How to Help Your Child Pass GCSE Maths in 2026: 5 Expert Tips for Parents

If you're worried about your child passing their GCSE maths, you're not alone. In 2024, around 59.6% of all entries achieved a grade 4 or above in maths, which means roughly 40% of students didn't pass. That's a significant number, and many of those students were perfectly capable of passing with the right support.

I've tutored hundreds of GCSE students at SHLC over the past five years, and I can tell you this: children aren't failing maths because they're not clever enough. They're failing for two main reasons. Confidence and basic skills.

Let me explain what I mean and give you five practical ways to help your child succeed.

Why Children Struggle With GCSE Maths

Before we get into solutions, you need to understand what's actually going wrong.

The Confidence Problem

Your child's confidence in maths has been shaped by everyone around them. Parents, teachers, friends, siblings. And unfortunately, most of that shaping has been negative.

Think about the messages they've absorbed:

From parents: "I was rubbish at maths too. I never understood algebra either. Don't worry, not everyone's a maths person."

From teachers: "Maybe maths isn't your strongest subject. You're better at English, aren't you?"

From peers: They see classmates finishing tests faster, getting higher marks, understanding things quicker. They assume everyone else just "gets it" whilst they don't.

These messages build a false narrative inside your child's head. They start to believe they cannot do maths. It becomes part of their identity. And once that belief sets in, they stop trying properly because trying and failing would prove they're not good enough.

Psychologists call this self-worth protection. It's when we avoid doing something because we're scared of being seen as incapable. We'd rather not try at all than try and confirm our worst fears about ourselves.

Your child isn't lazy. They're scared.

The Basic Skills Problem

Here's a harsh truth: if I gave a strong Year 6 student a foundation tier GCSE maths paper right now, they'd probably score around a grade 2 or 3. Not because they're behind. Because many students leave primary school without mastering the fundamentals.

By the time they reach Year 10 or 11, those gaps haven't been filled. They've just been covered up and ignored. You cannot build algebra skills on shaky number foundations. You cannot tackle geometry without understanding basic arithmetic.

Some students never learned their times tables properly. Others struggle with fractions, decimals, and percentages. Some can't handle written problem-solving questions, even when they understand the maths itself.

And here's the problem: GCSE maths assumes you have all of these basics locked in. If you don't, you're building a house on sand.

Tip 1: Make Sure Your Child Actually Knows the Basics

This is where you need to start. Not with past papers. Not with revision guides. With the absolute fundamentals.

Can your child:

• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide confidently with large numbers?
• Recall their times tables instantly (all of them, up to 12x12)?
• Handle these operations in worded questions, not just bare calculations?
• Work comfortably with negative numbers?
• Simplify fractions and convert between fractions, decimals, and percentages?

If the answer to any of these is no, that's your starting point.

The Learning Order That Actually Works

When I'm working with a struggling student, here's the order I teach topics:

Stage 1: Core number skills

• Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
• Times tables (automatic recall, no counting)
• Negative numbers
• Order of operations (BIDMAS/BODMAS)

Stage 2: Fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio

• Equivalent fractions and simplifying
• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing fractions
• Converting between fractions, decimals, percentages
• Percentage increase and decrease
• Ratio and proportion

Once a student is confident with these, they can usually achieve a grade 2 or 3 just from this knowledge alone.

Stage 3: Algebra, geometry, data, and probability

• Solving equations
• Expanding and factorising
• Sequences
• Angles, area, volume
• Graphs
• Probability and statistics

This third stage is where students start pushing towards grade 4 and above.

Don't skip stages. If your child can't confidently work with fractions, they're not ready for algebraic fractions. If they don't know their times tables, factorising will be a nightmare.

Resources for Mastering Basics

Corbett Maths 5-a-day: Free daily questions at different levels (https://corbettmaths.com/5-a-day/gcse/). Your child should do one or two sets every single day. Numeracy for basic skills, foundation for grade 3-5 students, foundation plus for those targeting grade 5.

Times Tables: If your child still doesn't have instant recall, read our guide on How to Master Times Tables in Hours, Not Months. This is non-negotiable for GCSE success.

CGP GCSE Maths Workbooks: Buy either the foundation or higher workbook depending on which tier your child is sitting. Give them 10 to 20 minutes every day to work through it systematically.

