Teaching GCSE Statistics is excellent for students to develop cross-curricular skills 

 
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Name Forest Gate Community Schools & Cumberland Community School
Type Secondary School
Location London Borough of Newham
Cohort GCSE Statistics cohort size: Over 200 students in both schools

Background

Both Forest Gate Community School and Cumberland Community School, as part of The Community Schools Trust, share the same curriculum for GCSE statistics. As a large trust, they have cohorts of over 200 in both schools. 

We spoke to Kevin John, Head of Statistics, who shared his experience with the specification; both schools having taught GCSE Statistics since reform in 2017, and at Forest Gate since 2012.

An excellent course with links to GCSE Maths content 

All our students take GCSE Statistics as we feel it's such an excellent course. It is our strongest bucket 3 subject and after analysis of results, it's clear there is a positive relationship between our GCSE Maths grades and GCSE Stats grades.

We start teaching in Year 9, and students are examined in Year 11. We have a weekly lesson for the statistics content but much overlaps with their GCSE Mathematics.

Our most successful strategy in delivering statistics is the knowledge organiser booklet that has been developed for each year group. 

Statistics helps students develop skills needed for other GCSE subjects 

Our students enjoy the cross-curricular links we can develop easily within this course; they can see the relationship with statistics and geography, science and computer science in particular. It has allowed students to access learning easily when dealing with data handling, analysis, and contextual interpretation of statistical diagrams in these lessons.  

Analysis of results shows a positive relationship between GCSE Maths grades and GCSE Statistics grades. 

GCSE Statistics is an excellent course for our students and our school. Not only do they gain an extra GCSE, which is our strongest in bucket three, but students also gain advantages in their GCSE Maths exam as well as in other subjects and further study. When a pupil moves on to A Level Maths, their feedback is clear; GCSE Statistics has given them an excellent base for learning. 

The benefits to students and our school are huge, and we would encourage all schools to enable their students to take GCSE Statistics.