Increasing numbers of pupils are being entered early for maths GCSE, BBC News Education reports, but should this really be viewed as progress?

According to the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME), in 2008 4.5% of pupils aged 15 or under were entered for it but this figure had more than doubled by 2010 to 10.9%. This is often driven by the desire of schools to boost their performance in the league tables – not a healthy policy in itself and often detrimental to the best interests of the children. 

It means that young people stop studying maths at the end of year 10 which is not a healthy trend. According to the report by ACME, all students should continue maths right up until the end of Key Stage 4. It’s worth remembering that diplomas such as the International Baccalaureate, follow the pattern of exams sat on the continent, with all students taking maths right up until the age of 18, choosing whether they take it at higher level, standard level or take the more straightforward mathematical studies.

Surely continuing maths as long as possible hones skills for the long term and a good grasp of maths may be invaluable in the workplace. Therefore early entries at GCSE should be discouraged, unless students are a) definitely A* material and b) set on taking maths at A-level, at which point they are usually offered ‘additional maths’ or GCSE statistics in year 11 to prepare them for A-level maths.

Fiona Holmer works on the BBC Parents Blog.

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