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

[Anxiousthoughts]

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

I was going to suggest the same.

He really needs to get the message that it isn't a failure to accept help.

Thanks. Yes, I've said all that. Whether it has gone in is another matter. I'm hoping that going back to school instills a bit more of a sense of urgency in him.

We received the scripts yesterday. In all three papers, ds had raced through the first half getting them all right, then attempted to race through the second half, which was where he came unstuck as you need to take a bit of time to break down what the 5 markers are asking for.

A combination of panic and wanting to get out of the exam room, I think. Need to convince him that the papers are 1hr 30 long FOR A REASON and that he has extra time FOR A REASON.

He wasn't doing this to nearly the same degree when he was doing papers at home, so think the exam situation got to him.

Has been doing the Corbett 5 a day maths (reluctantly) and it doesn't look to be his maths ability that is the problem.

Which is good, but also frustrating.