The final push

Moving students from a D/E to a C grade in mathematics in the final few months requires a shift from teaching the entire curriculum to targeted, high-impact interventions. The focus must be on maximizing marks by securing foundational skills, mastering high-yield topics, and refining exam technique.

Here is a structured approach to boost grades in the final months:

1. The "High-Yield" Topic Audit

• Identify Core Topics: Focus on topics that appear every year and carry high marks, such as Algebra (rearranging, solving), Ratios, Percentages (compounding, growth/decay), Pythagoras, and Trigonometry.

• Targeted Question Practice: Instead of working through whole textbooks, focus on mixed exercises, particularly for topics that bridge the gap between grade D and C.

• Use "5-a-day" Resources: Use resources like Corbettmaths' 5-a-day to keep a variety of topics fresh, mixing basic numeracy with exam-style questions daily.

2. Active Revision & Exam Technique

• Stop Passive Revision: Move students away from just reading notes. Use "blurting" (writing down everything remembered about a topic), flashcards for formulas, and teaching concepts to peers.

• Master the Calculator: For calculator papers, ensure students know their scientific calculators inside-out to save time and prevent simple errors.

• The "Show Your Working" Rule: Train students to show all steps. In many cases, a wrong answer with correct working can still gain 80-90% of the marks.

• Analyze Examiner Reports: Review past examiner reports to help students understand common pitfalls and what examiners look for.

3. Effective Past Paper Strategy (Last 6 Weeks)

• Timed Practice: As exams near, stop doing open-book questions and start timed, full past-paper practices.

• The "Mark Scheme" Method: After a test, students must mark their own work using the mark scheme. This highlights, for example, why they lost a mark for not showing a step or rounding incorrectly.

• Gap Analysis: Use a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) checklist on the specification to identify topics that are still red and require immediate, targeted intervention.

4. Psychological & Behavioural Boost

• Build Confidence Through Small Wins: Start with familiar, easier questions to build confidence, then move to higher-demand questions.

• "Never Leave a Question Blank": Encourage students to pick out keywords, identify the topic, and make an educated guess. There are often easy "method" marks available, even if the final answer is wrong.

• Improve Time Management: Teach students not to get stuck. If a question is worth 2 marks, they should not spend 10 minutes on it.

Top Resources for Rapid Improvement

• Corbettmaths: For 5-a-day questions and video explanations.

• TLMaths (YouTube): Clear, organized video tutorials.

• Maths Genie: For topic-specific, tiered past paper questions.

• DrFrostMaths: For a wide range of practice questions.