We are producing a series of articles to help parents support their children facing GCSEs this Summer.
All of our students have the potential to get a Grade 4 and doing so means it does not have to be re-taken at college next year. The Grade 4 (an old C) gets students onto higher college courses and is often required for apprenticeships too.
There are 3 GCSE (Edexcel) Maths papers and your child will be on either the Higher Paper (Sets 1 & 2) or Foundation (Sets 3-5).
Paper 1 is a Non-Calculator paper – you just have your brain. However, Paper 2 & 3 allow your child to use a calculator. It is worth you making sure they have one – they get familiar with the one calculator and it tells them the course matters to you. However, if you are totally stuck we can help.
Revision
We have given your child a revision booklet of sample questions you can see them here:
GCSE Maths Foundation Question Booklet
GCSE Maths Higher Question Booklet
The plan would be to have a printed copy they write on but also an electronic copy on their laptop, tablet or phone. The paper copy allows them to do the work whilst the electronic version gives them access to video tutorials.
The booklets start with topic lists for the exam. This is great to help revision. Your child checks out the questions on each topic and if they can do them then they are fine. If they cannot then there is a link on the page in blue – at the top of the section – that takes them to a video tutorial on the topic. They can then check what they need to do.
A Question on Every Topic
Even more, we have provided a booklet that offers a question on every topic for the exam. Your child can work through this to identify what they can and cannot do. If they cannot do a question then they can go to a Youtube video – via a QR code – that goes through every question on a video tutorial.
GCSE Maths Foundation – 1 Question on Each Topic
GCSE Maths Higher – 1 Question on Each Topic
Examples of Exam Papers
We have also provided past GCSE exam papers so your child can go through them and familiarise themselves with how the papers are set up. They can print them off and have a go at them. If they are stuck they can bring the paper into school and ask their teacher for help. You can access them here:
Paper 1 – Foundation
Paper 1 – Higher
Paper 2 – Foundation
Paper 2 – Higher
Paper 3 – Foundation
Paper 3 – Higher
Michelle Simpson, Head of Maths, said: “We have already gone through all of this content and are now going over it all again in each lesson – all lessons are revision now. The best revision in maths spots a question type that cannot be done, checks it out via a video tutorial, works through the examples and mock questions given, and then clicks on how it works. Parents can be brilliant at doing this with their child. The exam papers provided help too so that there is total familiarity with what the student will face on the big day. They can all do well – they really can.”
