Online GCSE revision support for an unmotivated but capable Year 10 in

[GCSEyear10]

Hello,

My daughter is in Year 10. She is bright but has never liked studying or revising for exams. She enjoys school and is motivated to attend, so there is no issue with that, but she puts almost no effort into her GCSEs!

I say she is bright because she was accepted into a selective independent school, and she achieved her results without really studying. I believe that if she actually put in the effort, she would understand the subjects well but she is very unmotivated.

She always says, “Leave it, I’ll handle it,” but especially in maths she got a grade 2 last term, so now she really needs to do something to improve. In her other subjects, she is getting grades 4–6.

She is a very active girl-she goes to the gym, attends lamda, instrument, dance classes, and is very successful in drama. She is definitely a creative person, but she is unsure about what she wants to study in the future.

We also tried a 1:1 maths tutor, but honestly it didn’t work because she was not motivated.

Is there a website that offers daily revision lessons? Something she can log into every day and revise for an hour? Or do you have any recommendations for online tutors?

I have seen MyEdSpace-is it good? Would you recommend it? Or any other site?

We didn't do GCSE so really don't know - Is it possible for her to achieve a grade 5–6 in Maths within one year if she starts working seriously now?

And if she doesn’t manage to achieve that, where can she resit the exam? I understand that many sixth forms may not accept students without a pass in Maths- would she need to go to a college instead to retake it?

Thank you!

As she's at a selective independent school, I'm sure you're aware that there's a chance she may be asked to leave after her GCSEs, depending on her results. There is definitely time to turn it around though. If she's getting 4-6's with no work/revision she is clearly capable. As you've identified though, it's really going to boil down to how much effort she's going to put in.

My DS struggles with maths. He was getting 3s at the start of Yr10. He's now Yr11 and is predicted a 5/6. We got him a tutor and he's been seeing him an hour a week and has been doing extra maths homework/past papers etc for 18 months now.

My DS's school recommends Hannah Kettle for free online maths practise.

In the UK a 4 is considered a pass in maths so if she achieves that she won't have to resit it. However, many selective/over subscribed sixth forms will ask for a 5, regardless of what A level subjects she wants to do. If she doesn't get a 4 she will have to resit it. Either at her school if they offer it, or at her post-16 destination.

It's probably worth starting to research post-16 settings now so you both know what's out there. It may be that a different kind of course may be more suitable for her than A levels anyway. A levels require a LOT of independent work and self-motivation.

It is hard for these young people having to take such high-stakes exams aged 15/16 especially when they're not sure what they want to do post-16.

@Toomanyminifigs Thank you so much for your feedback!

Normally, her school requires a grade 6 in Maths and English, and a grade 7 or above in the subjects she wants to take at A level. However, they told us that because she is strong in creative subjects, if she achieves at least a grade 5 in Maths, she may still be able to do A levels there (of course, not in maths-related subjects).

Just in case if she gets 4 or below in Maths I looked other Post-16 options (state schools), I can see Level 2 BTEC courses, but I haven’t been able to find clear information about GCSE resit options for students aged 16 and over. Where do students usually go to retake their GCSEs?

My daughter is summer-born, so I wouldn’t mind if she progressed to a Level 3 course a year later, but I haven’t been able to find a school or course that allows for that pathway.

Would she need to prepare independently for a GCSE resit, or should I be looking at colleges? Or is it better to enrol her in a Level 2 BTEC course at a Post-16 provider?

I think you should also be looking at level 3 Btecs for your DD. Level 3 are the equivalent of A levels and with her academic profile, she should be capable of this. For example there's a level 3 Btec in Art and Design that might suit her?

Or there are A levels in things like textiles, photography that she might be interested in?

All post-16 settings (that are not independent) are funded for 3 years of post-16 study. It's not uncommon for students to repeat Yr12 if they've realised they've chosen the wrong course. It also means that some students spend 3 years trying to pass maths/english GCSE as currently the rules are they have to retake until they gain at least a 4. Speak to the colleges you have in mind but my understanding is that if they're state run, they have to offer maths/english retakes. However, their offering may only be 1 hour of lessons a week.

I have to warn you that the percentage of students who go on to pass maths who have previously failed it is very low (I think it's under 40%). I have known DC who have failed it 4 or 5 times and it's so demoralising. It is really worth throwing everything at it at this stage to get her a pass.

There is a post-16 college near me (London) that does actually offer a 1 year course for students to retake/take 5 GCSEs in order to progress onto level 3 qualifications. It's definitely worth looking around.

