GCSE maths - what you need to know as a parent

Our GCSE Survival Guide maths expert says that for GCSE maths, it’s essential that students get to grips with the basic core topics first and then build up from there.

- Wendy Finan, Senior Secondary Mathematics Teaching and Learning Consultant

The key thing to getting the most out of GCSE maths is laying strong foundations. These are the guiding principles that will see a student through and help them to understand the more challenging topics. The basic core topics would include number properties and calculation, ratio, fractions, decimals, percentages, and using negative numbers. If your child doesn’t have a solid understanding of these ideas, then piling on the harder topics is simply not going to work.

Crunch times

Technically, GCSEs only last for 2 years but a lot of schools are adjusting this so that the courses span nearly 3 or even 5 years. In my opinion, maths is a continuum and GCSEs really start in year 7 and earlier when teachers are laying the foundations, so it’s never as clear cut as starting them fresh in year 9 or 10. There should not be any big flash points in the GCSE timeline or crunch times they should be preparing themselves for. The key to doing well in mocks and exams alike is consistency. Flaring up their stress and attention levels around exam periods is only going to put undue pressure on their mental health, which is the last thing they need. By remaining consistent and being strong in the basics, they are much more likely to succeed both academically and emotionally.

Students should be aware that Maths is a service subject, and a requirement for many optional subjects at GCSE and A level; students should research their option choices as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Wendy Finan is a contributor to Tassomai’s GCSE Survival Guide, a free 28-page handbook, full of practical tips and expert advice to help families navigate their way through GCSEs. Download your copy of the GCSE Survival Guide here.

Tricky topics

Algebraic skills will usually be taught from year 7 onwards, and making sure your child is confident with these will help to set them up for their GCSE years, as a lot of topics spring from this foundation. It’s useful to recognise that the rules of algebra, factorising and the order of operations is just the same as students have already mastered in their earlier years. Mastering algebraic manipulation is essential to understanding simple equations and more challenging topics which escalate from there. Many schools will follow a spiral curriculum and revisit these topics regularly, but if we can master the idea of recall and retention then revisiting will not mean reteaching and the spiral curriculum will enable skills to grow and develop further each visit.

Trigonometry is another topic that usually pops up in year 9. Although some schools opt to introduce it earlier, students must have a clear grasp of ratio and proportion as well as algebraic manipulation to really be able to understand this topic, so I would be wary of introducing it too early. From the higher tier specifications, even the most able students can find vectors difficult. The basics of this topic are OK but then throw in fractions, algebra and geometry and it gets a bit more complex. I would advise moving through this topic with baby steps.

Foundation or higher?

Parents often worry about what entry tier (foundation or higher) their children are sitting and assume that if they aren’t sitting the higher paper then they’ve already failed. This really isn’t the case, in 2019 almost 60% of UK students were being entered at foundation level. Government advice is that students expected to get a grade 4 or 5 should sit the foundation tier. Lots of students do very well at this level, and have a better experience than facing an exam paper which is mostly inaccessible. Progression routes for higher and further education should be investigated but unless a student is wanting to progress to maths, science or engineering qualifications a grade 4/5 is usually sufficient.

Positive attitude

Learning should be fun! Maths is largely about the mental attitude you have towards it. It is too easy to give off the impression that it’s ok to be bad at maths; as a maths teacher I regularly hear parents telling me how they were never good at maths, but I think we should try to avoid students adopting this mindset. It's really important that parents reinforce the idea of keeping going rather than giving up and encourage a can-do attitude. They need to build resilience in their work and be able to carry on when they’re finding something tricky. Working hard will always lead to progress, it’s not always about getting the top grades. 

Maths doesn’t have to be tedious

Try breaking up revision with strategy games, puzzles and problem solving like Sudokus. It shouldn’t have to feel like your child is slogging through their work all of the time and it can be a great thing for you to do with them as a way of keeping them mathematically engaged. The new national curriculum has a huge emphasis on problem solving, meaning students need to understand how to apply maths like Pythagoras’ theorem, rather than just grasping it as a concept.

One of the best ways parents can engage with their child’s maths work is to ask them to explain what they are doing, either homework or in lessons. There is a growing emphasis on reasoning in maths and if they’re able to articulate why they have chosen a certain method and why it has or hasn’t worked, they will be better equipped to pick up these marks. In some universities, when interviews for maths take place they look for candidates who can explain what they are doing while they are working out a question - this is a skill that will make them stand out from the crowd. Improving any kind of communication skills they have is only ever going to benefit them in the long run, as being able to share your ideas and fully explain them is essential for working in a team.

What kind of parent are you?

Parents have a tricky balancing act to perform, being over-involved or not involved enough with their child’s schoolwork can both have a negative impact on outcomes. Over involvement can lead to additional pressure for students and sometimes unrealistic expectations, under involvement can lead to students switching off and not performing as well as they could. As a parent you would aim for that goldilocks position where parents are encouraging, interested and supportive.

Where a student is accelerated too quickly, the results could be disastrous. Just like a Jenga tower, maths needs a solid foundation, otherwise everything laid on top will come crumbling down. This has been recognised in the maths curriculum over the last few years and teachers are now being encouraged to reinforce the basics as much as possible and not push too far too quickly. If you are able and choose to get a tutor for some extra maths help, make sure they know the pace you’re after as trying to master the harder topics before they have a solid foundation can knock a student’s confidence considerably.

I would encourage all parents to keep communication channels open between school, student, and parent. Talk to each other, particularly if you as a parent have any concerns. Hopefully your child is having a great experience at school and your role as a parent will be an easy one as long as you’re listening to and engaging with your child to help them get the best outcome for them. I’m sure you’re going great!

- Wendy Finan