GCSE Maths with Mr D

04/06/2026

Is your child starting Year 10 in September? If they lack confidence in maths, now is the perfect time to strengthen their understanding before GCSE studies begin in earnest.

A limited number of tutoring spaces are becoming available as students complete their exams. Help your child keep up in lessons, understand new topics, and approach GCSE Maths with confidence.

31/05/2026

Are you looking for something different for your children in school or outside? A friend of mine called Aston is holding a free parents & schools evening at Penn & Tyler’s Green Village Hall on Thursday 18th June (4:30 to 5:30) to showcase his new fencing classes & programme. That's fencing with (safe) swords, not panels and posts! As a young lad pushing hard to start his own venture, any help promoting this event would be really helpful and very much appreciated. If you know any parents with children in primary school, or any teachers, PE leads, Governers or heads, if you could share this with them I’d be very grateful. Thanks in advance, Paul.

Discover how fencing helps children build confidence, focus, resilience, coordination, and discipline, and how those skills positively transition back into the classroom.📅 When: Thursday 18th June📍 Where: Penn &am...

13/05/2026

Well, here we are!
Most exam boards start tomorrow with a non-calculator paper. Above all else remember:
> Take the marks you are capable of getting.
> Don't get bogged down in questions you're not really sure about.
> Scour the paper for the questions where you can earn the marks quickly.
Good luck!

23/04/2026

GCSE Maths exams start in 3 Weeks – help your child secure more marks in Foundation Tier

With GCSE exams just 3 weeks away, there isn’t time to cover the entire syllabus—but there is time to focus on the topics that consistently come up and carry a large number of marks.

I’m offering a short, focused course designed to help students strengthen the key areas of Foundation GCSE Maths:
* Decimals & core operations
* Fractions
* Percentages (increase & decrease)
* Algebra basics
* Ratios
* Simple geometry
* Graphs
* Averages

The aim is simple: build confidence, reduce panic, and help your child pick up as many marks as possible in the time remaining.

Limited availability: a few evening and Saturday sessions. ASD, ADHD and Dyscalculia children are welcome.

⏱ 1 or 2 lessons per week over 3 weeks.

Face-to-face supportive sessions with clear explanations and plenty of practice. I cover the High Wycombe/Princes Risborough/Aylesbury area.
Message me if you’d like more details or to reserve a space.

16/04/2026

Mr D’s GCSE Maths Mark Boosters #4
Don’t ignore graphs. They come up often—and usually for multiple marks.
Make sure you can:
• Identify the x-axis and y-axis
• Plot coordinates (e.g. (3, −4))
• Draw lines like y = 3x + 4
• Understand vectors as movements between points
Easy marks—if you’re prepared.

12/04/2026

Mr D’s GCSE Maths Mark Boosters 3
Subject knowledge isn’t the only thing that determines a student’s exam grade - exam technique matters too.
Walking into an exam feeling calm and positive makes a real difference. That mindset can be shaped by good sleep, encouragement from parents, and support from peers.
One of the most effective strategies is to start with the questions you can answer straight away. Early success builds confidence and ensures you secure the marks that are easiest to gain.
Spending too long stuck on a difficult question can risk not even reaching later questions that could have been answered easily. Circle the question and come back to it later.
Once the easier marks are secured, use any remaining time wisely. Try the most difficult questions and see if you can make progress. Check your answers, and where possible, try solving a question using a different method. If you get the same result, it’s a strong sign your answer is correct.
Good technique doesn’t replace knowledge - but it could make all the difference on the day.

07/04/2026

Mr D’s GCSE Maths Mark Boosters 2

> Percentages are just Fractions of 100
Percentages are usually taught as their own topic, but really they're just a different label for fractions of 100.
25% is 25/100 which simplifies to ¼. So 25% of £60 is ¼ of £60 which is £15. Percentages can also be written as decimals e.g. 0.25
This video explains things clearly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jl1BRhXls4
Look at the other topics on this site too - they're great.

> Rock Solid Place-Value is Absolutely Essential
All GCSE students working towards Grade 1-5 should watch this video. If it’s not completely clear, use other resources until it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RssSPp_3YTc&t=326s

> AI Can Help in Maths Too!
ChatGPT and others are good at explaining most maths topics.
Try prompts like:
“Explain simultaneous equations”
“How do ratios work?”
If you still don’t understand, try simply "I don't get it".
Just make sure you check the answers and understand each step.

05/04/2026

Mr D’s GCSE Maths Mark Boosters

3-4-5 Triangles
You don't need Pythagoras to calculate a missing length for a right angle triangle with length proportions of 3:4:5. This comes up quite often!

Remember BODMAS
2 x 3 + 8 ÷ 2 = 10. Don't lose the last mark by calculating the final answer incorrectly.

Improper Fractions Rock!
Most fraction questions are more easily done using improper fractions (e.g. 5/2). Unless the question specifically asks for a mixed number (2 ½ ), give your answer as a simplified improper fraction (5/2) too. It's quicker and avoids the risk of making a mistake during conversion.