However, she does still have time in her current setting. As I say, if she's getting 6s with little input then she does have the capability but you are absolutely doing the right thing to be looking at all the options.

You could also speak to her current school with regards to the maths. If she gets a 4 would they let her stay/retake? If they don't offer retake classes, you could fund a tutor and then see if the school would let her sit the actual exams the following summer?

We also tried a 1:1 maths tutor, but honestly it didn’t work because she was not motivated.

It wasn't the right tutor. You have to find a tutor that is also working in college and teaches kids that didn't do well on GCSE . They know how to handle far more challenging cases than your daughter. And you have to pay for 3 x per week at least if she got grade 2 in year 10.

Don't rely too much on the fact that she got into selective independent. This is the history. There is no better way to ensure she has a passing grade - the best is 1:1 approach. You will not succeed with group or online programs if she is not self motivated.
Ask around in other schools, in colleges who is teaching maths. The best would be through recommendation. Some tutors make miracles as far as the motivation is concerned if the intelligence is there and I am sure there is in case of your daughter. Don't be easily discourage if another tutor will not work. Look for another and another. Shop around. There are right tutors out there.

Btw I would never send a child to that school. They should ensure that your daughter is managing well without a need of a tutor. You already spending money for independent school that should deliver! That is why I sent my child to a good state school + I pay for tutoring for the subjects he will do at A level so he excels.

Just to cheer you up, here’s a story. Once upon a time, when I was at school, I was in a class with a girl who was really struggling. Her math was tragic. Her mum hired a tutor and paid for four 90-minute lessons per week. Within six months, she was back on track, and in the following years, she became one of the best students in maths at that school. She got so much into it that she was doing maths in her free time for sheer enjoyment and the tutor was only twice a month when she needed something way way beyond school level. In the end, she went on to study mathematics and now teaches maths at that very same school!

Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future. Hurry up, you have very limited time before exams

@Toomanyminifigs I think Level 3 BTEC courses require at least a 5 in GCSE Maths and English? - Hope I am wrong!
From what I’ve seen, most state schools are like that, and private schools usually want 6–7.

So I’m wondering-if she gets 6s or above in all her other subjects but gets, say, a 3–4 in Maths, would she still be able to study a Level 3 BTEC?

Right now I’m just thinking about the worst-case scenario 😔

@BlueMoonIceCream maybe I should ask her teacher if she recommends somebody to us? Do you recommend any online website btw? Thank you

My take on is to get the teacher that prepares those who failed GCSEs. They know how to push the buttons. Ask around and try , if it will not work pick another one.

I cannot recommend any websites because my son is Y8 and his result at math is 5 and his target is 5 for year 8. This is max target. The websites were not working with him but a tutor, a tough no nonsense man made miracles and he is now very good at maths. And my son tried all sorts of tricks with his tutor. It did not work so he gave up and is working hard.

But we have very good state schools around so I planned on tutoring as a support from Y7.

Might she benefit from an academic mentor or some revision coaching sessions to help with techniques and focus and accountability? Rather than just a specific maths tutor?

You could invest in some Corbett Maths cards (they are colourful flash cards, with a maths concept on one side, and qr codes on the other side for a video explanation, some questions and some answers. My dc found these really really helpful - if you go through the cards quickly, you can sort them into piles: those that you know and understand, those that need a little bit of work, and those that you really don’t understand yet. Then each time you get to grips with a topic, you move the card into the next pile. So eventually you have all of the cards in the ‘understand’ pile. They are great, as they are compact, quick and have easy access to a video explanation. They do them in foundation and higher levels. I lent our set to a friend as well, and her dc found them really helpful as well. It seems to make it all very straightforward. Have you also thought about getting a bit more involved in the revision? Your dc may need someone to sit with them, or be a bit of a revision buddy, or just to body-double. Unfortunately not all dc are able to be fully self-starting. (Especially if there are Sen issues, as in our case).

There are level 3 btecs being offered at my DS's sixth form that require a 4 in maths and English. Obviously it will be dependent on the subject and setting.

As I say, a 4 is a pass. It's a C in old terms. Many universities will take students with a 4 in maths (again, dependent on the course) so getting a 4 is by no means the end of the world. In fact for some students it's a very great achievement.

Is she studying for the higher or foundation paper? That's something to speak to the school about if you haven't already. It's swings and roundabouts as you need a much higher percentage to get a 5 on the foundation (I think it's around 72% but it does change every year). The questions are more straightforward though. To get a 5 on the higher paper, it's a much lower percentage (it could be as low as 35%) but it's a more difficult paper. If she's currently doing the higher paper it is worth getting her to do a foundation paper (you can download past papers for free online) and then marking it.

