Network Event
29 June 2015
University of Warwick
GCSE reforms in
mathematics
Introducing OCR’s J560 GCSE in Mathematics
for teaching from September 2015
Changes to GCSE assessment across
subjects
• Linear GCSEs, with assessment to be taken at the end of the course in June. Re-sit
opportunities in November for Maths and English Language only.
• A new grading scale that uses the number 1-9 to identify levels of performance (with
9 being the top level).
• Tiering used for subjects only where ‘untiered papers will not allow student at the
lower end of the ability range to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, or will not
stretch the most able’.
• Maths will be tiered with an overlapping tiers model, with a Foundation
tier covering grades 1-5 and a Higher tier covering grades 4-9.
Illustration of grades and tiering in
the new GCSE mathematics
(December 2013 Ofqual technical consultation Appendix C, figure 1, page 53)
Changes to GCSE assessment across
subjects
• Assessment by external exam only, except where non-exam assessment is the only
way to provide valid assessment of the skills required.
• Maths will be externally assessed.
• The first assessment of the new two-year GCSE course that starts in September 2015
will be in June 2017.
Changes to GCSE assessment in maths
• A minimum of four and a half hours assessment time at both tiers.
• Increased teaching time.
‘The new mathematics GCSE will be more demanding and we anticipate
that schools will want to increase the time spent teaching mathematics.
On average secondary schools in England spend only 116 hours per year
teaching mathematics, which international studies show is far less time
than that spent on this vital subject by our competitors. Just one extra
lesson each week would put England closer to countries like Australia or
Singapore who teach 143 and 138 hours a year of mathematics
respectively.’ – Michael Gove, 1 November 2013
• GCSE maths will be double weighted in secondary school performance measures
from 2016.
• A revised subject content.
– Subject content is fixed for all awarding bodies by DfE, published and available
to download from www.gov.uk.
Weightings of Each Content Area
Number
Algebra
Ratio, proportion
and rates of change
Geometry and
measures
Probability
Statistics
Foundation tier
25%
20%
Higher tier
15%
30%
25%
20%
15%
20%
15%
15%
Subject content introduced in the new GCSE at both
Foundation and Higher tier includes:
• know the exact values of sinθ and cosθ for θ = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°;
know the exact value of tanθ for θ = 0°, 30°, 45° and 60°
• use inequality notation to specify simple error intervals due to truncation or
rounding
• change freely between related standard units (eg time, length, area,
volume/capacity, mass) and compound units (eg speed, rates of pay, prices,
density, pressure) in algebraic contexts
• Venn diagrams
• work with percentages greater than 100%
• identify turning points of quadratic functions graphically
Subject content introduced in the new GCSE at Higher
tier only includes:
• recognise and use the equation of a circle with centre at the origin; find the
equation of a tangent to a circle at a given point
• find approximate solutions to equations numerically using iteration
• interpret the gradient at a point on a curve as the instantaneous rate of
change; apply the concepts of average and instantaneous rate of change
(gradients of chords and tangents) in numerical, algebraic and graphical
contexts
• deduce turning points of quadratic functions by completing the square
• set notation
Previously Higher tier content now included at
Foundation tier includes:
• trigonometric ratios
• calculate with and interpret standard form (A x 10n), where 1 ≤ A < 10 and n
is an integer
• apply addition and subtraction of vectors, multiplication of vectors by a
scalar, and diagrammatic and column representations of vectors
• factorising quadratic expressions of the form x2 + bx + c, including the
difference of two squares
• using y = mx + c to work with straight lines on graphs
• Pythagoras’ theorem
Formulae required
at the Foundation
tier that are not to
be provided on a
formula sheet
include:
Formulae required
at the Higher tier
that are not to be
provided on a
formula sheet
include:
a2 = b2 + c 2
• trigonometric ratios
o
a
o
sinθ = , cosθ = , tanθ =
h
h
a
• area of a trapezium
1
(a+ b )h
2
• volume of a prism
(area of cross section) × length
• the quadratic
formula
• the sine rule
• the cosine rule
• area of a triangle
AO1
Previously - Recall and use their knowledge of the prescribed content (45-55%)
From 2015 -
AO2
Previously - Select and apply mathematical methods in a range of contexts (25-35 %)
From 2015 -
AO3
Previously - Interpret and analyse problems and generate strategies to solve them (15-25%)
From 2015 -
The new OCR J560 GCSE in mathematics
•
A simple assessment model
– 3 papers at each tier, all equal length and mark allocations
– Subject content and AO weightings are equal across the papers at each tier.
100 marks
100 marks
100 marks
100 marks
100 marks
100 marks
The new OCR J560 GCSE in mathematics
•
Professional language modifiers review all OCR GCSE maths papers and attend setting
meetings to ensure that wording used is as clear and simple as possible for students.
•
Contexts used are kept succinct, without excess wording.
•
All OCR GCSE maths papers begin with the simpler questions targeting the lower
grades at each tier, before moving on and building steadily through the paper to
questions targeting the upper grades at each tier, developing candidate’s confidence as
they go.
The new OCR J560 GCSE in mathematics
•
A syllabus developed by teachers specifically for teachers, laying out the required
content clearly in terms of both topic area and difficulty, facilitating candidates’
progression through the content.
Example Question – AO2/3 Problem
Solving: Foundation
Example Question – Using Formulae:
Higher
Example Question – Method Marks:
Foundation
Example Question – Venn Diagrams:
Foundation
Resources & Support
GCSE Maths
What can OCR support you with?
