My child is failing GCSE Maths. What do I do now?
If you've just seen a mock result or a report that says your child is behind in maths, you're probably worried. That's a normal reaction, and it means you care. The good news is that maths is one of the most fixable subjects there is.
Most students who are struggling with GCSE Maths aren't lazy. They're overwhelmed. There's a lot of content, the gaps from earlier years add up, and at some point it starts to feel like there's no way back. There almost always is.
First, find out where they really are
"Failing" can mean a lot of things. Before doing anything else, get the actual numbers:
- Their most recent mock or test score, and the grade it equals.
- Which tier they're entered for, Foundation or Higher.
- Which topics they lost the most marks on. Their teacher can usually tell you this.
A student scoring a grade 3 on Foundation is in a very different place from one getting a 2 on Higher. Both are fixable, but the plan is different.
Most of the marks are in a small number of topics
The GCSE Maths exam isn't random. The same question types come up year after year. For a student aiming for a grade 4, a handful of core topics, things like percentages, ratio, fractions, area, and solving equations, make up a big share of the marks.
That's why trying to "revise everything" so often fails. It spreads a struggling student too thin. The students who improve fastest focus on the common questions until they can do them every time.
Past papers are the engine
Once you know the weak topics, the most effective thing your child can do is past papers: sit one, mark it with the mark scheme, then look carefully at every lost mark. It turns revision from "reading notes" into finding and fixing specific mistakes.
I explain how to get the most out of a past paper here:
You don't need to know the maths to help
Parents often tell me they can't help because they "were never any good at maths." You don't need to be. What helps most is structure:
- A regular slot. Thirty minutes, four times a week, beats a three-hour panic on a Sunday.
- Ask the right question. Not "did you revise?" but "which questions did you get wrong, and why?"
- Notice effort, not just scores. Confidence is half the battle in maths. A student who believes they can improve will put in the work.
Talk to the school
Ask your child's maths teacher three things: what grade they're working at now, what they need to do to reach a 4 (or their target), and whether they're on the right tier. Teachers are usually glad when a parent asks, and it means everyone is working on the same plan.
If they don't pass this time
It's worth knowing that this isn't the end of the road. Students who don't get a grade 4 can resit, and in England they'll usually carry on studying maths at college or sixth form until they do. Plenty of students pass on their second attempt, often with a much better understanding of the subject. But with the right focus now, there's a good chance they won't need to.
Where I can help
I went to a school that was placed in special measures, so I know what it's like when maths feels like it isn't going to happen. My whole approach is about making it feel manageable again.
Join the next free live lesson to see how I teach. It's free, and your child can just watch if they'd rather not join in.
My online GCSE Maths classes run three times a week, split by target grade, and every class is recorded so they can rewatch anything. Claim your free 7-day trial for Group Tutoring.
Matt, MyGCSEMaths