@Toomanyminifigs thank you!! if she got 3 in maths but all her grades are good enough to do BTEC or A level can she retake GCSE
maths while she is doing level 3 course? She would like to do RE, Spanish, English. Drama,
Art or Business as level 3 course.

Or we need to find 1 year GCSE programme for her?

I agree it’s a good idea to consider the F paper for her – capped at a 5 but the questions are much easier. If you do the H paper and will get a 5, most of the questions will be beyond you – as in, targeted at those achieving 6+.

Indeed, nothing at all wrong with a 5 in maths GCSE or a 4 if that's the level you are working at.

I would caution, as others do, about taking A levels with 5s and 6s at GCSE. If Spanish was a serious A level target (I see you mention it) I would say she would certainly need a grade 7 in that at GCSE. The A level builds so much on the learning and skills of GCSE.

If she wants to do Btec courses post-16, there is a wide range and with lower GCSE grades they are probably a better fit. Have a look at local colleges and see what is on offer. And yes if she gets a 3 in maths she will have to retake and that is certainly possible at college.

I would say of the subjects you list, business, drama (performing arts) and art are available as college non-A-level courses. Spanish, RE and English are usually only offered as A levels.

Every post-16 setting will have its own entry requirements, so you will need to research each one. It's not uncommon for DC to be retaking either maths or English gcse alongside studying their level 3 qualifications, including A levels. There will be timetabled space available for this. But as I said in another post, it's sometimes only 1 hour a week. The first resit is in November which I personally think is too soon for most DC, unless maybe they've missed a 4 by a few marks. If they fail again, they retake in the summer.

The more oversubscribed the setting though, the higher the entry qualifications they will be looking for though (obviously!). The subjects you list that she's interested in (other than business) probably won't have a maths requirement other than a 4 or 5 in most settings, which is good.

If your DD is particularly talented in a field though (say art/music) some
oversubscribed settings do sometimes have a special category where they will consider entry with lower maths and English results than usual. Again, you will need to approach each setting individually.

The open days for post-16 settings are September/October so you've got a few months to start looking into this. Also just so you're aware, you can apply for several sixth forms - in fact it's advised. She can hold several offers and then depending on her results on the day, she enrols in the one she likes the best, based on her grades.

Oh this sounds so familiar. Our DS is 15 and we had almost the exact same situation — bright, capable, could absolutely do it when he wanted to, but getting him to actually sit down and revise was like pulling teeth. We tried a 1:1 tutor as well and it didn't work for the same reason — the motivation just wasn't there, so he'd sit through it passively. The thing that actually cracked it for us was finding something with a gamification element. Anything where it felt like he was earning points, levelling up, beating his own score — suddenly he was choosing to do extra practice without being nagged. It's the same psychology that makes phone games addictive but pointed at actual maths. And yes, absolutely a grade 5-6 in maths is achievable in a year if she starts working seriously now. The gap between a 2 and a 5 is mostly about consistent practice rather than being "naturally good at maths." Don't lose hope.

@GCSEyear10This was honestly us last year. Bright DD, got into a good school, but zero motivation for maths. She’d say “I’ll deal with it” and then… just not deal with it at all. On the surface she seemed completely unbothered but later admitted she was actually quite stressed and just avoided anything maths-related.

I wouldn’t give up on tutoring completely — I think it’s just finding the right person. We went through a few (and did Explore Learning, Kumon etc.) and nothing really made a difference.

What worked for us in the end was a tutor (Laura at The Surrey Maths Coach). She was just very calm and kind and didn’t make DD feel stupid, which I think had been part of the issue before. She focused a lot on building her confidence first and getting her to engage again, rather than just throwing questions at her.

At one point she said to her “I’ll do the worrying, I’ve got this” and honestly I think we all needed to hear that. It just took the pressure off a bit.

DD ended up going from a predicted 3 to getting a 6 which we genuinely didn’t think was possible.

Re websites, I’d just be a bit cautious if motivation is already an issue. Logging on every day sounds great in theory but I know our DD wouldn’t have stuck at this. We found having someone external expecting something from her (which wasn’t me nagging) made a big difference.

Also selfishly it saved me from all the cajoling and stand offs! And it wasn’t just the weekly sessions — she’d send little videos, questions, the odd WhatsApp to check in, even good luck messages before exams and “go and relax” reminders the night before. It all helped keep DD on track without it becoming a battle at home.