A student who's behind in maths can feel it in every lesson. In Ferndown, our maths tutors help students close those gaps with focused, weekly sessions tailored to exactly what they need. Whether the problem is ratio and proportion, word problems, or test-taking ability, we've seen students move up by a full grade within a term when they get the right support.
Aligned With Local Schools
Schools in Ferndown typically use OCR or AQA for their maths specifications. Our teaching team know both, and they'll match their teaching to whichever syllabus your child follows. This means practice questions, real exam questions, and revision materials are all relevant to the exact exam your child will sit — not generic content from a different board. At Ferndown Upper School, we're familiar with how topics are sequenced and where students most commonly need extra support.
What Results to Expect
Most students who work with a tutor weekly for a term see a noticeable improvement — typically one to two grades at GCSEs level. We track progress through regular topic tests and past-paper scores. But it's not just about grades: students also develop better problem-solving habits, stronger mental arithmetic, and the confidence to tackle questions they'd previously skip. For parents in Ferndown, that shift from "I can't do maths" to "I worked it out" is often the most valuable outcome.
Addressing the Gaps
The most common areas where Ferndown students need maths support are ratio and proportion, algebra, and number work. These topics build on each other — a shaky grasp of ratio and proportion often leads to problems with geometry and angles later on. Our teaching team identify exactly where the chain broke and work forward from there. For GCSEs students, we also focus heavily on test-taking ability: showing working, time management, and understanding how marks are allocated on OCR papers.
Family Involvement
Tutoring works best when there is clear communication between the tutor, the learner, and the family. In Ferndown, we encourage parents to share what they observe at home — frustration with homework, avoidance of certain topics, comments about lessons. This context helps the tutor target the right areas. We also keep families informed of what is covered each week, so there is never any guesswork about whether things are on track.
One-to-One Learning
School teaching is designed for the middle of the ability range. Those who are behind get left further behind; those who are ahead plateau. Tutoring in Ferndown works precisely because it meets each learner where they are. Whether a pupil needs to revisit fundamentals or push beyond what school covers, a dedicated tutor shapes every lesson to their level, their goals, and the areas where improvement will matter most.
Getting Started
Write to us to arrange an initial chat about your child's maths needs. We'll match them with a tutor in Ferndown who knows the OCR syllabus and can start making a difference from the first session.