Homeschooling

She Hated Maths, Now She’s Top Set: Real Stories from Our GCSE Tutors

Marketing Team · 16th January, 2026

Most parents do not ring us saying, “We need GCSE tutoring.”

They say things like: “She’s started dreading Maths.” “He works for hours but the grades will not budge.” “She can talk brilliantly in English, then freezes in the exam.”

If any of that sounds familiar, you are not alone. GCSE years can knock confidence, even in students who are immensely capable. The good news is that when you find the right tutor, things can shift surprisingly quickly.

In the stories below, our tutors share the patterns they see and the practical steps that help. Student names are changed for privacy, but the situations are real and very common.

Lola, Year 10: “She hated Maths” was not the full story

When we first met Lola, she was bright, articulate, and completely convinced Maths was not for her.

She would stare at a question, freeze, and then rush the rest, just to get it over with. Her parents had tried being encouraging, they had tried being firm. Nothing shifted. She simply stopped engaging.

What her tutor noticed quickly
It was not a lack of ability. It was fear of getting it wrong, and a belief that being wrong meant being stupid.

So the first goal was not higher grades. It was changing what mistakes meant.

What Lola and her tutor did

Rebuilt foundations quietly, starting at the last point she felt confident, not the point her year group was on.
Used “micro wins”, short questions she could answer correctly to rebuild momentum.
Introduced a simple rule: no erasing, mistakes stayed on the page and became the lesson.
Swapped long problem sets for focused practice, 20 minutes of high quality work, then a reset.

What changed
Within a few weeks she was attempting questions independently. Within a term, she moved up a set. Not because she suddenly became “a maths person”, but because she stopped seeing Maths as a threat.

What parents can take from this
If your child “hates” a subject, ask what the hatred is protecting them from. It is often anxiety, perfectionism, or a long run of small knocks to confidence.

Jamie, Year 10: The student who revised for hours, but never improved

Jamie worked hard. Really hard. He revised nightly, made neat notes, watched videos, and still underperformed in tests. His parents described it as baffling. He described it as embarrassing.

What his tutor spotted
Jamie was revising passively. He could recognise content, but he could not retrieve it under pressure. He did not need more hours. He needed a different method.

What Jamie and his tutor did

Moved to active recall from lesson one.
Built a weekly cycle: learn, test, diagnose, re-learn, test again.
Used short, timed questions every session, even early on.
Created a “mistake log” with patterns, not just corrections.

What changed
Jamie’s grades started rising once he had proof that effort translated into marks. That proof matters.

What parents can take from this
Revision that feels productive is not always revision that works. If marks are not moving, the issue is usually technique, not motivation.

Caitlin, Year 11: English was “fine”, until the mocks

This is common. A student appears to be doing well in English because they can talk about texts confidently. Then the mocks come back and the mark is nowhere near the target.

What Caitlin’s tutor noticed
Caitlin had strong ideas, but no exam shape. She wrote as if she were writing an essay at home, not a timed response that needs clear argument, tight evidence, and a conscious structure.

What Caitlin and her tutor did

Simplified the approach into repeatable paragraph models.
Practised introductions that do not waffle, one sentence argument, one sentence direction.
Made timing visible with a plan that takes minutes, not ages.
Marked together, so she could see what an examiner sees.

What changed
Caitlin’s writing became calmer and more controlled. That translated into higher marks quickly.

What parents can take from this

GCSE English is not just about intelligence or creativity. It is about producing exam quality writing on demand. Structure is often the missing piece.

Harry, Year 11: The student who could do it at home, but not in school

This student would get questions right in tutoring, then come home with a low score in class. It looked like inconsistency.

What Harry’s tutor uncovered
The issue was pressure. In a classroom, with pace and noise and comparison, Harry rushed, second guessed, and panicked.

What Harry and his tutor did

- - Practised under gentle pressure, timed questions, then timed papers, increasing gradually.
  - Taught a reset routine for when anxiety spiked.
  - Built confidence with predictable methods, so he did not have to “think from scratch” every time.
  - Prepared for the exam room, not just the content.

What changed for Harry
The gap between home performance and school performance narrowed.

What parents can take from this
Some children do not need more teaching. They need support with performance under pressure.

If your child is stuck, we can help

These are all different students, with different subjects and different personalities. This is why the match matters. The right tutor is not simply a subject expert. They are a strategist, a calm presence, and someone who knows how to turn a downward spiral into a manageable plan.

If your child is working hard but not improving, or avoiding a subject entirely, we can help you understand what is really going on and what to do next.

Get in touch to discuss your child’s current position and targets, and we will recommend a tailored plan, including the right tutor match and a clear route to measurable progress.

Get in contact with out specialist team today!

By Marketing Team