Tip 2: Small, Consistent Practice Beats Marathon Cramming

Most students start revising properly about three months before their exams. Some leave it even later. This is nowhere near enough time.

If your child starts six months early, nine months early, a year early, or even two years early (ideally in Year 10), you'll make a world of difference to their results.

But here's the key: small consistent chunks work better than long exhausting sessions.

Twenty minutes every single day is vastly more effective than three hours on Sunday. Daily practice builds habits, reinforces learning, and prevents burnout.

How to Make This Happen

Set a specific time each day. After school, before dinner, after breakfast, whatever works for your family. Make it non-negotiable routine, like brushing teeth.

Use the Corbett Maths 5-a-day questions. One or two sets takes about 15 minutes. Your child tracks which questions they find easy and which they struggle with. That tells you exactly where the gaps are.

Alternatively, work through a CGP workbook together. Ten to twenty minutes per day, tick off topics as you complete them.

The consistency matters more than the duration. Missing one day here and there is fine. Missing two weeks because "we'll catch up later" destroys the habit.

Tip 3: Use Real Exam Questions, Not Just Textbook Exercises

Here's something I see constantly: students work through hundreds of textbook questions, feel confident, then completely panic when they see the actual GCSE paper.

Why? Because exam questions are worded differently. They test application, not just method. They combine multiple topics in one question. They require interpretation and problem-solving, not just calculation.

Your child needs to practice with real exam questions from the start, not just in the final few weeks.

Where to Find Real Exam Questions

GCSE Maths Questions: A website that collects practically every GCSE maths question from recent years, sorted by topic (https://www.gcsemathsquestions.com). Click into any topic and you'll find dozens of real exam questions to practice.

SHLC Free Exam Resources: We provide past papers from all major exam boards plus topic-specific question banks (https://shlc-tutor.co.uk/pages/free-exam-resources). Everything includes mark schemes and worked solutions.

How to Use Past Papers Effectively

During Year 10 and early Year 11: Work through past papers untimed, with notes available. The goal is learning question styles and understanding mark schemes, not achieving target grades yet.

Every half-term: Complete one full set of papers (Papers 1, 2, and 3). Mark them properly. Track progress. Is your child improving between half-terms? If not, why not?

Late Year 11: Do papers under full timed conditions (90 minutes per paper). No notes, no breaks, no phones. This builds exam stamina and time management.

Students who thoroughly analyse their mistakes show significant improvement in subsequent attempts. The marking and review matters as much as taking the paper.

Tip 4: Practice Weaknesses, Not Strengths

This is where most students sabotage their own progress.

They practice what they're already good at because it feels comfortable. They'll happily do twenty questions on fractions, decimals, and percentages if they find those easy. But those aren't the questions losing them marks.

The extra marks come from the topics they currently struggle with.

If your child already understands fractions, they're already getting those marks on the exam. Practicing them more won't improve their grade. But if they struggle with circle theorems or probability, that's where the improvement happens.

How to Identify and Target Weaknesses

Use Maths Genie (https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk). The website organises all GCSE topics by grade level. If your child is currently at grade 3, check whether they can do everything up to grade 3. Then start working on grade 4 topics.

For foundation students targeting grade 4 or 5, they need to be able to tackle all topics up to grade 5.

Maths Genie provides:

• Video explanations for each topic
• Exam-style questions
• Worked solutions

It's completely free and genuinely excellent.

The Calculator vs Non-Calculator Balance

Another common mistake: students focus almost entirely on non-calculator work because it feels safer.

Here's the reality. One-third of GCSE maths is non-calculator (Paper 1). Two-thirds is calculator (Papers 2 and 3).

Your child needs to be comfortable with both. They need calculator efficiency for Papers 2 and 3, but they also need strong mental arithmetic and written methods for Paper 1.

If your child is foundation tier, they might even benefit from attempting the first few questions of a higher tier paper. Those questions are at the same level as the hardest foundation questions, so it's good practice.

The key is getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Don't let your child stay in their comfort zone all the time.

Tip 5: Make Sure They Get Proper Feedback

Practicing questions is pointless if your child doesn't understand their mistakes.

They need feedback. Real, actionable feedback that explains what went wrong and how to fix it.

