How to move from 2 to a 5 foundation maths GCSE?

She waited the year and really knuckled down. Took the paper in June. Her motivation was the difference.

My DS went from a 3 to a 5. My DS has SEN and an EHCP. He has always struggled with maths and even now he still doesn't know his times tables - we've given up at this stage! Interestingly, like your DS, mine is much better at science which no one at this school can understand. I guess it's just the way some brains work?

Past papers are your friend. Be prepared to spend a fortune on printer ink!

You may already know this but if not, DC sit 3 maths papers: 2 calculator and 1 non-calculator. You can download and print off past papers from many years back also the mark schemes. They are free. You can get them on either the Edexcel site or somewhere like 'Save My Exams'.

What my DS's tutor did was get my DS to do a past paper as homework then they'd go through it in the session. I can only speak for Foundation but he will learn that the same type of questions come up every year eg - 'Bob needs to buy wallpaper/carpet for a room etc'. Repetition is the key.

I also second Hannah Kettle. She uses the same method ie doing a past paper then watching the video to go through the answers.

As an aside, please do make sure your DS has plan A, B and C for post 16. As others have said, you can apply and hold offers for several settings. Does your DS know what subjects he'd like to study post-16? Has he started going to Open Days? Where I am, a student needs at least a 6 in the subject they want to take. They may also need say a 6 in maths/English. All this will be available on the setting's website though.

It's very encouraging that your DS is willing and prepared to put the work in - that can make all the difference. Good luck to him!

Fi d Hannah Kettle on YouTube and TikTok

Follow her and join all the lives.
She has broken down Foundation into modules on her page. Print off the sheets For that. He watches the video and does the first sheet with it, then the second independently and marks it with the video

Do that with him. As in sit with him and do the maths too. You should get an idea of how capable he is from that

I would recommend doing past papers and getting real feedback on his errors - get him to analyse whether they are calculation errors or procedural. There are lots of websites with practice papers. DM I am happy to mark and give feedback on any work they do. It is achievable if they are willing to work hard and think about what they are doing. In my experience it takes a real shift in attitude- from this is impossible- to I am willing to work through the pain to achieve this.
Good life experience also - if they can do this they can do anything!

Hi, I agree with others please look into back ups, around where we live you will not get on to A levels or other level 3 courses if you have not passed English and/or maths at grade 4 as there is not enough time table space to do. Re take along side the course. You need to take a lower level course first and then higher course year later once you pass. What subject does he want to take at sixth form ? If it’s a subject he is taking at GCSE is he on track to get a 5. Or higher in that

Sparx maths is good for practice

You need a tutor to understand where the gaps are in his knowledge.

He might be missing some very basic.building blocks and it all.falls.dien from there.

Slightly different but in COVID I realised my turn 6 years old was struggling as she's misheard 60, 70,80 and 90 as 16,.17,18, 19.

She was in such muddle. Once we figured that out she could then move on.

Tutor twice a week and practice practice practice.

what grade is he looking at for science? If he is capable of 5 or above in science then he can definitely pull his maths up, he just needs to learn the content. Does he have the revision guide for maths? If not, I would get the foundation guide for the correct exam board and go through it with him. As you go through it look up explanation videos online to help him understand - Bitesize is great for breaking it all down and simplifying.

It is possible to go from a 2-5 at resit if they really commit. My dd started studying every night and managed a 5 having previously got a 2.

Yes you can apply for different options at sixth form and it is also common to change mind after GCSE results (or have mind changed for you as sixth form says no you cannot do X with those results)

The whole college / sixthform thing. You need to look at the open days round you, and go speak to them. For us, you absolutely can do A levels at sixth form college. I know other areas are different

But id seriously consider a back up plan incase a grade 5 maths doesn't happen. You can hold several 16-18 offers until August. So why not get an offer with his ideal subjects, plus a back up incase the maths doesn't work out.

Resitting English and Maths GCSE are offered alongside A-levels or BTECs, his sixth form might even offer it.

We have students doing A-levels or BTECs at my school sixth form who are also resitting one or the other (we don't take students who need to resit both because of timetabling).

What does he want the 5 for?

30 mins a day could be highly effective or it could be a complete waste of time depending on what he's doing. I'd get the tutor to assess what his weak areas are and then set homework/come up with a plan for that time rather than just trying to do random stuff.

Whether this is likely or not is entirely dependent on the reason he is currently at a grade 2. A grade 5 is most likely unachievable.

For grade 4:

Is he reasonably bright and has just arsed around through school, or not attended lessons? In which case, he may be able to catch up if he pulls his finger out, does maths every day (see the corbettmaths website for resources) as well as having the tutor, working hard in lessons and doing all assigned homework.

If, however, the 2 represents his genuine best effort so far, he has been attending school, doing the work and trying, then it seems likely there is some SEND involved which will mean that catching up will be extremely difficult given the short amount of time left till exams. However, he will have resit opportunities so next June isn't the end of it.