11+ and GCSE Maths, explained for parents

Straight answers on exams, revision and where marks actually get lost. Written by a practising maths teacher.

A class screen with two columns of question cards and mini whiteboards Latest

Free Maths Starters for the Classroom Screen: A Board of Questions in Seconds

How to put a board of maths questions on the class screen in seconds, at one or more levels, with answers ready, and what to do when it shows a gap.

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Wooden blocks set out as a written multiplication and a bus stop division Maths TopicsParent Guides

Column Multiplication and Short Division: Step by Step Practice for Years 4 to 6

How column multiplication and short division are taught in Years 4 to 6, where children usually go wrong, and the question to...

20 Oct 2026 · 5 min read A planner with three weeks filled in and an exam paper in the fourth GCSEResources & Reviews

How to Revise for GCSE Maths Mocks: A 4-Week Topic Plan with Free Practice

Past papers work best once the topics are secure. A four week plan of short topic sessions, then papers in the last...

20 Oct 2026 · 5 min read A desk calendar with ticks on some days, beside a stack of exercise books, a pencil and a plant 11+Parent Guides

The 40 Week 11+ Maths Plan: Two Lessons a Week, Every Topic in Order

A free week by week 11+ maths plan: 80 topics in teaching order, two a week for 40 weeks, with a free...

20 Oct 2026 · 6 min read Wooden counting blocks, a bead string, a number line strip and a small plant on a cream background Confidence & MotivationParent Guides

Dyscalculia or Just Behind in Maths? Signs, Assessment and What Helps

Most children who struggle with maths do not have dyscalculia. The signs that suggest it might be, how assessment works in the...

19 Oct 2026 · 4 min read A conical flask, a small magnet, a ruler and a marked exam paper with ticks Exam TechniqueGCSE

GCSE Chemistry and Physics: Where Strong Students Still Drop Marks

A student scored 90 and 91 out of 100 on their chemistry and physics mocks. The marker's notes on the last marks...

18 Oct 2026 · 3 min read A certificate with a rosette beside a city map with eight pins, a compass and a plant 11+Grades & Boundaries

Birmingham 11+ Scores: What 205 and 224 Mean for a Grammar School Place

Birmingham 11+ scores arrive by 16 October. What the qualifying score of 205 and the priority score of 224 mean, and the...

17 Oct 2026 · 4 min read A notebook open to a fresh page beside a fountain pen, a seaside postcard and a plant Exam TechniqueGCSE

GCSE English Language Paper 1 Question 5: What Earns the Top Marks

Question 5 is worth 40 of the 80 marks on AQA English Language Paper 1. How it is marked, and what real...

16 Oct 2026 · 3 min read An open storybook with a pencil, a stack of index cards, a small notebook and a mug of tea 11+Exam Technique

11+ English: What the Comprehension and Creative Writing Papers Test

What 11+ English papers ask for, from multiple choice comprehension to a full piece of creative writing, and how to prepare for...

15 Oct 2026 · 4 min read A marked exam paper with ticks and crosses, a highlighter and a desk calendar with one date circled GCSEGrades & Boundaries

Your Child's GCSE Mock Results: What the Grade Means and What to Do Before May

A mock grade is a snapshot, not a prediction. How to read it, how to find the marks that matter, and a...

14 Oct 2026 · 3 min read A tall stack of exam papers with a flag on top, beside compasses, a pencil and a lightbulb Exam TechniqueGCSE

The Hardest Questions on a GCSE Maths Higher Paper, Walked Through Step by Step

The last five questions on a Higher paper decide the top grades. Here are ten of them from 2023, what makes each...

13 Oct 2026 · 4 min read A graph card showing a U-shaped curve crossing the axis at two points, with its lowest point marked Exam TechniqueGCSE

GCSE Quadratics: Factorise, Complete the Square or Use the Formula?

Three ways to solve a quadratic, and students learn them as three separate topics. Here is how each one works and how...

12 Oct 2026 · 4 min read Three blank test papers fanned out with a pencil, a ruler, a protractor and a small clock Exam TechniqueParent Guides

KS2 SATs 2027: Dates, Papers and What the Maths Tests Cover

The 2027 KS2 SATs run from 10 to 13 May. The timetable, the three maths papers, the scores that count as the...

11 Oct 2026 · 4 min read