Popped them an email, don't know if it's been changed as I haven't looked since...

I found one that had the mark scheme to the original question (rather than the shadow question) - probably just a copy/paste error when editing it

Discovering the 2025 "student friendly" mark schemes and worked papers on AQA All About Maths has cheered me up this afternoon 🥳 Will make going through the mock much easier #ALevelMaths #MathsToday

They were the last time I checked, but it's a bit obscure to get to.
You need to log in to Centre Services (not MyAQA, which is different for some reason) Then go to Services, then All About Maths (under Products) then AS and A Level, then Past Papers...

I suspect there's also a tiny amount of fear of accountability, too. If we didn't have a culture of "poor results are the fault of the teacher/school" then perhaps institutions would be more open to giving students a chance. Also, not having the time/resources to support students who need more help.

Yep, I had students in that position who went both ways last year. I'm not sure there's a definitive way to separate the two types (but our job would be a lot easier if there were!)

It's often not the baseline test that catches those students out, as it's based on GCSE skills which they can do. It's the first assessment/mock exam that covers new content, when they realise they actually need to put in some effort.

The first big assessment is often a wake up call for students who have never had to work hard at maths before, when they suddenly realise that now have to!

There will, however, be students who realise in the first few weeks they have picked the wrong course for them, and are much happier when they switch to a different one. I think those early conversations are important, but need to be supportive (ie if you choose to continue, we will help you)

Yes, mainly practice questions. Also some boxes with spaces to write down formulae (eg, "The variance of a continuous random variable can be found using...") just before said formula will be needed.

Ah, I'm making mine this year, but hoping I'll get a few years of use out of them before the spec inevitably changes!

Yes, I think you're right. Also the sense of "this booklet has been made specifically for this purpose, so it will be more helpful than a general purpose textbook page" (even though the questions in the booklet are often taken from places like Integral!)

I'm still haunted by overhearing a student telling their friend to listen to a song they had recently discovered. "It's kind of retro, but I think you'll like it".

It was American Idiot, by Green Day 😅

Yes! I have a folder in the classroom where students keep the booklets to complete in their extra lessons, then when they've completed one they can take it home. Just keeps everything nicely together, gives a sense of purpose, and there is a definite sense of having finished something at the end.

I'm leaning into booklets for A Level Further Maths this year. Not for lessons as such, but for intervention (eg students working through support booklets whilst sitting in extra lessons) and for revision of previous topics. I like the way an empty box invites an answer #ALevelMaths #MathsToday

They're always going to be self-selecting (for any subject) because no subjects are compulsory at A Level.
I daresay there may be students with 6s who could have done well at A Level, but if they haven't chosen it then that's a sign they may not be interested in it (which is never good for results!)

I've looked a bit at the subjects our further maths students take alongside maths, and anecdotally there seems to be a correlation where doing something like Physics or Comp Sci is a good indicator that they'll do well. Surprisingly, Economics wasn't that great an indicator.

...than, for example, maths, history, art, for students who may struggle with the maths.

Agree that the 5s are a small proportion and we need to be very careful with selection of those, but there are a fairly significant number of 6s that do well.
Looking at which other subjects they are studying might be helpful - for example, maths, chemistry, physics is a more accessible combination

In making A Levels more "rigorous", Michael Gove essentially blocked a lot of students from gaining qualifications that could have been a good programme for them.

This was much less of a problem when we still had a proper system of AS levels that wasn't decoupled from A2.

I realise this is a rhetorical question, but I'm not 🙋‍♀️

I suspect with some schools with high entry criteria, they don't want inconvenient results on their advertising banners and social media posts. 100%A*-B looks good on a poster.

It can depend on the school. We get students from over 40 different secondary schools, and a 6 from one can be different to a 6 from another.
Or sometimes they just didn't do as well as they were expected to, or were capable of.

Yes, that is how percentages work. 30% is quite a high proportion to dismiss outright, though.

I've taught students in the past who have done well from a 6 at GCSE. I've also taught students with 8/9 at GCSE who greatly underachieved. A lot of it is down to work ethic.

Where did the post say the student had a D or E at A Level? The graph clearly shows that 30% of students with a 6 at GCSE get a C or above at A Level.

Depends where the degree is from, surely?
They're probably not going to Oxbridge, but there are more accessible maths courses.

d) Put a KitKat in everyone's pigeonholes and tell them to find time for a chat, because mental health (obviously fitting said chat around teaching, meetings, revision sessions, lunchtime support,...)

When I first started teaching, some of the sixth formers used to drive to a local frozen food shop, buy a load of ice creams in bulk, and sell them on to the younger year groups at a highly inflated price 😅

Fried nuggets and steamed sponges off menu in school food overhaul in England Campaigners welcome first update of school food standards in 13 years, which aims to help lower obesity rates

Feeling weirdly nostalgic for curly fries, curry sauce and cheese, with welly fudge and pink custard, washed down with an artificially flavoured cup drink 😅 (which cost about £1 in total)

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Instinctively I knew 8 x 6 would be dark. I still have to convert it to 6 x 8 in my head before I know the answer 😅