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Secondary education

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Original poster

How can I help get my ds through his Nov maths resit?

53 replies

Anxiousthoughts · 24/08/2025 18:40

Just that really. Ds didn't have a great set of GCSE results, but we were both shocked about a grade 3 in maths.

Back story - this time last year he was breezing grade 5s in the foundation paper, started doing higher paper topics in Y11, panicked and got a U in his Nov mocks.

I asked that he did he foundation paper, although he seemed to have developed a panic about maths and got a 2 in his Feb mocks. His teacher was clear that it's a confidence issue - he's actually quite competent. She did not think that he was looking at resitting.

I thought that the best way to prepare for his GCSEs was doing past papers under timed conditions. He did lots up to the mocks, which I marked and he was getting 85% +. I'm as sure as I can be that I was objective - answers were either right or wrong, the right working was there or it wasn't.

Ds thought that the exams went well, although he scored 42,43, 44 so a total of 129, 15 marks off a grade 4.

I want to help him, but I don't know how. He has no idea why he couldn't replicate what he was doing at home in the exam room.

He gets extra time and rest breaks as he has a visual processing disorder, but didn't use them. Obvs not helpful but he hadn't used extra time at home either.

His sister suggested that being in a smaller room with other DC who needed adjustments provided a lot of distractions as there would have been some messing around. I don't know.

He refuses point blank to consider a tutor. What can I do for him at home?

TIA

OP posts:
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 27/08/2025 18:01

What are his next steps? If he is retaking maths at e.g. and FE college, he may be in a smaller group and the class could be tailored to those at the 3-4 borderline. This may not be the case but it may be worth seeing what the FE provision is like before worrying about a tutor. Obviously pass rates for those retaking are lower, but some people do pass in every retake and some colleges are very good at getting people through!

If he mentions concerns about his maths class, that might be the time to bring up a tutor?

Original poster
Anxiousthoughts · 28/08/2025 11:47

Thanks. There will be resit classes in his sixth form, probably pretty big tbh. He is happy to sign the consent form to get his scripts back to see where it went wrong as he (and me) is genuinely puzzled as to why he couldn't replicate the high scores in the multiple past papers that he did at home in the exam room.

He was in a smaller room due to adjustments (that he didn't use...) and his sister's theory is that there's quite a lot of low level disruption in that room and he is very easily distractible.

I'm going to contact the SENCo at the beginning of term, but I don't think they'll be able to facilitate him sitting the exams in a room by himself.

OP posts:
EmeraldJeanie · 28/08/2025 19:57

Obviously, cannot speak for all schools but my son was in room with others who had extra time/ typing etc. He said no low level disruption within room. Some outside school noise on occasions...

Original poster
Anxiousthoughts · 29/08/2025 00:14

That's nice for your ds. My ds's sister went to the same school, hence her comment.

OP posts:
BeaLola · 29/08/2025 01:02

My son did GCSEs last year. He had 25% extra time due to ADHD, visual processing etc
He was also entitled to use a pc. DS didn't want to use any of it as he doesn't like to be different from peers, look like a geek - all his own words not ours. He also never seemed to use the extra time at all in mocks etc.

Luckily we had a supportive head of house and pastoral lead and we asked if he could be in a small room by himself as that way no other distractions plus he wouldn't finish just because everyone else had started to - it worked for him and he did really well

Original poster
Anxiousthoughts · 29/08/2025 02:12

Thanks. I think that would really help ds. He hates exams so can't wait to get out of the room, especially if other people are leaving.

I''ll speak with the SENCo. Being in a room by himself isn't one of the current adjustments that he has listed and ds says that distractions weren't the problem, but that is really the main difference between when he was doing papers at home and when he did exams at school with such different outcomes.

OP posts:
EmeraldJeanie · 29/08/2025 06:49

Just a personal anecdote round being in a room by yourself for an exam.
It has happened to me twice. I am ancient so took O levels. One O level I was the only person taking it and in a room where I was just with invigilator (who was also reacher at the school. Different times). She sat in front of me and I found her most off putting!
Another was as a 20 year old. I was in a room on my own with no invigilator. That was fine.
Make sure you know how will be done if on own in a room!

MrsHamlet · 29/08/2025 07:07

There's absolutely no way a GCSE exam will be done without an invigilator.

EmeraldJeanie · 29/08/2025 07:29

I agree @MrsHamlet .
At 20 was an odd situation and was completely on own and absolutely no way I could cheat as people aware of me- not that I would have done!
The O level was horrible. The invigilator in my face really. Different times!

Slimtoddy · 29/08/2025 07:33

Could it be exam anxiety rather than maths itself? It sounds like he was doing really well and then a bad mock result which seems to have caused him to spiral. I wonder if too much focus on the maths itself might increase anxiety. It's just a sense I get from what you describe.

If anxiety is playing a part perhaps some techniques to deal with that might help? My DS was similar around maths and his maths teacher said he could probably do higher but psychologically staying with Foundation would be better. We did get a tutor (online) as well but for me the most important thing was to try and keep very calm about it (he does have anxiety and a couple of other things at play). He also has extra time.

Lookingforadvice345 · 29/08/2025 08:27

Of course I understand that there will need to be an invigilator. I was interested in BeaLola's ds's experience and though it worth considering.

