Maths

Exam board and specification

Pearson  Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1)  in Mathematics (1MA1)

Scheme of assessment

The GCSE maths paper has 2 tiers of entry: foundation and higher.  Foundation tier is awarded grades 1 to 5, and higher tier grades 3 to 9.  Content is split into 3 categories: solely on foundation, solely on higher, and that on both tiers, known as “cross over” content. 

For both tiers there are 3 maths papers.  Paper 1 is non-calculator, Papers 2 and 3 are with a calculator.  Any of the content on the GCSE specification can be tested on any paper, i.e. topics are not predetermined for each paper.  All 3 papers are intended to be of the same difficulty, with an increasing level of difficulty going through each paper.

Each paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes, with 80 marks available.  The overall grade is decided by the total score out of 3 papers, and not by individual paper mark.  Marks are awarded for correct answers, but the majority of the marks can be gained through having the correct method or process, hence, it is imperative that pupils “show their working”!

Lesson time and grouping

Pupils are taught for 6 hours (Y10)/ 8 hours (Y11) per fortnight.  Pupils are in groups reflecting their pathway: Higher, cross over or foundation.

Homework

Set once per week on Dr Frost, focussing on practice of the key skills learnt that week. In Y11 more past paper work is added on a weekly basis.

Assessment during the course

Assessment fits into two broad categories: understanding of the content, then performance against the GCSE standard. Class assessment, unit tests and Dr Frost provide vital information about what has been understood through learning. Formal GCSE mocks in school and the past paper homework provide feedback on how this has impacted on GCSE level performance. 

Useful curriculum links / revision guides

https://www.drfrost.org/  This is our homework platform, but it also has all the skills, videos and questions pupils might need. The course overview is loaded in, with progress data, so a great place to see how well a pupil is doing and what is coming up next

https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/  A brilliant revision resource. Very easy to navigate, with lots of past papers by topic and grade.

https://corbettmaths.com/  Corbett 5 a day is an excellent resource for that little and often practice.

Additional information (e.g. trips)

The maths GCSE content is very wide and deep, no pre information is given on the content and questions can often be made difficult to access.  This to many pupils, even ones doing well, can be overwhelming and a bit of shock just how much they need to recall and be able to do.  For this reason, at KS4, Maths Club twice a week allows pupils to focus on GCSE past paper work.  It is highly advised to start attending in Y10!

Below is the indicative pathway for most pupils; however, individual pathways are tailored. Dr Frost has the complete and detailed overview of the relevant pathway.