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 calculator with a red cross through it, next to handwritten fraction working Exam TechniqueGCSE

Top 10 Non-Calculator Skills to Master Before Sitting GCSE Maths

One hour thirty minutes, eighty marks, no calculator. The ten non-calculator skills that decide Paper 1, and how to make them automatic...

11 Jan 2026 · 16 min read
An exam paper with three marks circled beside it Exam TechniqueGCSE

Top 10 Calculator Skills Students Lose Marks On (GCSE Maths)

Your child uses a calculator every lesson and still drops marks on the calculator paper. The ten mistakes behind it, and how...

11 Jan 2026 · 15 min read
A tray of maths equipment including a calculator, protractor, fraction cards and equation cards GCSEGrades & Boundaries

Top 10 Topics That Hold Students Back at GCSE Maths (Foundation Tier)

Stuck on a grade 3 when you need a 4, or a 4 when a 5 opens up sixth form. The ten...

6 Jan 2026 · 19 min read
An exam question with a curve highlighted in yellow and a pencil resting on the page GCSEGrades & Boundaries

Top 10 Topics That Decide a GCSE Maths Grade 7-9 (Higher Tier)

A grade 7 took 146 marks out of 240 on Edexcel and a grade 9 took 208. The ten Higher tier topics...

6 Jan 2026 · 18 min read
A scientific calculator with a warning triangle beside it Exam TechniqueGCSE

Top 10 GCSE Maths Mistakes Students Keep Repeating (And How To Fix Them)

Thousands of students lose the same marks every year, and almost none of it is about understanding. The ten repeat mistakes, and...

6 Jan 2026 · 14 min read
A split panel, warning icons on the red side and a tick and star on the green side Choosing a TutorParent Guides

How to Find the Right Tutor for Your Child: A Parent's Complete Guide

Hundreds of options, wildly different prices, and no clear way to tell who is good from who has a nice website. What...

6 Jan 2026 · 13 min read
A teacher holding a tablet standing in front of rows of identical seated students Choosing a TutorParent Guides

Why Aadam Mulla Changes the Way Students Learn Maths

Parents come for a grade and get something worth more, a child who stops believing they are bad at maths. How Aadam...

8 Dec 2025 · 5 min read
The Financial Value of GCSE Maths - Stylised piggy bank with floating maths symbols, used to illustrate the potential financial benefits of studying GCSE Maths. Confidence & MotivationGCSE

Why GCSE Maths Could Be Worth £40,000 to Your Child's Future

One grade higher in GCSE maths is worth roughly £40,000 in lifetime earnings. The research behind that number, and how to use...

8 Dec 2025 · 6 min read
A runner sprinting along a track that turns into a coloured timeline, with a stopwatch ahead Maths TopicsParent Guides

How to Help Your Child Master Times Tables in Hours (Not Months)

Over a hundred students have learned their times tables this way in a couple of hours, not months of drilling. The method,...

8 Dec 2025 · 5 min read
Four panels showing four different students working in four different ways Confidence & MotivationParent Guides

The 8 Types of Maths Students: Which One Is Your Child?

Two children can score the same mark for completely different reasons, and they need completely different help. Eight types of maths student,...

8 Dec 2025 · 11 min read
Two tablets side by side, one marked A and one marked zero, with a puzzled student looking on GCSEResources & Reviews

Medly AI Review: Why This Viral Study App Might Be Wasting Your Time (And Money)

TikTok is full of Medly AI promising personalised learning and guaranteed grades. An honest review from a maths teacher, including what it...

23 Nov 2025 · 13 min read
A student at a laptop in front of a wall covered in colourful planning cards GCSERevision Planning

GCSE Revision Timetable 2026: Build a Plan That Works

Most revision timetables look great and collapse within a week. How to build one that survives contact with nine subjects and an...

13 Nov 2025 · 5 min read
Split panel of a student planning calmly with a calendar and a student overwhelmed by papers GCSEResources & Reviews

Best GCSE Revision Planners for UK Students in 2026

Most students who struggle are not short of effort, they are short of a system. The revision planners worth buying in 2026,...

13 Nov 2025 · 5 min read