Experienced H5N1 degree teachers know that every yr at that topographic point are many students who notice the transition from GCSE to H5N1 degree really challenging indeed. It's heartbreaking when a hardworking educatee struggles amongst H5N1 degree maths because they convey gaps inwards their underlying knowledge. I'm ever wondering if there's anything nosotros could produce differently inwards the commencement few weeks of Year 12.
Will the novel GCSE help?
I don't retrieve that GCSE 9-1 has done much to lessen the gap betwixt GCSE in addition to H5N1 level. I previously thought that all the extra maths lessons would brand a big difference. But the extra fourth dimension inwards the classroom has non been spent improving fluency inwards algebra in addition to tackling primal misconceptions - instead nosotros convey had to pass the extra fourth dimension educational activity all the novel topics that were added to GCSE - quadratic sequences, functions, iteration, Venns, frequency trees in addition to then on.
Perhaps I should hold off until later on GCSE results solar daytime to nation this, but I convey a feeling that a educatee volition live on able to acquire a Grade half dozen amongst pretty misfortunate algebra skills. At my school, the entry criteria for H5N1 degree maths is a Grade 6.
If you're wondering how on public it's possible to acquire a Grade half dozen amongst misfortunate algebra skills, I'll explain... There's a actually broad hit of topics inwards maths GCSE. H5N1 educatee mightiness convey memorised how to notice a hateful from grouped data. They mightiness convey memorised index laws. They mightiness live on practiced at Pythagoras, probability trees in addition to scatter graphs. They mightiness alternative upwards a lot of marks on best purchase questions... But at the same fourth dimension every bit picking upwards marks inwards all these random topics, they could write a charge of algebraic nonsense inwards their exam. They mightiness brand primal algebraic errors when expanding brackets, or solving a elementary equation, in addition to it's yet possible to acquire a decent grade - perchance a Grade 6.
These students mightiness pick out to produce maths at H5N1 level, fifty-fifty though their algebra skills are such that they volition acquire totally lost inwards the really commencement lessons of Year 12. We ask to assist these students grab upwards from solar daytime one.
Previous attempts
The Bridging The Gap Test that my schoolhouse used inwards September 2016 was an hr long in addition to tested a broad hit of GCSE topics including algebraic fractions, linear graphs, surds in addition to solving quadratic equations. The average examine score was 79% for 95 students, amongst marks ranging from 50% to 100%.
The correlation betwixt the September Bridging the Gap Test scores in addition to Feb C1 Mock scores was positive, but it wasn't especially strong. This either tells us that our early on intervention was somewhat effective (there were students who did badly inwards the Bridging The Gap Test but did fairly good inwards the C1 Mock), or it tells us that the Bridging the Gap Test results were non a practiced predictor of hereafter performance.
A novel entry assessment
I've written a new entry assessment that hopefully pinpoints exactly where the gaps lie, to let for highly targeted intervention. You tin flame download it from TES here. This examine is:
- short (because nosotros are really pressed for fourth dimension inwards Year 12 adjacent year)
- print-budget friendly (only i side of A4)
- very quick in addition to tardily to mark
- highly specific
This xv infinitesimal examine is intended to live on issued inwards the commencement maths lessons of the year. Its purpose is to position the students who ask immediate intervention, in addition to to position which specific skills they ask to live on taught inwards gild to access the basics of H5N1 degree maths.
This examine is non intended to challenge the brightest students at all. To them it's only a quick in addition to elementary refresher. The content of the assessment is straightforward, inwards fact it's to a greater extent than frequently than non Key Stage three stuff. This shouldn't live on necessary, but it is. I don't desire to patronise my novel H5N1 degree students then I volition emphasise the expectation that every educatee should acquire total marks. Students amongst a Grade half dozen or higher inwards their maths GCSE should easily live on able to score 100% on this test, shouldn't they...? Hmm, nosotros shall see.
If you're looking for a longer or to a greater extent than challenging baseline assessment for H5N1 level, Edexcel has a i hr assessment here. They convey i for Further Maths classes also - this is a neat agency of assessing suitability for Further Maths.
If you're looking for a longer or to a greater extent than challenging baseline assessment for H5N1 level, Edexcel has a i hr assessment here. They convey i for Further Maths classes also - this is a neat agency of assessing suitability for Further Maths.
A novel approach to intervention
Testing in addition to intervention needs to live on immediate, allowing a educatee to alter course of report if required. If a educatee decides to alternative approximately other dependent land instead of maths, they must produce then inwards the commencement few days of Year 12 then they don't autumn behind inwards their novel subject. Some schools acquire out testing in addition to intervention until the 3rd calendar week of term. I retrieve that's also late.Using the entry assessment to select students for compulsory attendance, I volition run 5 split upwards intervention sessions inside the commencement 2 weeks of Year 12. These volition live on on simplifying, expanding, factorising, solving in addition to number (basic roots in addition to indices, negatives, in addition to the gild of operations). The sessions volition involve specific teaching, practise in addition to a homework describe on Hegarty Maths.
Once the initial 2 calendar week intervention catamenia is over, we'll run the park later on schoolhouse assist clinics all yr round. The query is, how produce nosotros effectively back upwards those students who actually combat throughout the 2 yr course? How produce nosotros avoid the Us? How produce nosotros encourage the correct piece of job ethic? I'd honey to listen what your schoolhouse is planning to do.
