Why is GCSE Maths changing?

In 2004 the Smith Report identified ‘a crisis in the teaching and learning of Mathematics in England’ and found that the current GCSE Maths curriculum and qualifications framework:

• fails to meet the mathematical needs of learners
• fails to fulfil the expectations of higher education and employers
• fails to motivate sufficient numbers of young people to continue with Maths study post-16.

In 2008 Ofsted confirmed the need for change

‘The fundamental issue for teachers is how better to develop pupils’ mathematical understanding. Too often, pupils are expected to remember methods, rules and facts without grasping the underpinning concepts… Pupils rarely investigate open-ended problems, which might offer them opportunities to choose which approach to adopt or to reason and generalise.’

‘The lack of development of “using and applying mathematics” is a prime reason why pupils’ understanding of mathematics lags behind their proficiency in executing techniques and recalling facts.’
Mathematics: understanding the score, Ofsted, 2008

Teachers feel frustrated by the current GCSE Maths

One of the big problems was that it was so open to pupils being taught to jump through hoops, and so they weren’t really having to learn Maths, they were just learning how to pass exams.

Leanne Williams, Subject Leader: Maths, Vyners School, Uxbridge

You end up teaching a very tight set of skills, when what you want to do is work on more open problems with them.

Tracy Helliwell, Head of Maths, Kingsfield School

2010 – a new era for GCSE Maths

A radically new curriculum and assessment framework has been developed to address these concerns and increase the chance of every student to achieve a level of competency and success.