GCSE chemistry and physics - any teachers around please?

[Celeriacacaca]

DS isn't doing well in chemistry or physics and it's dragging down the good results he's getting in biology. I've asked him which bits he's struggling with but he just says all of it! I'm helping him for an hour a day to do revision and he wants me to help him with these subjects. He has ADD so his notes aren't great so I am thinking an online resource. He's doing OCR Gateway combined. BBC Bitesize doesn't seem to have much on it for that board. Can anyone recommend where to start please?

CGP Guides are pretty good, if you like the format. Can be found on amazon or WHSmith or Waterstones.

Make sure he goes to any extra sessions. These are often very small groups, in mine there were four students, the teacher and a trainee last week.

YouTube is great. Get that C in your GCSE has good clear explanations. Ameeoba sisters is bright.

I really like thoughtco.com DS's physics and chemistry teacher recommended it. They have good explanations followed by worksheets (with answers). this page is one example explaining balancing chemical equations

We didn't use any notes from class for DD1 (under the old spec), we used the (CGP?) revision guide for her exam board, which we got cheap through school. Had all necessary and sufficient information.

Save My Exams www.savemyexams.co.uk has exam papers sorted by topics. It was such an amazing way to focus in on topics that my son needed to work on and to hone answers to make sure he was hitting the marks on the mark scheme.

Combine that with topic videos on You Tube from:

Freesciencelessons
Science with Hazel
Primrose Kitten

With the chemistry I would check he knows the basics of the code - ie what the formulas mean- how many of each atom is in a chemical, the difference between the dangling numbers, the big numbers and what’s going on with brackets. I’m always surprised how many pupils can get to year 10/ 11 and have missed these bits- it makes the whole of chemistry very confusing otherwise. Similarly does he know what a sulfate/ carbonate/ nitrate group is- can he recognise them in a formula? Could he name MgO or LiOH and tell you which atoms are in them? Does he understand that in chemistry atoms are just rearranged like a huge Lego box and they aren’t made or destroyed in reactions? It would be worth looking at the basics of the periodic table again and what atoms are made of, what the atomic / mass numbers are, why they bother to react in the first place ( there is an overlap with atomic structure in physics so it’s worth knowing really well) . If his core knowledge is fine it will be exam technique and for that there is no substitute for just lots of practice - crucially with answers so you can see what the examiners need.

Physics is probably equation based issues . We do Aqa for which they have to learn about 20 equations off by heart to access the paper. Ditto all the units. They they have to be able to rearrange equations - so I would start by finding out what equations and units he needs to know and then check he can apply them.

I’m personally biased towards paper revision guides- that might be my age but I think they are easier to read and to navigate and you can tick off sections as you go and stop the feeling of panic and being overwhelmed. Combine that with video clips. (The free science lessons ones appear to be presented by the undead, but he is very clear if excruciatingly dull and only safe in short doses.) I would email his teachers and ask what books they recommend. They could well have put lots of revision material on the school site that maybe he’s missed. You helping him organise himself and break down the topics will be so useful.

Thanks all - so so helpful. I didn't have a clue how/where to start!

Cathpot, I agree re paper revision guides. DS can't use online as he gets fixated on the online distractions at the expense of the homework/revision so paper works best for us.

Thank you all again.