piloted by AQA, Edexcel,
OCR and WJEC
• OCR have some places for additional pilot centres
• Pilot places remain for FE institutions
• Pilot will end in September 2013
• The pilot qualifications are not an essential requirement
for A level study – the single GCSE is also appropriate
Messages for further education
(including admissions officers)
• Students applying to start further education may have two
GCSEs in mathematics
• The two qualifications together assess the national
curriculum key stage 4 programme of study and each has
some additional content
• Each qualification is the same standard as other GCSEs in
mathematics
• These students will have had a richer mathematical
experience
• You need to know about these qualifications if you are
involved in deciding entry requirements for courses
requiring a particular grade in GCSE mathematics
Messages for higher education
admissions officers
• Students applying to start higher education may have
two GCSEs in mathematics
• These qualifications are the same standard as other
GCSEs in mathematics
• These students will have had a richer mathematical
experience
• You need to know about these qualifications if you are
involved in deciding entry requirements for courses
requiring a particular grade in GCSE mathematics
Messages for employers
• Young people applying for full-time jobs may have two
GCSEs in mathematics (age 16 from 2011)
• Graduates applying for full-time jobs may have two GCSEs
in mathematics (from 2016)
• These qualifications are the same standard as other GCSEs
in mathematics
• These learners will have had a richer mathematical
experience
• You need to know about these qualifications if you are
involved in recruiting people for jobs requiring a particular
grade in GCSE mathematics
Messages for subject associations
for mathematics and other subjects 1
• A linked pair of GCSEs in mathematics piloted from
September 2010
• Developed in response to Professor Adrian Smith’s
inquiry into post-14 mathematics education in 2004
• Together they assess the national curriculum
mathematics programme of study at key stage 4 and
include additional content to give a broader and deeper
grounding in mathematics
• They give learners more opportunities to see how
mathematics works in the real world as well as engaging
in more conceptual thinking
Messages for subject associations
for mathematics and other subjects 2
• ACME and JMC were involved in developing the pilot
qualifications
• NCETM is providing an online forum for teachers
involved in the pilot
• ACME, JMC, NCETM, ATM, MA and NANAMIC are
members of the pilot advisory group
Pilot qualification introduction 1
Two distinct pilot qualifications:
GCSE methods in mathematics
GCSE applications of mathematics
Together cover the key stage 4 programme of study with
some additional content
Students must be entered for both GCSEs
They provide more opportunities to develop mathematics
knowledge and understanding
Pilot qualification introduction 2
They are the same standard as other GCSEs in
mathematics and are graded from A*– G
They have the same status as other GCSEs in
mathematics, for example, when applying to courses in
further education or university or applying for jobs in the
future
Schools started teaching the pilot qualifications in
September 2010
Results for the pilot qualifications are available from
summer 2011 in England and summer 2012 in Wales
Around 250 schools and several thousand learners are
taking the pilot qualifications in 2010-11
Pilot qualification purposes
Designed to:
provide learners with a rich experience of mathematics
allow learners to get two GCSEs in mathematics
provide learners with greater opportunities to use and
interpret mathematics
improve learners’ attitudes towards mathematics
inspire and prepare learners to continue mathematics
studies beyond GCSE
Pilot qualification development
DfE and DCELLS initiative
Developed by QCDA, ACME and JMC
A response to Professor Adrian Smith’s inquiry into
post-14 mathematics education in 2004
Available in England and Wales
Offered by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC
Regulated by Ofqual and DCELLS
Pilot qualification content
Two qualifications covering the national curriculum
key stage 4 mathematics programme of study:
GCSE methods in mathematics focuses on
mathematical reasoning and analysis
GCSE applications of mathematics focuses on
applications of mathematics in contexts that are
relevant to the real world, including financial and
statistical applications
Content covers the programme of study, including functional
elements, and some additional content
Additional content gives broader grounding in mathematical
methods and applications
Pilot qualification evaluation
Independent evaluation to investigate:
the quality of the qualifications
how the pilot qualifications are delivered in centres
impact on resources
drivers and obstacles to qualification take-up
impact on participation, attainment and progression
stakeholder perceptions
Pilot qualification timeline
Start of pilot
GCSE awards
End of pilot
September 2010
from August 2011in England
from August 2012 in Wales
August 2013
Independent evaluation concludes December 2013 with
advice to ministers to inform a decision about national
roll out
Pilot qualifications remain available to pilot centres until
2015
Pilot qualification grades, results
and relationships with other GCSEs
The pilot qualifications will count in school and college
achievement and attainment / performance tables
The GCSE mathematics linked pair pilot qualifications
and single GCSE in mathematics are all at the same
standard and are all graded from A*– G
An A*– C grade in any of these qualifications counts for
the 'five GCSEs at A*– C including English and
mathematics' measure
But learners must be entered for both pilot qualifications
for their grades to count towards this measure
Pilot qualification support
The support available for pilot centres includes:
an online forum provided by the National Centre for
Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM)
pedagogy think pieces by eminent mathematics
educators
support from awarding bodies including:
teaching resources for new topics
sample schemes of work
additional practice papers
briefing sessions
online continuing professional development (CPD)
Pilot qualification further information
AQA
www.aqa.org.uk
Edexcel
www.edexcel.com
OCR
www.ocr.org.uk
WJEC
www.wjec.co.uk
NCETM
www.ncetm.org.uk
ACME
www.acme-uk.org