For students in March who find maths difficult — and it's one of the most commonly struggled-with subjects — targeted dedicated support makes a measurable difference. Topics like ratio and proportion and percentages trip students up year after year. The educators we work with break these concepts down, fill gaps from earlier years, and build towards exam-ready confidence.
The Tutoring Process
Each session lasts around an hour. The tutor works through concepts with your son or daughter, sets practice problems, and reviews previous work. There's no one-size-fits-all script — sessions are shaped by what the student actually needs that week. For students preparing for GCSEs, we use practice papers from Edexcel to build familiarity with the format. For younger students, we focus on number confidence, mental arithmetic, and problem-solving strategies. Progress is shared with parents so you can see improvement building week by week.
Grade Improvement
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 March, that shift from "I can't do maths" to "I worked it out" is often the most valuable outcome.
Matching the Cambridgeshire Curriculum
Schools in March typically use Edexcel or AQA for their maths specifications. The educators we work with know both, and they'll match their teaching to whichever syllabus your son or daughter follows. This means practice questions, practice papers, and revision materials are all relevant to the exact exam your son or daughter will sit — not generic content from a different board. At Neale-Wade Academy, we're familiar with how topics are sequenced and where students most commonly need extra support.
KS1 and KS2 Maths
Strong maths skills start early. For primary-age children in March, the educators we work with focus on number bonds, times tables, fractions, and the reasoning skills tested in Key Stage 2 SATs. A child who arrives at secondary school without these foundations will find it increasingly difficult to keep up. Our approach for younger students balances structured practice with engaging activities, building confidence without pressure.
Building Good Study Habits
Effective studying is a skill that many pupils were never explicitly taught. A good tutor does not just explain the subject — they model how to approach unfamiliar material, how to self-test, and how to manage time during revision. For March learners, these habits compound over time, meaning the benefit of focused teaching extends well beyond the immediate grades.
For Parents and Carers
Tutoring works best when there is clear communication between the tutor, the learner, and the family. In March, 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.
Addressing the Gaps
The most common areas where March students need maths support are ratio and proportion, percentages, and trigonometry. These topics build on each other — a shaky grasp of ratio and proportion often leads to problems with statistics and probability later on. The educators we work with identify exactly where the chain broke and work forward from there. For GCSEs students, we also focus heavily on test strategy: showing working, time management, and understanding how marks are allocated on Edexcel papers.