Here are the levels of feedback your child might receive, from worst to best:

Level 1: AI marking (worst)

Yes, you can take a picture of your child's work and ask AI to check it. But AI frequently gets maths marking wrong. It's the least reliable option.

Maybe this will improve in future. Right now, I wouldn't trust it.

Level 2: Self-marking

Your child marks their own work using mark schemes. This is better than nothing, but they often don't understand why they lost marks or how to improve.

Self-marking works if your child is already strong and just needs to check calculations. It's less effective for students who are genuinely confused.

Level 3: Family member marking

An older sibling who's good at maths, or a parent with some maths background, can provide better feedback than self-marking.

Even if you're not confident with maths yourself, you can learn alongside your child. Work through the mark scheme together. Watch video solutions. Discuss what went wrong.

This level of involvement shows your child that you care and that mistakes are okay.

Level 4: Teacher or tutor marking (best)

Professional marking gives actionable feedback. A good teacher or tutor will show your child exactly where marks were lost, what the examiner wanted to see, and how to improve next time.

At SHLC, we offer a Mock Exam Marking Service where we mark practice papers to exam board standards and provide detailed improvement suggestions. It's like having an examiner mark your work before the actual exam.

If you're considering one-to-one tutoring, read our guide on How to Find the Right Tutor for Your Child.

Bonus Tip: Your Mindset as a Parent Matters More Than You Think

Here's the thing nobody tells you: your attitude towards your child's maths revision will directly impact their success.

If you're anxious, stressed, and constantly nagging, your child will associate maths with pressure and negativity. They'll resist revision because it means disappointing you.

If you're calm, supportive, and celebrate small progress, your child will feel safe making mistakes and trying again.

Create a Low-Pressure Environment

Think of your child like a plant. A plant needs the right external conditions to grow: sunlight, water, nutrients, good soil. Shout at a plant or deprive it of water, and it won't thrive.

Your child needs the right conditions too:

Autonomy: Don't dictate everything. Create a revision plan together. Ask them: What subjects do you want to study? When do you want to study them? How long should your breaks be?

Give them choices within a safe structure. This builds ownership and reduces resistance.

Competence: Let them see their own improvement. Use mini-tests and mock papers to track progress. When their grades improve, acknowledge it. When they master a difficult topic, celebrate it.

Progress matters more than perfection.

Connection: The next few months will be tough. There will be ups and downs. Your job is to be their safe emotional base when things get hard.

When they're motivated and confident, great. Encourage them. When they're struggling and frustrated, don't criticise. Stay calm. Remind them of their progress. Keep the pressure low.

Stop Comparing, Stop Bribing, Stop Nagging

Comparing your child to their siblings or classmates breeds anxiety, not motivation.

Bribing them with treats or rewards makes success about external rewards, not internal satisfaction.

Nagging them to revise creates resentment and avoidance.

Instead, show them the progress they're making. Use their mock results to demonstrate improvement. Help them see that effort leads to results.

True motivation should be intrinsic. It should come from within themselves. When children feel capable and supported, effort flows naturally.

For more on this, read our guide on How to Motivate Your Child for Exams Without Nagging.

Bringing It All Together

If your child is currently below a grade 4 in maths, these five tips can genuinely change their trajectory:

1. Master the basics first: Don't skip number fundamentals. Use Corbett Maths 5-a-day and CGP workbooks for daily practice.
2. Small, consistent practice: Twenty minutes every day beats marathon cramming. Build habits early.
3. Use real exam questions: Textbook exercises aren't enough. Practice with actual past papers from SHLC Free Resources and GCSE Maths Questions.
4. Target weaknesses: Identify gaps using Maths Genie. Practice uncomfortable topics, not just easy ones.
5. Get proper feedback: Whether it's family marking, our Mock Marking Service, or professional tutoring, make sure mistakes are understood and corrected.

And remember: your mindset as a parent shapes their experience. Stay calm. Celebrate progress. Keep the pressure low. Create structure and routine, and the motivation will grow naturally.

Passing GCSE maths isn't about being naturally talented. It's about consistent effort, targeted practice, and the right support at the right time.

If your child needs personalised help, we offer one-to-one GCSE maths tutoring at SHLC. Check out our main tutoring services or read about how our students achieve rapid grade improvements.

Your child can pass GCSE maths. They just need the right approach, starting today.

— Aadam, SHLC Tutors