The November resists are early on, so there isn't much time, and for obvious reasons I do not want ds's self-esteem further crushed by getting into a resit cycle.

TheAmusedQuail · 29/08/2025 08:30

Timed papers. Go online for his exam board and course code, print off past papers. Get him to sit them under exam conditions.

If nerves / confidence are the problem, replicating the exam situation as much as possible with familiarise him with the exam and hopefully turn it into almost a habit.

Lookingforadvice345 · 29/08/2025 08:34

If only that was the solution TheAmusedQuail! That was exactly my approach in the lead up to his GCSes - see my first post. He was sailing through the papers and came out of saying that he thought he'd passed.

The question is why he couldn't replicate that in the exam room.

BeaLola · 29/08/2025 09:43

Just to confirm that my son did have an invigilator in his room for his GCSES. He had different ones over the course of them. It worked for him as he stopped getting distracted when others left for toilet breaks etc.

TheAmusedQuail · 29/08/2025 10:08

Lookingforadvice345 · 29/08/2025 08:34

If only that was the solution TheAmusedQuail! That was exactly my approach in the lead up to his GCSes - see my first post. He was sailing through the papers and came out of saying that he thought he'd passed.

The question is why he couldn't replicate that in the exam room.

Can you buy back the paper? And ask his teacher to go through it and identify WHAT specifically he didn't do?

Original poster
Anxiousthoughts · 29/08/2025 10:17

Ds is happy to sign the form for the exams officer to access his scripts do that we can look at them and see what went wrong.

I'll get this ball moving when the school is back next week.

Thanks again all.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 29/08/2025 10:19

That's great, however remind him that November is really not far away so he really needs to get cracking with some revision now as he will have forgotten a lot of stuff over the summer - he sat the exams when he was in peak condition.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 29/08/2025 10:26

An expensive tutor was what got my dd a 4 in maths, it’s one of those problems that money can help with 🤷‍♀️

I personally would make it non negotiable, he has to engage with a tutor if he wants to pass. It not an unusual or uncommon thing to have extra tutoring, most of dds friends had extra help even ones predicted to get high grades!

BeaLola · 29/08/2025 10:56

I would definitely get paper back and see what teacher says - it may be a straightforward thing that could be easy to rectify

I can understand re the Tutor - if you can afford it I would , depending on what paper "reveals" especially if there a tutor that he would really engage with and tell DS that it's just extra revision assistance and he was so close it's just you don't want him or even yourself stressing out all year when he has other new subjects to focus on

Original poster
Anxiousthoughts · 29/08/2025 11:00

Thanks. I have indeed reminded him that he needs to get cracking and printed out some Corbett's maths. Have yet to be successful in getting him to look at it but I will persevere.

I'm honestly not sure how I'd make a tutor non-negotiable with ds. He would just refuse to engage. It might be that he becomes a bit more receptive when school is back, but not banking on it.

I'm a pretty no-nonsense parent and ds did 100% more revision with me directing/nagging him than he would have done without, but ultimately he had to decide to do it. It's actually heartbreaking that he failed maths, as this was the main subject I made him do past papers on.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

OP posts:
RampantIvy · 29/08/2025 11:15

TheAmusedQuail · 29/08/2025 08:30

Timed papers. Go online for his exam board and course code, print off past papers. Get him to sit them under exam conditions.

If nerves / confidence are the problem, replicating the exam situation as much as possible with familiarise him with the exam and hopefully turn it into almost a habit.

This is what I did for DD. It helped boost her confidence massively.

Original poster
Anxiousthoughts · 29/08/2025 11:17

Yes and yes. Got DS to do loads in the run up. He was getting really high marks. Confidence grew.

Still failed the actual exam.

OP posts:
YellowEllie13 · 29/08/2025 11:58

Good luck OP. Sounds like your DS is actually pretty capable at maths (though lost a bit of confidence at the wrong time which can make such a difference with maths I think). It’s great he’s getting his papers back. I suspect he made a load of silly errors. If so, I’d be framing it as: you clearly are good at maths.

Corbett maths is good. My DD really got on well with Maths Genie too. The Corbett flash cards were good too. Mine would also flatly refuse a tutor if I’d ever suggested it and would get v defensive at times when I tried to help (in general with GCSE revision). I’m not recommending this but I have used rewards (ok bribes!) as extra motivation too.

Anyway, good luck. It really sounds as though he’s more than capable of getting a 4 if not 5 so he just needs to keep up with doing some maths most days.

TeenToTwenties · 29/08/2025 16:26

You could:
. point out if he doesn't pass in Nov then will need to keep going Jan-June, so maybe a tutor now might remove need for tutor later
. agree no tutor but if he doesn't pass in Nov there must be a tutor from results in Jan until June resits

NB the later in the academic year you leave it, the harder it may be to find a tutor.

LidlAmaretto · 29/08/2025 16:42

MrsHamlet · 29/08/2025 07:07

There's absolutely no way a GCSE exam will be done without an invigilator.

I've done 1-1 invigilating for GCSE and yes you are literally sitting in a room the two of you. In my case table width apart! No leaving on their own for a second. I had a phone on me in case one of us needed the toilet!

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