Closed petition Restore the option of an intermediate tier in GCSE maths for grades 4 to 7.

Closed on 6 November 2019

Maths teachers and tutors are increasingly finding it difficult to motivate children to learn maths when they are being entered for exams where they can score 20% and that is regarded as a success. The higher tier exam contains material aimed at grade 8+ which is beyond the capabilities of many.

How can it be regarded as a success to lose 80% of the marks in an exam? This is what happens when students pass their maths GCSE with a grade 4. They have wasted time trying to understand maths that is way beyond their abilities and have consequently developed negative attitudes towards maths. An intermediate tier would enable these people to work at a more appropriate level and gain a greater understanding of maths. The positive effects of achieving genuine success could raise standards.