GCSE maths online resources for factorising

[LetTheCakeCool]

DD (Y10) has just been bumped up to top set maths and is struggling a little with the pace compared to last year. She is managing the work but just not as quick as the really bright kids in her class and it is starting to stress her out.

She already has a revision guide and will work on the school recommended maths site (Dr Frost) but she is keen to do more practice on factors than is in her books. Can anyone recommend any websites please? Her teacher is helping her at school so DD is keen to show that she wants to learn in her own time as well

I'm a tutor. Gcse bitesize is good. Does the school have access to mymaths?

Are we talking factorizing numbers here, or factorizing algebraic expressions?

If she doesn't feel happy in the higher set after a few weeks, she could consider asking to be moved down again. She might not cover the grade 9 work, but better to be taught at a suitable pace than be rushed.

if she's talking about algebraic factoring (i.e., putting things 'back into brackets'), then one quite useful thing that she could do would be to make up her own questions by taking two things in brackets and multiplying them, and then later trying to factor them again. it really helps explain what happens in the process as why you are looking numbers that multiply to make the final term, and add to make the x-term, and how negative numbers affect things. And later, when there is a co-efficient in front of the x-squared term, she can see how that changes what happens to the numbers when you expand the brackets, and what you therefore have to consider when you're finding the factors to undo it.

If you mean factors of numbers, as in doing factor trees (useful for finding products of prime factors and using that to find LCM or HCF) or listing factors of numbers, then that's primarily basic arithmetic - knowing times tables, or understanding that it doesn't matter what order you divide something in (i.e., just because '6' goes evenly into something, it doesn't matter if you first divide it by 2, and then by 3). Getting good at halving numbers accurately helps. Also knowing the divisibility rules (i.e., even numbers can be divided by 2, numbers ending in 5 or 0, by 5, numbers whose digits add to a multiple of 3 can be divided by 3). Those basics will let her start dividing a large number down to where the factors might be more recognisable.
She can make up her own questions by choosing any number to express as a product of prime factors (needs to know the prime numbers - for this exercise, 2, 3, 5, and 7 are the most useful, sometimes 11 and 13), and any pairs of numbers to find HCF or LCM.

Dr Frost is great for practice. Depending on what you're doing (factorising algebraic expressions?), his key skills questions let you repeat a particular skill until you're happy.

Factorising Algebraic Expressions

She'll need to log on then select the skill she wants - she can watch an example video in some cases to make sure that's what she's thinking of.

The other videos I like are from Corbett Maths:

Factorising Algebraic Expressions

Factorising Simple Quadratics

Factorising Harder Quadratics

There are also worksheets and exam practice questions available on Corbett, with answers, but it is not self-marking.

This is all great advice thank you!

I'm on the app so hard to reply to people individually but to answer a few questions...

It's the algebraic equations that she's struggling with. She does have a Dr Frost log in through school so we will have another look at that. We didn't find much on bitesize.

We have talked about moving down a set but she desperately doesn't want to. She says it's so rushed because they are covering the GCSE syllabus this year then further maths next year. At least she is no longer worrying over trying to decide whether to do A level maths 😆

DS really liked this site. Some material is paid for, but pretty all the maths gcse stuff he used was free.
mathsmadeeasy.co.uk/gcse-maths-revision/

Just to update, DD came home beaming today after double maths After she followed a combination of the above sites and 1-2-1s with her lovely maths teacher, she got an A today in her weekly test, for the first time this academic year! She is so used to being an A student without having to actually try that it is lovely to see her so happy and proud of herself for putting the work in. She says thank you for the links as well.

It’s mid term reports next week so if she’s going to be moved down a set I guess we’ll know soon (I don’t mind but I know she wants to stay put).

Thanks again

Mr Barton Maths is excellent and has really helped my son at gcse. If you google it will come up

@TeenMinusTests I don't agree at all. The gap between set 1 and 2 is massive, you can't expect to catch up with the students from set 1 in a few weeks. You need to give it a fair crack before seeing if it right.

I'd try Corbett maths too. Practise questions plus videos for tons of topics.

[quote dootball]@TeenMinusTests I don't agree at all. The gap between set 1 and 2 is massive, you can't expect to catch up with the students from set 1 in a few weeks. You need to give it a fair crack before seeing if it right.[/quote]
I guess it depends on the setting policy of the school.
My DD's school didn't have a massive gap between sets, it consciously overlapped them as it understood some kids are better top of set 2 than bottom of set 1, and vice versa.

I would recommend trying a website my child uses called Eedi. Their website is eedi.com.

My child used to absolutely hate maths, tantrums and all and since starting Eedi his confidence has come on leaps and bounds. They teach maths in a super fun format, where your child can create their own virtual world whilst answering maths questions. Their activities are full of amazing videos and your child can even win actual prizes. It's great, we love it.

Hope this helps!