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

What grades is he looking at for other GCSEs? 6+ or 4-5s?

If he has to resit then

• resits for Maths & Eng Lang are in early November and then the following summer
• some places may allow Level 3 courses (A level, BTEc or T-Level) with one resit, others may require a year at Level 2 whilst resitting alongside
• as stated above resit success rate is not great, though of course it depends on the reason for the low grade first time around and the motivation of the student

Also not that just because a school lets students do A levels with grade profile 5-6, it doesn't necessarily mean it is a good idea.

Ex-tutor here. 2 to 4 is doable with a good tutor and a committed student.

Hi @Thebestthingsinlife you have had some really good advice here on how your DS can progress so I won't add to that.

I would agree with the PP who said you or other family members can probably support as well – the maths required for F level GCSE is probably within your knowledge and ability. You need to find what he is struggling with and focus on those questions. The papers don't vary that much from year to year.

You have asked about post-16 – certainly some sixth forms in schools will allow resits alongside A levels. Most sixth-form colleges (so separate institutions that go from age 16, in case you are not aware) will allow resits as well. Many will allow three A levels or Btec equivalents to be studied alongside the resit.

Can I ask what subjects he is hoping to take? And what grades he is looking at in those at GCSE? As a PP says, just bc schools will allow a YP to take A level biology or English lit (or whatever) with a GCSE grade 5, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Go to some open days and look at other options which may suit better, including Btecs and T levels.

That all sounds great. I would still encourage starting from scratch with him with the curriculum - but not teaching him, get him to teach you. If that means learning it from YT or whatever first that’s ok. Can DC1 do some distance learning with him once or twice a week for extra support? It’s like driving - one lesson a week with an expert is great but daily practice is vital.

Also bring basic maths into everything. Long addition, subtraction, fractions, decimals, percentages. Look up the key facts for each year and drill them. Angle rules, shapes etc. This is repetition more than anything and doesn’t take an expert. Flash cards are good here

Why is DC at a 2?
Who thinks they are capable of a 5?
Why is it thought that they are capable of a 5?

If they are just very slow to take in maths for some reason, then massively over learning putting lots of hours in outside school and possibly having 2 or 3 hours with a maths tutor each week might do it. However it's a lot of information that isn't in their brain and needs to be. It will require a lot of work and will need them to be really committed.

How do they find the papers? Do they just fall apart/set things out wrong/misunderstand questions, rather than not getting the maths? In this case lots of test practice both under and not under timed conditions may help.

If they really don't have that aptitude for maths, then it maybe that they are not cut out for things that require a high maths grade? I would recommend maybe talking to their teacher first and seeing if they can shed any light on why they are only getting 2s.

My child went from 3 to strong 5 in a year to gcse. Weekly tutor and lots of revision and past papers. Their motivation was to never have to sit a maths exam ever again. It worked. Good luck.

the issue with mine was that when he was stuck or didn’t understand, he was too embarrassed to ask the teacher in front of the other kids. Having the tutor got round this and could ask in a safe environment without fear of being laughed at.

https://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/secondary-books/gcse/maths/mxfs42-gcse-maths-edexcel-complete-revision?_gl=111nkau6_upMQ.._gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjwlY3WBhANEiwApsNrLQGgxeiRN29FqCuqlt6v3lpbESvrYFtGehg7Y1Y7JaYpJjh1baHxwxoCz1EQAvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAADuMZW297gfYcg5_WWL90ffDjwOVF

these ones are good. They basically contain everything he needs to know for foundation maths. He probably needs to cover and understand more of the content before revision, but my DS found it very useful to have an overview of everything he needed to know.

It is definitely possible to go from a 2 to a 5 in a year for maths. However, the motivation has the come from your ds.
I have seen learners regain new confidence and suddenly put in the effort. Just this year, I had one go from a single figure score in his mocks to a grade 5 in the exam.

A good face to face tutor is probably what your ds needs, but he will also need to do a bit of self study outside, practise past papers and check them so that he gains as many marks as possible and not lose any through silly mistakes.

Someone mentioned Mathmo. He does have some good exam tips and calculator hacks, but I find him very scathing of the teaching profession on his SM which would put me off as a parent.

What is he predicted in his other subjects and which A levels does he want to do?

Can older DS help via video call?

@Thebestthingsinlife I and others have also asked these questions. You can answer the posts you choose for sure, but it could genuinely help your DS if you say. You did not do English qualifications so you may not be aware of what is involved in A levels; lots of PPs here have some good experience and knowledge.

Now is the time to apply to any sixth form setting that might be of interest, and it's a good idea to have a Plan B and C, which might mean Btecs or a T level instead of A levels. There's certainly no harm in having something in hand (he can hold places at multiple school sixth form and college settings).

I think you should seriously look into BTECs and T-Levels.

Yeh psychology A level with a possible grade below 4 in maths GCSE is probably not the best idea. There's a good deal of maths/stats – no you don't need maths A level but you need a decent grasp of the subject.

And science A levels with 5s in science GCSEs would not be a good idea either – unlikely to be a positive experience for your DS. I agree, look at colleges and alternatives to A levels.

Since he learns by visual repetition, I'd lean toward short videos plus redoing the same questions a few days later over more reading. Ask the tutor to name his two or three weakest topics and set one tiny targeted task a day on just those, rather than general revision. And you can mark his work yourself: GCSE mark schemes are all public, so sit with the worked answers and see exactly where he loses marks. That tells you fast whether the daily work is actually sticking. On the 4 vs 5: a 4 is a pass and unlocks sixth form, so I'd aim there first and keep pushing after.

Resitting is to be avoided IMO where possible. I used to see pupils resitting, doing very little differently to achieve a higher grade. They did not get much teaching time either. Attendance at this was sporadic too.

I would be considering carefully if he is capable of doing A levels. They’re not the right path for everyone.

43% don't fail maths GCSE.

To start with, a grade 1-3 is not a fail, it is a level 1 GCSE pass. It's a good achievement for some students.

And OK, if I am splitting hairs there, the figure for those who get below a grade 4 is actually 29%. So less than a third. If you think about it, there would be little or no point in a qual that every 16yo can gain at a specific level. That's the idea of GCSEs – most students will get some level of qualification. If everyone got a grade 4+ then the grade 4 would have no value to employers or further ed settings.