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•
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•
•
Teaching & learning resources
Assessment preparation resources
A well supported community
New functionality online
CPD Training &
Development
Check In Tasks
Check In Task
Transition Guides
Transition Guide
Transition Guides
Transition Guide
Delivery Guides
Delivery Guide
Delivery Guides
Delivery Guide
Specification Mapping
Mapping Document
Preparation – Scheme of Work
• Build your own tests using a mix of real exam questions
• Filter questions by topic, tier, unit, year…
• Access mark schemes and Examiner comments for each
question in your test
• Create teaching groups, year groups or any other
combination to make assignment easier
• Create reports for individuals or whole teaching groups
Practice Paper Service
From April 2016 the standard service will feature:
• Secure practice papers produced to the same standards as
official GCSE papers
• Well presented, easy to interpret mark schemes & examiner’s
commentary
• Sample answers with Examiner’s commentary
The enhanced service will feature:
• Chief Examiner’s Standardisation
Webinars
A free online results analysis service to help you
review exam performance:
• Review reports on individual candidate performance, cohorts
of students and whole centres
• Analyse results at question/topic level
• Compare your centre with OCR national averages or similar
OCR centres
Publisher Resources
Skills Guides
Skills Guides
CPD HUB
2015 CPD courses for GCSE maths (J560)
• Planning for the new GCSE
• Developing resources for the new GCSE
• Approaching problem solving in GCSE
Community Support
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eCommunities
Subject specialists
Local teams in your area
Consultative Forums
Educator Networks
Total Maths
Why OCR for Maths?
• Clear layout of specifications – Broken down the content into
topics and subtopics – setting out content for Foundation &
Higher Tier on the same page
• Extra time spent on ensuring clarity in our questioning – OCR
have used professional language modifiers to review all papers
ensure that our questions are laid out in the clearest way
possible for students.
• Dedicated support – our Maths team are available to support
schools and colleges directly day in day out and have built a
wonderful emporium of resources all available free instantly
online
Our take on
Core Maths
What is Maths?
Post-16 Maths participation
At the moment 40 per cent of students (around 250,000 each
year in total) achieve a grade C or above at GCSE but do not
progress in maths beyond age 16.
Among them are:
• students taking level 3 courses;
• students who are preparing for HE;
• students who need to continue with some mathematics because they
intend at some stage to enter a teacher training or health
professional training course;
• students who do not intend to continue in full-time education and
will be moving on to do apprenticeships or straight into employment.
Requirements for Core Maths
• Designed for post 16 students who achieved
grade C or above in GCSE
• 180 Guided Learning Hours (GLH) (cannot be AS)
• Must be graded using a minimum of four grades
• First teaching in September 2015 (‘early adopters’
started in September 2014)
• Minimum of 80% external assessment
No set content
How to choose the content?
OUR QUALIFICATIONS
UCAS POINTS
A
B
C
D
E
60
50
40
30
20
Accredited by Ofqual
Approved by the DfE as part of
performance tables from 2017
Critical Maths
Introduction to
Quantitative
Reasoning
Statistical
Problem
Solving
=
Quantitative
Reasoning H866
=
Quantitative
Problem Solving
H867
OUR QUALIFICATIONS
Introduction to
Quantitative Reasoning
Critical Maths
Features of this component:
Features of this component:
Modelling
Statistics
Finance
Working with graphs and
gradients
Working with exponentials
Risk
Estimation
Strategies
Communicating and
reflecting on solutions to
problems
Quantitative
understanding of the
world
Fermi estimation
Fallacies
Statistical experiments
Conditional probability
Statistical Problem
Solving
Features of this component:
Problem analysis
Data collection
Process and presentation
of data
The Normal distribution
Hypothesis testing
Reporting and
interpretation
OCR Core Maths
Critical Mathematics
=
Quantitative
Reasoning
H866
=
Quantitative
Problem
Solving
H867
50% weighting
2 hours
Introduction to Quantitative
Reasoning
50% weighting
60 marks
Examination at the end of the
course with pre-release material
2 hours
72 marks
Examination at the end of the
course with pre-release material
Statistical Problem Solving
50% weighting
2 hours
60 marks
Examination at the end of the
course with pre-release material
(data)
Developing transferable skills
Biology:
Physics:
• microorganisms in a culture
• human population
• temperature
• radioactive nuclei
Exponential
growth and decay
Economics:
economical growth
Finance:
• compound interest
• investments and savings
Business:
profit and loss
What is problem solving?
Do you think this much water
could really be saved?
OCR Website
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Quantitative Problem Solving
 Specification
 Sample Assessment Material
 Teaching and Learning Resources
 Schemes of work
 Resources per content
 Teacher guides
Planning to teach
Planning to teach
Planning to teach
MEI Website
•Large resource package developed by MEI
 FREE resources – online subscription
 Access through a secure website – Integral
 Students logins which helps tracking their progress
 Forum to share and network
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Teacher notes
Power Points
Lesson plans
Games
Worksheets
Tests
MEI Resources
MEI Resources
MEI Resources
MEI Resources
MEI Resources
Resources and support
Support from OCR and MEI
Access to Subject Specialists
Masterclasses and roadshows
Videos explaining our offer around Core Maths
Videos of Core Maths lessons
Network events
Two-day course: Starting to Teach Core Maths
MEI Conference